Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8345-6766

Advisor

Sparks, Eric

Committee Member

Drymon, James

Committee Member

Temple, Nigel

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Wildlife, Fisheries, & Aquaculture

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Abstract

Restoration efforts are critical to ensure healthy oyster populations, but the high cost and marginal success rate of many restoration efforts demonstrates the need to evaluate alternative oyster reef restoration designs and strategies. To address this issue, I conducted a paired field and mesocosm study to assess the influence of structural design on oyster survival and predation. Results of the field portion of this study showed that oyster survival was greatest in short and bed-level (i.e., sitting on the sea bottom) reef designs. When assessing how design features impact oyster drill activity, elevated reefs (i.e., elevated above the sea bottom) had the least oyster drill activity, and oyster drills generally congregated further away from water outflows. This study highlights the need to better understand reef design features and their impact on oyster survival and deterrence of multiple predators.

Sponsorship (Optional)

This project was funded by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Reefense Program.

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