Topic Oysters: Concept 6 Connection to sustainability

Oysters are ecosystem engineers (sensu Jones et al. 1994) with many ecological functions. They contribute with both allogenic and autogenic engineering properties (Jones et al. 1994). As autogenic engineers, they generate shell structures that constitute an abiotic resource that support other species, e.g. interstitial-shell spaces that can be used as shelter from predators, colonization substrate for algae and invertebrates and refuge and foraging substrate for many invertebrates and fish (Arve 1960, Newell 1988, Lenihan 1999, Ozbay et al. 2017). Consequently, one of the great benefits of oyster farming is the development of an entire ecosystem around the culture structures and the oysters, which can be seen as temporary artificial bivalve reefs. The biodiversity values of these structures are well documented (Theuerkauf et al. 2021, The Nature Conservancy 2021) and can be exemplified by reports from fishermen from Santa Catarina Island (Brazil) who describe that, “around oyster lanterns, it is an excellent place to fish due to the presence of fish that had previously disappeared due to overfishing”. In fact, it is recorded that oyster aquaculture increases biodiversity by 1.3 times and abundance of associated organisms by 1.7 times