Native oyster re-introduction and enhancement has been gaining momentum in Scottish seas, and new effective, time-and-cost-efficient methods to evaluate the success of restoration efforts are needed. In his PhD project, Magnus Janson explored different methods to monitor the biodiversity and health of ecologically and economically important European flat oyster beds. His project develops, trials and compares different methods including soundscapes, environmental DNA (eDNA) and visual surveys, to assess the biodiversity associated with different percentages of oyster shell cover. eDNA analysis has the potential to identify multiple species simultaneously through DNA traces left in the environment.
Sediment samples collected along an oyster density/age gradient within Loch Ryan and along the west coast of Sweden were processed as part of the project to reveal which species are associated with oyster beds. The results demonstrate whether and how the three simultaneously applied methods (sound, visual & eDNA), can be used as effective tools to adequately assess/monitor ecosystem complexity and status, and inform oyster conservation and restoration efforts.
In 2023 SMEEF was able to provide a grant of £49,345 to support this work using resources from the Nature Restoration Fund.