Addition of mussel shells enhance marine benthic biodiversity in two degraded coastal soft sediment ecosystems.

The decline in coastal shellfish populations, attributed to anthropogenic stressors such as harvesting via dredging, can deplete the seabed of vital biogenic habitat. This removal of shellfish significantly reduces habitat complexity, biodiversity, and the hard substrate required for the natural recovery of some key species. A common method for oyster restoration involves deploying oyster shell material to provide habitat and substrate for settling larval oysters.