Effects of oysters on water and sediment cycling in the Great Kills Harbor, NY

Estefani Guaman

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: Hennings College of Science Mathematics and Technology

Major: BA.EARTHSCI

Faculty Research Mentor: Liu, Shuting  

Abstract:

Title: Seasonal Variation of Oyster effects on Coastal Nutrient CyclingAuthor: Dr. Shuting Liu, Department of Environmental & Sustainability Sciences, Kean UniversityAbstract:Oysters don't just live in their environment, they physically and chemically change it by filtering water, producing waste, and connecting the water column to sediments. These processes influence nutrient cycling, and the strength of their impact varies seasonally. Understanding how oyster affects nutrient transformation is important for analyzing their impact on coastal ecosystems and water quality. Although oysters are often known for improving nutrient recycling, it remains unclear how their impacts change throughout the year and whether they really affect nutrients in the water when algae are growing in the summer. We compared a site with oysters to a control site without oysters throughout the summer to see how nutrients, sediments, and microbes differed between them. In early summer, algae production dominated the systems, and the oyster and control sites looked similar. However, as algal biomass declined late summer, the oyster sediments showed stronger microbial activity and greater nitrogen transformation. These findings show that the success of oyster restoration may depend on the time of year and the importance of considering timing when analyzing restoration success.Key words: Oyster, Nutrient Cycling, Nitrogen Transformation, Coastal ecosystems, Seasonal Variability