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https://theconversation.com/newly-discovered-tropical-oyster-reefs-are-thriving-across-northern-australia-they-deserve-protection-254612>
"Oysters are so much more than a seafood delicacy. They’re ecosystem engineers,
capable of building remarkably complex reefs. These structures act as the
kidneys of the sea, cleaning the water and keeping the coast healthy, while
providing homes for millions of other animals.
Oyster reefs were once thought to be restricted to southern, cooler coastal
waters where they’re the temperate equivalent of tropical coral reefs. But now,
oyster reefs are being found right across Australia’s tropical north as well.
These tropical oyster reefs are bigger and more widespread than anyone
expected. In fact, they are some of the largest known intertidal oyster reefs
(exposed at low tide) left in Australia. And they’re everywhere – from the
southern limit of the Queensland tropics across to the northern coast of
Western Australia – yet we know almost nothing about them.
In our recent research, my colleagues and I completed the first detailed study
of Australian tropical oyster reefs. These reefs are so new to science that
until now, the species responsible for building them remained a mystery.
Using DNA, we identified the main reef-building oyster species in tropical
Australia as “
Saccostrea Lineage B”, making it a new addition to our national
list of known reef-builders.
Lineage B is a close relative of the commercially important Sydney rock oyster
(
Saccostrea glomerata), but so little is known about this tropical
reef-building species that it is yet to be assigned a scientific name."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
