A Roadmap for Developing Resilient Coastal Shellfish Populations: Using Spatial and Process-Based Modelling for Restoration Under Current and Predicted Future Water Quality Conditions

Estuaries support valuable recreation, fisheries, and aquaculture and are dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, estuaries sustain local economies through their high productivity. They also receive over 50% of the United States watershed discharge, and water quality within these estuaries is impacted by local management actions. Within these estuaries, eastern oysters serve as both a critical fishery and ecosystem engineers, providing vital habitat and filtering water which improves water quality. Ensuring resilient oyster populations is critical to the functioning of these estuaries, which support many species such as blue crabs, brown shrimps, and white shrimps. However, climate change is [...]