ORCID
Jaden Akers https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8345-6766
Nigel Temple https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1907-3894
J. Marcus Drymon http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2104-004X
Just Cebrian https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9916-8430
Ashleigh Robbins https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0324-9214
Eric Sparks http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1102-2478
MSU Affiliations
College of Forest Resources; Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture; Coastal Research and Extension Center; Coastal Marine Extension Program; Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES)
Item Type
Research Data
Abstract
Restoration efforts are critical to ensure healthy oyster populations and the ecosystem services they provide. However, restoration is expensive and outcomes are mixed due, in part, to oyster predation on contemporary structures. Here we assess the effects of reef structural design elements on predator behavior and oyster survival using a paired field and laboratory mesocosm experimental approach. Experimental reefs (n=128) were constructed out of formed concrete and varied in structural features including vertical relief (short vs. tall), continuity (e.g., gapped or continuous), position in the water column (on-bottom or elevated), and slope. Each of the 8 designs was replicated eight times. One replicate of each design was placed in one of 8 experimental blocks in both the field and mesocosm tanks. In the field, we assessed general survival of the oysters, while in the mesocosm tanks we assessed oyster drill predation and behavior. Results of the field portion of this study showed that oyster survival was greatest in short and on-bottom reef designs. A mesocosm study was conducted to assess how design features impact oyster drill activity. In this mesocosm study, elevated off-bottom reefs had the least oyster drill activity with only 0.007% of all oyster drill activity occurring on these off-bottom reefs. This study highlights the need to better understand reef design features and their impact on oyster survival and deterrence of multiple predators.
Creation Date
5-1-2024
Publication Date
Fall 8-1-2026
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Akers, Jaden E.; Temple, Nigel; Drymon, J. Marcus; Cebrian, Just; Broussard, J. Patrick; Robbins, Ashleigh; and Sparks, Eric, "Impacts of Structural Design on Oyster Survival and Predation in Restored Oyster Reefs" (2026). Research Data. 17.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/research-data/17
