Initial colonization and succession of macrofaunal communities in an oyster shell reef in a tropical mangrove wetland
Rao, Y.; Li, D.; Yang, Y.; Qi, Z.; Li, J.; Liu, H.; Zhang, S.; Huang, H. (2026). Initial colonization and succession of macrofaunal communities in an oyster shell reef in a tropical mangrove wetland. Mar. Environ. Res. 218: 108030. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2026.108030
In: Marine Environmental Research. Applied Science Publishers: Barking. ISSN 0141-1136; e-ISSN 1879-0291, more
|  |
| Keyword |
|
| Author keywords |
Macrofauna; Community assembly; Ecological restoration; Oyster reef |
| Authors | | Top |
- Rao, Y.
- Li, D.
- Yang, Y.
- Qi, Z.
|
- Li, J.
- Liu, H.
- Zhang, S.
- Huang, H.
|
|
| Abstract |
Understanding early community assembly of restored oyster reefs is essential for predicting ecosystem recovery and guiding adaptive management, yet such knowledge remains limited in tropical mangrove settings. To address this gap, we conducted a 12-month field study in a mangrove wetland in Zhanjiang, China, examining the initial colonization and successional dynamics of macrofaunal communities in a newly deployed oyster shell reef (OSB). The OSB supported 48 exclusive species and exhibited significantly higher species richness, abundance, and biomass than the adjacent mudflat (MF), underscoring its role in providing habitat, refuge, and foraging opportunities. Community structure differed significantly between habitats and months, and the OSB community displayed a clear successional trajectory from a crab-dominated pioneer stage to a more diverse community characteristic of both oyster reef- and mangrove-associated taxa. Beta diversity decomposition revealed that species replacement (balanced variation) was the dominant process structuring communities in this system, though stochastic processes were influential during early colonization. Oyster settlement was observed, but population abundance remained low during the 12-month study period. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the oyster shell reef can substantially enhance macrofaunal diversity and rapidly promote reef-associated fauna development. |
|
