Variations in Intertidal Oyster Reef Composition Across Landscapes and Tidal Gradients

Undergraduates: Rachel Quindlen, Justin Ridge

Faculty Advisor: Tony Rodriguez
Department: Environmental Science

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The TAZ, or Taphonomically Active Zone, is the zone of living oysters in a reef. The degree of ecosystem services provided by the oysters depend on the composition and growth of the reef. This project explored how reef composition is affected by differences in tidal regime and composition, and how, in turn, the degree of ecosystem services might be affected by such differences. Cores were taken from patch oyster reefs and fringing oyster reefs in order to compare the organic matter, shell content, TAZ thickness, and reef depth between sites. Differences were observed between study sites and within reef types. This project shows that reefs in a greater tidal range indicate that they can provide a greater degree of certain ecosystem services to the environment.