Oyster reef restoration supports increased nekton biomass and potential commercial fishery value

PeerJ
Austin T Humphries, Megan K La Peyre

Abstract

Across the globe, discussions centered on the value of nature drive many conservation and restoration decisions. As a result, justification for management activities increasingly asks for two lines of evidence: (1) biological proof of augmented ecosystem function or service, and (2) monetary valuation of these services. For oyster reefs, which have seen significant global declines and increasing restoration work, the need to provide both biological and monetary evidence of reef services on a local-level has become more critical in a time of declining resources. Here, we quantified species biomass and potential commercial value of nekton collected from restored oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs in coastal Louisiana over a 3-year period, providing multiple snapshots of biomass support over time. Overall, and with little change over time, fish and invertebrate biomass is 212% greater at restored oyster reefs than mud-bottom, or 0.12 kg m(-2). The additional biomass of commercial species is equivalent to an increase of local fisheries value by 226%, or $0.09 m(-2). Understanding the ecosystem value of restoration projects, and how they interact with regional management priorities, is critical to inform local decision-making and ...Continue Reading

References

Aug 25, 2004·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Michael Xavier Kirby

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