Factors determining the timing of swarming of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis L.) larvae in the Dutch Delta area: Implications for flat oyster restoration

Flat oyster (Ostrea edulis L.) beds were once a dominant habitat type in the Dutch Delta and North Sea, but overharvesting resulted in soft sediment habitats devoid of oysters. Natural recovery of oyster beds will be slow if the natural substrate is lost and therefore, many oyster restoration projects have been set up worldwide. One way to enhance the success rate of restoring flat oyster beds is adding substrate at the moment that larvae are ready to settle. For this, more insight into the drivers of the timing of larval release is needed, which was the aim of this study. Generalized Additive... Mehr ...