AI Article Synopsis

  • The introduction of the Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas, has sparked concerns about its effects on local ecosystems, especially as native European oyster populations are declining.
  • A study compared the nutrient cycling and biodiversity contributions of the native oyster, Ostrea edulis, with the invasive M. gigas, looking at various environmental factors and mussel densities.
  • Results showed no significant differences in nutrient cycling or associated species between the two, suggesting that M. gigas could take over the ecological roles of the native oyster in areas where it has disappeared.

Article Abstract

The widespread introduction of the Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas, has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on the functioning of invaded ecosystems. Concurrently, populations of the European oyster, Ostrea edulis, are in decline. We quantified the functional role of the native oyster, O. edulis, in terms of nutrient cycling and associated infaunal biodiversity and compared it directly to that of the invading oyster, M. gigas. The presence and density of both species were manipulated in the field and we tested for differences in concentration of ammonium, phosphate, total oxidised nitrogen and silicate in pore-water; total organic nitrogen and carbon in sediment; microbial activity; chlorophyll concentration; and the assemblage structure and richness of associated benthic taxa. No differences in nutrient cycling rates or associated benthic assemblages were identified between both oyster species. Nutrient concentrations were mostly affected by differences in oyster density and their significance varied among sampling events. Our findings suggest that M. gigas could compensate for the loss of ecosystem functions performed by O. edulis in areas where native oysters have been extirpated.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.104793DOI Listing

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