Abstract
Suspension-feeding activities of oysters impart a potentially significant benefit to estuarine ecosystems via reduction of water column nutrients, plankton and seston biomass, and primary productivity which can have a significant impact on human well-being. This study considered nitrogen regulation by eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica in the Mission-Aransas Estuary, Texas, USA, as a function of denitrification, burial, and physical transport from the system via harvest. Oyster reefs were estimated to remove 502.5 kg N km−2 through denitrification of biodeposits and 251.3 kg N km−2 in burial of biodeposits to sediments. Nitrogen is also physically transported out of the estuary via harvest of oysters. Commercial harvest of oysters in the Mission-Aransas Estuary can remove approximately 21,665 kg N per year via physical transport from the system. We developed a transferable method to value the service of nitrogen regulation by oysters, where the potential cost equivalent value of nitrogen regulation is quantified via cost estimates for a constructed biological nutrient removal (BNR) supplement to a wastewater treatment plant. The potential annual engineered cost equivalent of the service of nitrogen regulation and removal provided by reefs in the Mission-Aransas Estuary is $293,993 yr−1. Monetizing ecosystem services can help increase awareness at the stakeholder level of the importance of oysters beyond commercial fishery values alone.
Highlights
Oysters have long been acknowledged for their economic importance as a commercially and recreationally harvested species
Oysters offer a suite of critically important ecosystem services that benefit human well-being
The presence of reefs can positively impact the growth of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) either through removing suspended solids or acting as a breakwater to reduce sediment re-suspension, both which increase light penetration [9], [10]
Summary
Oysters have long been acknowledged for their economic importance as a commercially and recreationally harvested species. Within the United States, Texas produces the secondlargest oyster harvest, with an estimated $19 million generated in 2010 [1]. Oysters offer a suite of critically important ecosystem services that benefit human well-being. Oyster reef structures provide essential refuge and foraging habitat for fish [2,3,4] and invertebrate species [5]. Filter feeding imparts a potentially tremendous benefit to the ecosystem by influencing nutrient cycling, gas regulation, and water quality [6,7,8]. The presence of reefs can positively impact the growth of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) either through removing suspended solids or acting as a breakwater to reduce sediment re-suspension, both which increase light penetration [9], [10]
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