European Native Oyster Reef Ecosystems Are Universally Collapsed

This study uses historical records, ecological data and the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems framework to assess the conservation status of European native oyster (Ostrea edulis) reef ecosystems. Drawing on evidence from across Europe, the authors demonstrate that native oyster reefs were once extensive, structurally complex habitats covering vast areas of the seabed and supporting diverse marine communities, but have been almost entirely lost due primarily to centuries of overfishing, alongside habitat degradation, disease and environmental change. By comparing historical and modern distributions, the study concludes that European native oyster reef ecosystems meet the criteria for ecosystem collapse, having suffered dramatic reductions in geographic extent, habitat complexity and ecological functioning. The findings reveal the scale of the ecological losses that have occurred in European coastal seas, challenge modern conservation baselines that underestimate the former abundance of oyster reefs, and highlight the urgent need for much larger restoration efforts if these once-dominant marine ecosystems are to recover. 

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