INDIAN RIVER LAGOON RESTORATION FEASIBILITY
STUDY
Artificial Habitats
The loss of oyster bars and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV)
has decreased fish and invertebrate production in the St. Lucie
Estuary. Artificial habitats can provide a substrate to increase
juvenile fish and invertebrate production and water quality
benefits. The creation of these artificial habitats could provide
immediate benefits.
The following are potential
artificial habitat types:
- Artificial SAV
- Old oyster shells (cultch)
- Prefabricated reef (such as Reef Balls)
- Artificial reef made from scrap concrete
A plan is
being developed by the estuary sub-team to determine the placement
location, amount and type of material to be used for artificial
habitats. The valued ecosystem component (VEC), which constitutes
the specific biotic resources for which an estuary is managed, will
guide where the material is placed.
The
following are assumptions and related considerations:
An unacceptable time period lag is possible
between the implementation of the Comprehensive Everglades
Restoration Plan components for a more natural salinity envelope and
the ecological response of the indicator organisms, SAV and oysters.
The Chesapeake Bay restoration has displayed that this lag can be
from five to 15 years. Artificial habitats could help to reduce some
of this time lag and more rapidly facilitate a productive estuary.
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 Indian
River Lagoon Restoration Feasibility Study
Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
Other
Lagoons & Bays Projects
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