Meeting Abstract

P2.56  Tuesday, Jan. 5  Linking structural complexity in created oyster reefs to provision of refuge and predation success HUMPHRIES, A.T.*; LA PEYRE, M.K.; Louisiana State University ahumph3@tigers.lsu.edu

A central tenant in ecology is that habitat complexity positively affects species abundance, diversity, and ultimately, community structure. As such, management and restoration of fishery habitat is often focused on increasing habitat complexity. In coastal and estuarine environments, reefs created by oysters provide significant habitat structure that grows and becomes increasingly complex through time. Using created oyster reefs and combined field and laboratory experiments, this study (1) examined cryptic nekton use at four levels of habitat complexity, and (2) examined predation success at four levels of habitat complexity. In the field, four experimental oyster reefs were constructed (no structure, cage structure only, low, and high complexity) and cryptic nekton use was compared. In the lab, four experimental oyster reefs were constructed (no structure, low, medium, and high complexity) and predation success of wild red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) on grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) was compared over 8 hour periods. Predation success was significantly reduced as reef complexity increased from no structure to low (p<0.0001), and from low to medium complexity (p=0.0107); however, no significant differences were found in predation success rates between medium and high complexity (p=0.2829). Differences in predation success may indicate an increased refuge role of oyster reefs as oyster density or habitat complexity increases, but that there is a threshold above which increased complexity no longer increases the refuge value of the reef.