Oyster microhabitat study 2023-2024, data for "Thermal buffering by intertidal oyster reefs on mudflats in the European Wadden Sea"

Intertidal organisms are exposed to extreme temperatures especially during heatwaves, that are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change. Habitat-forming species may buffer extreme temperatures creating a more hospitable environment for their conspecifics and other organisms. Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) are known to have such temperature buffering capacity on rocky shore systems but their thermal effects on mudflat ecosystems has not been investigated before. We filled this gap by recording temperatures in oyster-formed microhabitats (crevices and oyster-created tidal pools) and comparing them to temperatures on surrounding plain mud flats in the European Wadden Sea. The measurements were conducted over a one-year period using biomimetic temperature loggers. The temperature buffering effect was most pronounced in the summer, when mean temperatures were 0.3-0.4 °C lower in crevices between oysters than on plain mud. The difference was also present, albeit less pronounced, for cumulative heat exposure hours, while a difference in day maximum temperatures occurred only in one of the two locations. These results show that oyster reefs provide thermal buffering also in temperate intertidal mudflat systems with the effect being less pronounced than on tropical rocky shores where the temperature difference is approximately six degrees around the year.

潮间带生物时常面临极端温度胁迫，尤其在热浪事件期间；而受气候变化影响，热浪的发生频率与严重程度均呈上升趋势。造境物种（habitat-forming species）可通过缓冲极端温度，为同类及其他生物营造更宜居的生存环境。太平洋牡蛎（Pacific oysters，学名Magallana gigas）已被证实可在岩岸系统中发挥温度缓冲作用，但其对潮滩生态系统的热调节效应此前尚未得到研究。本研究通过在欧洲瓦登海（European Wadden Sea）区域，监测牡蛎构建的微生境（牡蛎缝隙及牡蛎形成的潮池）内的温度，并将其与周边平原潮滩的温度进行对比，填补了这一研究空白。本次监测采用仿生温度记录仪，历时一年完成。夏季的温度缓冲效应最为显著：牡蛎缝隙内的平均温度较平原潮滩低0.3~0.4℃。累积热暴露时长的差异虽相对较弱，但同样存在；而日间最高温度的差异仅在两个监测点位中的一处出现。本研究结果表明，牡蛎礁在温带潮间带潮滩系统中同样可发挥温度缓冲作用，但其效应弱于热带岩岸系统——后者全年的温度差异可达约6℃。