Fish Community Response to Two Subtidal Oyster Restoration Methods in the Mesohaline Chesapeake Bay

In this study, two methods were used to restore oyster habitat in the Little Choptank and Tred Avon Rivers, Maryland: planting hatchery oyster spat-on-shell on existing shell habitat (OysterReef) and constructing three-dimensional reefs from a variety of substrates (SubstrateReef). Baited traps and Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON) were used to document community composition and relative abundance of demersal fish and mobile invertebrates on restored reefs and unrestored reference sites before and after restoration.