Quantifying abundance and distribution of native and invasive oysters in an urbanised estuary

Scanes, E; Johnston, EL; Cole, VJ; O’Connor, WA; Parker, LM; Ross, PM

Quantifying abundance and distribution of native and invasive oysters in an urbanised estuary

Scanes, E

Johnston, EL Cole, VJ O’Connor, WA Parker, LM Ross, PM

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Publisher:: REGIONAL EURO-ASIAN BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS CENTRE-REABIC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Aquatic Invasions, 2016, 11, (4), pp. 425-436
Issue Date:: 2016-10-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Scanes, E https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7520-3804
dc.contributor.author	Johnston, EL
dc.contributor.author	Cole, VJ
dc.contributor.author	O’Connor, WA
dc.contributor.author	Parker, LM
dc.contributor.author	Ross, PM
dc.date.accessioned	2022-05-03T10:35:29Z
dc.date.available	2022-05-03T10:35:29Z
dc.date.issued	2016-10-01
dc.identifier.citation	Aquatic Invasions, 2016, 11, (4), pp. 425-436
dc.identifier.issn	1798-6540
dc.identifier.issn	1818-5487
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/156962
dc.description.abstract	Human activities have modified the chemical, physical and biological attributes of many of the world’s estuaries. Natural foreshores have been replaced by artificial habitats and non-indigenous species have been introduced by shipping, aquaculture, and as ornamental pets. In south east Australia, the native Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata is threatened by pollution, disease and competition from the invasive Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. This study assessed the abundance (as number m-2), size, and distribution of both invasive and native oyster species at 32 sites in the heavily urbanised Port Jackson Estuary, Australia. We tested the hypotheses that there would be: (1) a difference in the proportion of C. gigas and S. glomerata among locations; (2) a greater proportion of C. gigas on artificial compared to natural substrates; (3) a greater numbers of all oysters, with differing size characteristics, on artificial compared to natural substrates; and (4) that the abundance and size of all oysters would vary among locations along an environmental gradient. Environmental variables included distance from the estuary mouth and salinity. We found the abundance and size of all oysters differed among locations; smaller oysters occurred at greater abundances near the mouth of the estuary. Abundance was also higher on artificial, than on natural substrate. Habitat type, however, had no effect on which species of oyster was present. In contrast, distance from the estuary mouth strongly influenced the relative proportion of the two species. The invasive C. gigas comprised 16% of the oysters sampled, and up to 85% at some of the upper estuary sites. As predicted, C. gigas was more abundant at locations in the bay ends and upper channel of the estuary; it was also larger in size than the native S. glomerata. This is the first assessment of oyster distribution in Port Jackson and provides a solid base for monitoring changes in the estuarine distribution of a globally invasive pest.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	REGIONAL EURO-ASIAN BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS CENTRE-REABIC
dc.relation.ispartof	Aquatic Invasions
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3391/ai.2016.11.4.07
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	0501 Ecological Applications, 0502 Environmental Science and Management, 0602 Ecology
dc.title	Quantifying abundance and distribution of native and invasive oysters in an urbanised estuary
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	11
utslib.for	0501 Ecological Applications
utslib.for	0502 Environmental Science and Management
utslib.for	0602 Ecology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-05-03T10:35:28Z
pubs.issue	4
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	11
utslib.citation.issue	4

Abstract:

Human activities have modified the chemical, physical and biological attributes of many of the world’s estuaries. Natural foreshores have been replaced by artificial habitats and non-indigenous species have been introduced by shipping, aquaculture, and as ornamental pets. In south east Australia, the native Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata is threatened by pollution, disease and competition from the invasive Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. This study assessed the abundance (as number m-2), size, and distribution of both invasive and native oyster species at 32 sites in the heavily urbanised Port Jackson Estuary, Australia. We tested the hypotheses that there would be: (1) a difference in the proportion of C. gigas and S. glomerata among locations; (2) a greater proportion of C. gigas on artificial compared to natural substrates; (3) a greater numbers of all oysters, with differing size characteristics, on artificial compared to natural substrates; and (4) that the abundance and size of all oysters would vary among locations along an environmental gradient. Environmental variables included distance from the estuary mouth and salinity. We found the abundance and size of all oysters differed among locations; smaller oysters occurred at greater abundances near the mouth of the estuary. Abundance was also higher on artificial, than on natural substrate. Habitat type, however, had no effect on which species of oyster was present. In contrast, distance from the estuary mouth strongly influenced the relative proportion of the two species. The invasive C. gigas comprised 16% of the oysters sampled, and up to 85% at some of the upper estuary sites. As predicted, C. gigas was more abundant at locations in the bay ends and upper channel of the estuary; it was also larger in size than the native S. glomerata. This is the first assessment of oyster distribution in Port Jackson and provides a solid base for monitoring changes in the estuarine distribution of a globally invasive pest.

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