Data supporting the publication: Short-term hydro-sediment dynamics govern the success of temperate marginal sea restoration

In this study, centered on the restoration of flat oyster reefs in deeper temperate marginal seas, our aims were to seek integrated field and experimental evidence for understanding how short-term hydrodynamic intensification and sediment disturbance constrain oyster stability, survival, and overall restoration feasibility. <em>First</em>, using in-situ Biophys sensors equipped with live oysters, we continuously monitored valve-gaping activity together with environmental variability in a representative deep-water restoration site in the North Sea to assess whether storms and water-quality fluctuations affect oyster health status. <em>Second</em>, employing accelerometer-equipped oyster mimics and concurrent wave measurements, we quantified the hydrodynamic threshold at which loosely deployed oysters shift from stability to dislodgement risk. <em>Third</em>, combining field sediment monitoring with controlled mesocosm experiments, we investigated the extent to which sediment accretion causes burial-induced mortality and whether flat oysters can actively recover from different burial depths. <em>Fourth</em>, using acoustic telemetry, we tracked the residency dynamics of deployed individual oysters and clusters in the field to validate the relevance of the experimentally derived thresholds under realistic restoration conditions. <em>Finally</em>, by extrapolating these thresholds across European marginal seas, we evaluated the regional physical feasibility of flat oyster restoration and discussed the implications of our findings for risk-informed restoration design, site selection, and the future conservation and recovery of flat oyster reefs. These files include the data used to create each figure in the manuscript, organized as follows:· <strong>Field Monitoring 1</strong>: Identifying patterns and drivers of flat oyster valve-gaping activity· <strong>Field Monitoring 2</strong>: Quantifying the critical dislodgement threshold of flat oysters· <strong>Mesocosm Experiments</strong>: Quantifying the burial tolerance and recovery of flat oysters· <strong>Acoustic telemetry</strong>: Tracking the residency dynamics of flat oysters post-deployment· <strong>Restoration feasibility assessment</strong>: Scaling dislodgement and burial thresholds across European marginal seas For a complete description, see “Data description.docx”