Multi-species restoration accelerates recovery of extinguished oyster reefs

1. A multi-species approach to habitat restoration may boost the key processes (e.g. recruitment) that enable foundation species to overcome barriers to recovery. Natural systems tend to be formed by co-occurring foundation species whose synergy drives ecological productivity and resilience beyond that of single foundation species. Yet, restoration remains primarily a single-species focus enterprise where positive interactions are seldom incorporated into planning. A multi-species approach that prioritises species combinations to create emergent properties for their persistence may accelerate habitat recovery and the success of restoration programs.

2. On the largest oyster reef restoration project in the Southern Hemisphere, we experimentally established canopy-forming kelp to test whether they could accelerate the natural recruitment of oysters to substrata monopolised by turf-forming algae. To understand whether facilitation of oysters was a function of the kelp themselves (biolog...