The right place at the right time: Improving the odds of biogenic reef restoration

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 164; p. 112022
• Main Authors: Cook, Robert L., Sanderson, William G., Moore, Colin G., Harries, Dan B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2021
• Subjects: Biogenic reef; Conservation of Natural Resources; Ecosystem; Sea loch; Serpula vermicularis; Settlement; UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration; Settlement; Serpula vermicularis; Biogenic reef; Sea loch; UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112022

Habitat restoration is an international priority. With this demand there is a need for ecological knowledge to underpin restoration projects to ensure their success and cost-effective delivery. This study is the first temperate marine restoration project to examine the role seasonality and location may have on restoration projects. The study found that the settlement of Serpula vermicularis, a rare biogenic reef forming species of conservation importance, was up to three times higher on materials deployed during July than other months. The results also found similar differences in settlement between restoration sites. These results suggest that the timing and location of a restoration effort could affect its overall success in the medium to long term. For the restoration of marine biogenic species of conservation importance, targeted spatial and temporal pre-restoration experiments can greatly increase a project's chance of success as well as making large-scale restoration programs more cost efficient.
•The first marine restoration project to examine seasonality and location•Optimum timing and location can more than treble successful recruitment.•Pre-restoration experiments can greatly increase a project's chance of success.