背景:贝类礁恢复在澳大利亚相对较新,特别是潮间带河口环境。在2019年底/2020年初,悉尼岩牡蛎的第一个大规模贝礁修复项目,SaccostreaglomeratawasundertakenintheMyallandKaruahRivers,斯蒂芬斯港,在新南威尔士州(NSW)的中北部海岸,澳大利亚。本研究旨在确定本地采购的干净的同种牡蛎壳,和/或当地采石场的岩石更适合自然募集天然S.glomerata进行大规模牡蛎礁恢复,以及随后招募鱼类和无脊椎动物。两年多了,招募S.glomerata口角,和相关的鱼类和无脊椎动物在由以下组成的珊瑚礁上进行评估:(1)岩石,(2)岩石和贝壳。
结果:在岩礁上的牡蛎吐水的平均(±SE)密度(Myall河:1790±48,Karuah河:1928±68)显着更大(Myall河:ANOVASi:MS2,18=31080167,F=96.05,P<0.001,Karuah河:ANOVASixTi:MS18,270=15654岩礁的密度明显更高(Myall河:ANOVASixTi:MS18,270=15657,F=2.71,P<0.001,Karuah河:ANOVASixTi:MS18,270=20322,F=5.25,P<0.001)最丰富的无脊椎动物,Bembiciumauratum(MyallRiver:85±9,KaruahRiver:100±8)thanreefofrockandshell(MyallRiver:59±8,KaruahRiver:44±5),但是最丰富的鱼类物种的多样性和相对丰度没有显着差异,刺五加。
结论:这项研究表明,使用本地来源的岩石比贝壳更好地进行S.glomerata募集。尽管shell可能具有本研究中未研究的益处,例如为牡蛎礁恢复项目获得更大的社会许可,但如这里所示,从生态角度来看,这可能没有好处。随着全球范围内不同种类的珊瑚礁牡蛎的恢复范围的扩大,需要针对特定的物种和目的选择用于珊瑚礁基地的适当材料。
BACKGROUND: Shellfish reef restoration is relatively new in Australia, particularly to intertidal estuarine environments. In late 2019/early 2020 the first large-scale shellfish reef restoration project of the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata was undertaken in the Myall and Karuah Rivers, Port Stephens, on the mid north coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The present study aimed to determine whether locally sourced clean conspecific oyster shells, and/or locally quarried rocks were better for natural recruitment of natural S. glomerata for large-scale oyster reef restoration, and subsequent recruitment of fishes and invertebrates. Over two years, recruitment of S. glomerata spat, and associated fishes and invertebrates were assessed on reefs made of: (1) rock, and (2) rock and shell.
RESULTS: The mean (± SE) density of oyster spat on rock reefs (Myall River: 1790 ± 48, Karuah River: 1928 ± 68) was significantly greater (Myall River: ANOVA Si: MS 2, 18 = 31080167, F = 96.05, P < 0.001, Karuah River: ANOVA Si x Ti: MS 18, 270 = 2965449, F = 5.99, P < 0.001) than on rock and shell reefs (Myall River: 840 ± 40, Karuah River: 1505 ± 75). Rock reefs had significantly greater densities (Myall River: ANOVA Si x Ti: MS 18, 270 = 15657, F = 2.71, P < 0.001, Karuah River: ANOVA Si x Ti: MS 18, 270 = 20322, F = 5.25, P < 0.001) of the most abundant invertebrate, Bembicium auratum (Myall River: 85 ± 9, Karuah River: 100 ± 8) than reefs of rock and shell (Myall River: 59 ± 8, Karuah River: 44 ± 5), but there was no significant difference in the diversity and relative abundance of the most abundant species of fish, Acanthopagrus australis.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that using locally sourced rock is better for S. glomerata recruitment than shells. Although shell might have benefits that were not investigated in the present study, such as elicit greater social licence for oyster reef restoration projects, but as shown here, it may not be beneficial from an ecological perspective. With the global expansion of the range of different native species of reef oysters for restoration, the appropriate material used for reef bases needs to be chosen for a specific species and purpose.