The Effectiveness of Providing Shell Substrate for the Restoration of Adult Mussel Reefs

Emilee D. Benjamin (), Jenny R. Hillman, Sean J. Handley, Trevyn A. Toone and Andrew Jeffs
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Emilee D. Benjamin: Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Jenny R. Hillman: Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Sean J. Handley: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 217 Akersten Street, Port Nelson, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
Trevyn A. Toone: Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Andrew Jeffs: Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-13

Abstract: Providing benthic substrate is the most common method used for oyster reef restoration. The physical relief from the seabed, increased habitat complexity, and attachment surfaces have been shown to improve oyster health, recruitment, and survival. While the addition of shell material is an effective substrate for oyster restoration, its usefulness in mussel restoration has been understudied. This study tested the effectiveness of adding shell substrate to two different types of soft sediment for the restoration of adult green-lipped mussels. Over 10 t of shell was used to create a 10 cm layer on the seabed in replicated experimental plots at the two locations. 10 t of live adult mussels were deployed onto the shell substrate and an additional 10 t of mussels onto adjacent soft sediment control plots. A year after deploying the live mussels, mussel survival across all plots was 80.6 ± 6.5%, with no differences between mussel plots with or without the added shell substrate for either of the two locations. This study emphasizes the importance of context-dependency, revealing promising avenues for future research, and indicates that for adult green-lipped mussels the addition of a shell substrate appears to provide little advantage for adult mussel restoration at high deployment densities.

Keywords: green-lipped mussels; Perna canaliculus; shellfish; New Zealand; rehabilitation; soft sediment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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