The introduction of exotic species can pose significant challenges in the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems, yet Flinders University researchers have found that Pacific oysters introduced to the Port River in Adelaide have influenced surprising benefits.
The introduction of exotic species can pose significant challenges in the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems, yet Flinders University researchers have found that Pacific oysters introduced to the Port River in Adelaide have influenced surprising benefits.
The study – led by Brad Martin, a Flinders University PhD candidate, with colleagues from Flinders’ College of Science and Engineering – assessed the effects of introduced, reef-forming Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas), within a temperate Australian mangrove-dominated estuary (the Port River-Barker Inlet Estuary) and how they influenced both intertidal fish and invertebrate communities, and fish foraging behaviour.
“The introduction of non-native foundation species such as Pacific oysters can significantly alter ecological communities and functions, but through this research we found that these Port River oyster reefs are providing habitats for coastal animals” says Mr Martin.
Read more at Flinders University
Image: Black bream and Pacific oysters in the Port River, South Australia. Photo: Brad Martin. (Credit: Photo by Brad Martin)
