New paper published in Nature Communications biology

Using spatial analyses and a large experimental manipulation, we show the ecological and spatial extent of how ecosystem engineers, here oyster reefs, can influence their surrounding ecosystems.

From various hypothesised candidate mechanisms relating the reefs to productive microalgal patches (MPB), the facilitation of predators was best supported by structural equation modelling and satellite image time series, which compared the system before and after a large BACI experiment.

The extent of the reefs' influence was tirelessly quantified by the team by measuring MPB diversity and biomass, meiofaunal abundance, infaunal abundance, body size and biomass, epifaunal abundance and body sizes, sediment granulometry and organic matter! Phew!

This work is one of the main achievements of the COSELMAR  regional project.