oyster reefs
Bivalve habitat structures
Oyster reefs are underwater structures formed by generations of oysters growing atop one another's shells.
Like coral reefs, they create habitat for fish, crabs, and other marine life.
Oyster reefs also filter water and protect shorelines from erosion.
Once abundant in coastal estuaries, many have been depleted by overharvesting and pollution, prompting restoration efforts: The bay's oyster reefs are slowly recovering.
- bivalvesTwo-shelled mollusks
- filter feedersOrganisms sieving food from water
- oystersEdible marine mollusks
- estuariesRiver-sea meeting points
- brackish waterMildly saline aquatic environment
spat · salt marshes · habitat · water filtration · overfishing · coastal development · shellfish · barnacles · half shell · hydrodynamics · carbon sequestration · dredging · mussels · mollusks · tide pools · pearls · shucking · briny
- climate adaptationclimate change adaptation, coastal retreat, climate migration, relocation programs, early warning systems
- coastal managementcoastal erosion, coastal wetlands, sea level rise, seawalls, coastal flooding
- Coastal Preservessalt marsh, sea turtle nesting, mangrove forests, seagrass beds, habitat protection
- coastal sciencebeach erosion, sea level rise, coastal flooding, storm surge, coastal ecosystems
- Gulf CoastGulf of Mexico, Gulfport, Gulf beaches, Gulf Stream, Alabama
- habitat creationhabitat restoration, nest boxes, bat houses, bee hotels, insect hotels
oyster reefssandy bottoms
Sediment-covered underwater surfaces
coral reefs · open ocean · mud flats · seagrass beds · kelp forests