Global decline of oyster reefs prompted interest in restoring these valuable habitats, which stabilize shorelines and are home to diverse fauna. Recent efforts highlight the need for careful selection of effective restoration sites that will promote oyster growth and maximize shoreline stabilization. Boating is a significant contributor to oyster mortality in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, USA, where energy from boat wakes dislodge oysters shoreward and create dead margins of disarticulated oyster shell. These boat wake effects are well-documented; however, few studies concentrated on oyster recruitment in Northern Mosquito Lagoon, which is bordered by developed coastline along a heavily trafficked boating channel. In this 20-week field study, we compared the settlement density of eastern oysters, , on concrete substrate at four sites in Northern Mosquito Lagoon that varied in boating intensity (low and high) and proximity to existing reef (≤ 1 m and ≥ 49 m). Surprisingly, oyster settlement was greater at sites with high boating intensity. However, elevated recruitment may have been due to increased tidal flow and potential larval supply in the boating channel, rather than a direct effect of boat wakes. Proximity to existing reef also had a positive effect on oyster settlement and a negative effect on barnacle settlement. Our results suggest that ideal sites for recruitment and juvenile survival of oysters coincide with areas of high boating activity, adequate water flow, and proximity to natural reefs in this developed coastal habitat.

中文翻译：

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促进牡蛎沉降的条件与发达沿海栖息地中划船活动频繁的区域相吻合

全球牡蛎礁的衰退引发了人们对恢复这些宝贵栖息地的兴趣，这些栖息地稳定了海岸线，并成为多种动物群的家园。最近的努力强调需要仔细选择有效的恢复地点，以促进牡蛎生长并最大限度地稳定海岸线。在美国佛罗里达州蚊子泻湖，划船是导致牡蛎死亡的一个重要因素，船尾流产生的能量将牡蛎推向岸边，并造成牡蛎壳脱落的死角。这些船尾流效应已有详细记录。然而，很少有研究集中在北蚊泻湖的牡蛎招募上，该泻湖毗邻发达的海岸线，沿着一条交通繁忙的划船通道。在这项为期 20 周的实地研究中，我们比较了北蚊泻湖四个地点的东部牡蛎在混凝土基底上的沉降密度，这些地点的划船强度（低和高）和与现有珊瑚礁的接近程度（≤ 1 m 和 ≥ 49米）。令人惊讶的是，在划船强度高的地点，牡蛎沉降量更大。然而，招募增加可能是由于潮汐流增加和划船通道中潜在的幼虫供应，而不是船只尾流的直接影响。靠近现有珊瑚礁也对牡蛎沉降产生积极影响，对藤壶沉降产生负面影响。我们的研究结果表明，牡蛎补充和幼体生存的理想地点与发达的沿海栖息地中划船活动频繁、水流充足且靠近天然珊瑚礁的区域一致。