2015-11-10 - P&O Agenda - Item 7, Attach 2 - Assessment of Oyster Recruitment

3.3 Recruitment on Support Structures
Recruitment of oysters onto the support structures had similar spatial patterns to that found
in the settlement plates, with the greatest number of recruits found in Weyba Creek and
Tewantin (Figure 11a,b; Figure 12). Although, in several instances there were more oysters
on the support structures than on the settlement tiles, particularly in sections of the
deployment structures that were protected from sediment smothering (Figure 11b). A total of
160 oysters recruited on the inside of the cement blocks and 129 on the plastic rods used to
secure settlement tiles. The oysters ranged in size from 2 mm to 40 mm (i.e. within the
range settling on the tiles).


   a)                                                 b)




    Figure 11. Recruitment of oysters onto (a) cement blocks, and (b) under settlement tiles on
               plastic support structures




Restoration of Noosa Estuary: An Assessment of Oyster Recruitment                                 13