ABSTRACT: Aquaculture industries have the capacity to produce positive ecosystem service benefits, such as the provision of habitat to wild animals. Oyster cultivation is the oldest and largest aquaculture industry in south-eastern Australia. Oyster spat are grown to marketable size in rack-and-rail (‘racks’) or longline-and-basket (‘baskets’) configurations, which add structure to estuarine waters. This study assessed: (1) how the fish communities associated with oyster farms vary with production method; (2) how communities of fish utilise oyster infrastructure, as compared to adjacent natural habitats; and (3) whether oyster infrastructure can serve as de facto oyster reefs by supporting similar fish communities. Remote underwater video surveys, conducted during summer and winter of 2 study years, revealed that fish observations and species richness were generally greater for rack than basket cultivation. Both types of oyster farms supported at least as many species of fish as adjacent natural habitats, including oyster reef, seagrass, mangrove and bare sediment. Fish communities were, in general, most similar between racks and baskets and most dissimilar between racks and bare sediments. Oyster farms supported species of fish otherwise limited to habitats with wild oysters, and unique harvested fish species were observed more frequently at racks. Fish use of oyster-growing infrastructure for foraging and shelter mirrored use of natural biogenic habitats. Overall, this study suggests that the oyster aquaculture infrastructure can support fish communities with species composition similar to those of natural biogenic habitats, although this service is dependent on farming method. Ecosystem services provided by aquaculture should be considered in estuarine habitat enhancement, conservation and restoration.

中文翻译：

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从头珊瑚礁：牡蛎养殖提供的鱼类栖息地因养殖方法而异

摘要：水产养殖业有能力产生积极的生态系统服务效益，例如为野生动物提供栖息地。牡蛎养殖是澳大利亚东南部最古老、规模最大的水产养殖业。牡蛎卵在机架和轨道（“机架”）或延绳和篮子（“篮子”）配置中生长到可销售的大小，这增加了河口水域的结构。本研究评估了：（1）与牡蛎养殖场相关的鱼类群落如何随生产方法而变化；(2) 与邻近的自然栖息地相比，鱼类群落如何利用牡蛎基础设施；(3) 牡蛎基础设施能否通过支持类似的鱼类群落而成为事实上的牡蛎礁。在 2 个研究年的夏季和冬季进行的远程水下视频调查，显示，架式养殖的鱼类观察和物种丰富度通常高于篮式养殖。两种类型的牡蛎养殖场都支持至少与邻近自然栖息地一样多的鱼类，包括牡蛎礁、海草、红树林和裸露的沉积物。一般来说，鱼群在架子和篮子之间最相似，而在架子和裸沉积物中最不相似。牡蛎养殖场支持原本仅限于野生牡蛎栖息地的鱼类，并且在架子上更频繁地观察到独特的收获鱼类。鱼类利用牡蛎养殖基础设施进行觅食和避难，反映了对自然生物栖息地的利用。总体而言，这项研究表明，牡蛎养殖基础设施可以支持物种组成与自然生物栖息地相似的鱼类群落，虽然这项服务取决于耕作方法。在河口栖息地的改善、保护和恢复中应考虑水产养殖提供的生态系统服务。