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Trophic Structure of Temperate Australian Oyster Reefs Within the Estuarine Seascape: a Stable Isotope Analysis

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Abstract

Remnant oyster reefs support diverse communities of invertebrates and fish, and there is growing interest in restoring this important habitat. Whether the construction of new oyster reefs will enhance or simply redistribute existing fisheries’ productivity depends on their trophic role–which, to date, is unknown for Australian estuaries. In this study, conducted in Port Stephens, Australia, stable isotope analysis was used to determine trophic linkages among remnant oyster reefs and their resident and transient species. Specifically, this study elucidated whether the potential trophic linkages could be arising through the direct consumption of reef-forming bivalves or from the uptake of oyster-generated organic matter found in the sediment and consumption of reef-dwelling organisms. A total of six primary producers and 35 consumers of distinct feeding guilds were sampled. Results indicated oyster reefs are contributing to the trophic ecology of both resident and transient species, both through direct predation on the reef bivalves but also indirectly through consumption of the reef benthic organic matter and consumption of other reef-dwelling organisms. Oysters and mussels were an important prey group (> 40% contribution) for three resident and five transient species, including polychaetes, blue swimmer crabs, toadfish, luderick, leatherjackets, oyster gobies, and stingarees. Benthic organic matter from the oyster reef was found to be a primary resource for 12 residents and four transient species, including crabs, shrimps, gastropods, and fish. Oyster reefs are key foraging grounds in the estuarine seascape, and their restoration will enhance fisheries productivity by broadening the trophic resource base and contribute to the estuarine energy transfer to higher trophic levels.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the NSW Department of Primary Industries for their support on equipment and logistics. Thank you to Derrick Cruz for his support and assistance and to Giulia Ferretto for assisting us as field volunteers. We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Worimi nation, Traditional Custodians of the lands on which this study has taken place and whose culture has nurtured and conserved our study estuarine habitats to date.

Funding

This project was funded by the Department of Biology from Macquarie University, the Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship (MQRES), and the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment–Equity Trustees Charitable Foundation and the Ecological Society of Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Francisco Martinez-Baena, Vincent Raoult & Melanie J. Bishop

  2. School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia

    Vincent Raoult & Troy F. Gaston

  3. Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315, Australia

    Matthew D. Taylor

  4. TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia

    Ian McLeod

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  1. Francisco Martinez-Baena
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Correspondence to Francisco Martinez-Baena.

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Sampling was carried out under permit P01/0059(A)-2.0. All sample processing occurred under Animal Ethics Permit ARA 2017/010.

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Communicated by Jill A. Olin

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Martinez-Baena, F., Raoult, V., Taylor, M.D. et al. Trophic Structure of Temperate Australian Oyster Reefs Within the Estuarine Seascape: a Stable Isotope Analysis. Estuaries and Coasts 46, 844–859 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-022-01157-8

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