Page 12 - 《渔业研究》2025年第3期

第 3 期 王沈同等： 黄河三角洲飞雁滩牡蛎礁自然现状评估 269

Assessment of the natural status of oyster reefs in Feiyan Beach,
Yellow River Delta

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WANG Shentong ，WANG Wei 1,2* ，CONG Rihao 1,2* ，WANG Luping ，YANG Qi 1
(1. Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266000, China;
2. National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Ecological Mariculture, Qingdao 266000, China)

Abstract: [Objective] Oyster reefs are components of coastal ecosystems that provide a number of ecological
services. Although loss of oyster reefs has been documented globally, assessments of the Chinese oyster reefs
status have been limited. The Yellow River Delta (YRD) is a region of particular ecological concern in China.
The current investigation entailed performing a comprehensive baseline assessment of three oyster reef assem-
blages within the Feiyan Beach area of the YRD. [Methods] A comprehensive investigation into the natural
status of oyster reefs at Feiyan Beach was conducted utilizing a combination of drone mapping and scanning
techniques, as well as the analysis of oyster body size traits, species identification, and sediment grain size
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analysis. [Results] The total area of the three patch oyster reefs was estimated to be 17 772 m . The oyster
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abundance and biomass within the reefs were (1 957.00±574.30) ind/m and (39.65±13.52) kg/m , respectively.
The size-frequency distribution of shell height showed that the native oysters on the reefs were individuals
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from adult and recruited populations. The density of recruit oysters was (1 232.00±318.80) ind/m . Mitochondri-
al cytochrome oxidase Ⅰ (COⅠ) sequencing revealed that the oysters within the reef belong to the species
Crassostrea gigas. Sediment grain size analysis revealed that the percentage of silt had the highest values, and
reefs significantly facilitated the local deposition of fine-grained sediments compared to the adjacent non-reef
zones. [Conclusion] The results of the study demonstrate that the density and the biomass of oyster reefs in the
Feiyan beach area are high, the size distribution of oysters is reasonable, and larval replenishment is not limited.
Strong impact of local sediment dynamics on reef persistence suggests that sediment dynamics factors should be
carefully considered before upscaling to larger restoration projects. [Significance] This study constitutes the
first comprehensive status survey of oyster reefs in Feiyan Beach, thereby establishing a significant foundation
for the subsequent ecological restoration and conservation of oyster reefs in the YRD. Concurrently, it provides
a reference research paradigm for the background investigation of oyster reefs in the entire country, with the ob-
jective of optimizing the ecological pattern and facilitating the high-quality sustainable development of coastal
economic regions.
Key words: oyster reefs; Yellow River Delta; background investigation; ecological restoration and conservation