Drought Increases Consumer Pressure on Oyster Reefs in Florida, USA.

ABSTRACT: Coastal economies and ecosystems have historically depended on oyster reefs, but this habitat has declined globally by 85% because of anthropogenic activities. In a Florida estuary, we investigated the cause of newly reported losses of oysters. We found that the oyster reefs have deteriorated from north to south and that this deterioration was positively correlated with the abundance of carnivorous conchs and water salinity. In experiments across these gradients, oysters survived regardless of salinity if conchs were excluded. After determining that conchs were the proximal cause of oyster loss, we tested whether elevated water salinity was linked to conch abundance either by increasing conch growth and survivorship or by decreasing the abundance of a predator of conchs. In field experimen

SUBMITTER: Garland HG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4537192 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature