Altan Ni Mhurchu: Molly Malone's Worst Nightmare

<p dir="ltr">Reef-forming shellfish facilitate biodiverse ecosystems as they provide benthic habitat complexity, increasing productivity. Globally, reef-forming shellfish, such as oysters and mussels, have been overharvested to extirpation, with a corresponding loss in biodiversity.</p><p dir="ltr">The deployment of mussel shells from aquaculture to the seabed is being investigated as a means of providing substrate for mussel restoration. In this study, fish recruitment into restored shell and mussel habitats with three different reef heights, as well as unaltered seafloor habitat was investigated in the Marlborough Sounds.</p><p dir="ltr">The settlement and recruitment of fish was measured on the different habitats using standard monitoring units for the recruitment of fish (SMURFs). The results of this study suggest that the use of shell material to restore areas of the seafloor with mussel shells alone, and mussel shells with live mussels can increase small reef fish abundance, regardless of reef height, and warrants further large-scale exploration.</p><p><br></p>