Provision of refugia and seeding with native bivalves can enhance biodiversity on vertical seawalls

Thea E Bradford; Juan C Astudillo; Edward T C Lau; Matthew J Perkins; Chi C Lo; Tom C H Li; Chung S Lam; Terence P T Ng; Elisabeth M A Strain; Peter D Steinberg; Kenneth M Y Leung

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111578

Provision of refugia and seeding with native bivalves can enhance biodiversity on vertical seawalls

Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Nov:160:111578. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111578. Epub 2020 Sep 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Cape d'Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong, China; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
² The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Cape d'Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong, China; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: jcarlos@connect.hku.hk.
³ The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Cape d'Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong, China; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK.
⁴ Institute for Antarctic and Marine Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
⁵ School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.
⁶ The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Cape d'Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong, China; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: kmyleung@cityu.edu.hk.

PMID: 32911113
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111578

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that increasing habitat complexity of artificial seawalls by modifying surface heterogeneity could enhance exploitable habitat and therefore species richness and abundance. We tested the effects of adding complex tiles (with crevices/ledges) of different heterogeneity (i.e., flat tiles resembling the seawall vs. tiles with crevices of 2.5 cm or 5.0 cm depth) and seeding with native rock oysters, Saccostrea cuccullata (unseeded vs. seeded) on species richness and abundances of intertidal marine organisms on two vertical seawalls in Hong Kong. Tiles were affixed to the mid-intertidal zone of the seawalls for 12 months. The results showed that the tiles with crevices had greater species richness and cover of sessile epifauna than flat tiles. Seeding tiles with S. cuccullata also facilitated natural recruitment of the same species. Our results support the hypothesis that using eco-engineering to increase habitat complexity can enhance the biodiversity of intertidal marine organisms on seawalls.

Keywords: Biodiversity conservation; Eco-engineering; Ecological restoration; Micro-habitat; Reclamation; Sustainable development.

MeSH terms

Animals
Aquatic Organisms
Biodiversity*
Ecosystem
Hong Kong
Refugium*