Research Proposal Seminar - Kelley B. Savage

COASTAL AND MARINE SYSTEM SCIENCE PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI

TITLE: Potential role of oyster reefs in carbon sequestration: implications for conservation and restoration 

GRADUATE ADVISOR: Dr. Jennifer Beseres Pollack 

ABSTRACT

Oysters serve as ecosystem engineers; by modifying wave action and filter feeding, they efficiently trap suspended matter and the associated carbon—acting as a potential carbon sink. Oysters also form calcium carbonate shells, a process that leads to the production of carbon dioxide (CO₂); a fraction of this CO₂ escapes to the atmosphere—acting as a potential CO₂ source. A clear understanding of the role of oyster reefs in the carbon cycle and of the environmental factors driving this role could have major implications for the conservation and restoration of oyster reefs. However, of the limited number of studies that have attempted to quantify carbon sequestration by oyster reefs, the results have been equivocal, and have emphasized the complex nature of oyster reef carbon cycling and the importance of environmental context. Therefore, this proposed research will focus on determining the carbon budget for oyster reefs in St. Charles Bay, TX, the environmental factors driving carbon dynamics, and the implications for the conservation and restoration of oyster reefs.