Australian shellfish ecosystems: Past distribution, current status and future direction

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 2; p. e0190914
• Main Authors: Gillies, Chris L, McLeod, Ian M, Alleway, Heidi K, Cook, Peter, Crawford, Christine, Creighton, Colin, Diggles, Ben, Ford, John, Hamer, Paul, Heller-Wagner, Gideon, Lebrault, Emma, Le Port, Agnès, Russell, Kylie, Sheaves, Marcus, Warnock, Bryn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 14-02-2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acidification; Aquaculture; Aquatic ecosystems; Biodiversity; Biology and Life Sciences; Bivalves; Bivalvia; Climate change; Conservation; Crassostrea gigas; Current distribution; Distribution; Earth Sciences; Ecology; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem assessment; Ecosystem biology; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Environmental policy; Fish; Fish production; Fisheries; Fishing; Food production; Forming; Harvesting; Marine ecosystems; Marine resources conservation; Methods; Mollusks; Natural resource management; Observations; Outbreaks; Oysters; People and Places; Physical characteristics; Physical properties; Ports; Public policy; Restoration; Saccostrea glomerata; Shellfish; Shoreline protection; Species; Water quality; Australia; Queensland Australia; United States > US; Victoria Australia; Western Australia Australia; South Australia Australia; New South Wales Australia; Tasmania Australia
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190914

We review the status of marine shellfish ecosystems formed primarily by bivalves in Australia, including: identifying ecosystem-forming species, assessing their historical and current extent, causes for decline and past and present management. Fourteen species of bivalves were identified as developing complex, three-dimensional reef or bed ecosystems in intertidal and subtidal areas across tropical, subtropical and temperate Australia. A dramatic decline in the extent and condition of Australia's two most common shellfish ecosystems, developed by Saccostrea glomerata and Ostrea angasi oysters, occurred during the mid-1800s to early 1900s in concurrence with extensive harvesting for food and lime production, ecosystem modification, disease outbreaks and a decline in water quality. Out of 118 historical locations containing O. angasi-developed ecosystems, only one location still contains the ecosystem whilst only six locations are known to still contain S. glomerata-developed ecosystems out of 60 historical locations. Ecosystems developed by the introduced oyster Crasostrea gigas are likely to be increasing in extent, whilst data on the remaining 11 ecosystem-forming species are limited, preventing a detailed assessment of their current ecosystem-forming status. Our analysis identifies that current knowledge on extent, physical characteristics, biodiversity and ecosystem services of Australian shellfish ecosystems is extremely limited. Despite the limited information on shellfish ecosystems, a number of restoration projects have recently been initiated across Australia and we propose a number of existing government policies and conservation mechanisms, if enacted, would readily serve to support the future conservation and recovery of Australia's shellfish ecosystems.