Search the EPA Research Database
Project Search Result
Project Code [EPSPG/2023/1729]
This information is correct as of today and is updated from time to time by the EPA to reflect changes in the management of the project. Please check back regularly for updates.
Project title
Charting the importance of native oyster Ostrea edulis beds as biodiversity hotpots to establish baselines for ecological restoration
Primary Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Co-Funding Organisation(s)
Lead Organisation
Atlantic Technological University
Lead Applicant
Not listed
Project Abstract
Native oysters Ostrea edulis are keystone species that create complex habitats, enhancing biodiversity, and providing ecosystem services. However, overexploitation has led to their decline across their historical range. Under the current climate and biodiversity crisis there is a drive to restore and enhance marine habitats, with projects across Europe focusing on on native oysters. The degraded status of native oyster habitats throughout most of the range, and the lack of historical data after centuries of exploitation, means a comprehensive definition of oyster reef communities and how diverse should a restored oyster bed be, are lacking. While in Ireland large oyster beds in the East coast have now disappeared, some populations remain in the west offering a unique opportunity to chart their extent, condition, and associated biodiversity. In collaboration with the Comharchumann Sliogeisc Chonamara Teo shellfish co-op and �daras na Gaelttachta, this project will survey extant natural oyster beds in Kilkieran and Bertraghbui Bays, in Connemara (Co. Galway), and document their structure and biotic communities. Experimental substrate and translocation plots will be investigated to determine temporal biodiversity trends and recolonisation patterns. The food webs of oyster bed habitats will be described to determine trophic interactions with nearby habitats such as kelp beds and seagrass beds as well as salmon and seaweed farms. This project offers a unique opportunity to provide valuable information for managers and regulators for sustainable management, bed rejuvenation and provision of much needed evidence that could be used in oyster restoration sites in where native oysters have disappeared.
Grant Approved
�123,000.00
Research Hub
Climate Change
Research Theme
3. Climate Solutions, Transition Management and Opportunities
Initial Projected Completion Date
31/08/2027