Boating impacts and boat-wake resilient restoration of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, USA

In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, there has been a 24% loss of intertidal oyster (Crassostrea virginica) habitat since 1943; many live reefs have been replaced by steep piles of disarticulated shell. To understand the relationship between boating and reef loss, we determined boating intensity and numbers of boat wakes contacting reefs. We then asked if oyster restoration could be successfully undertaken in areas where disarticulated shell had accumulated. We documented 1290 boats passing near Mosquito Lagoon reefs, with 0 – 51.4 boats producing wakes each hour. Maximizing boating distances to limit wakes would help protect oyster reefs. Community-based restoration began in 2007 and was tracked through 2020. Restoration footprint (density, shell height, profile, thickness, bridges) and off-footprint (density, seagrass) data documented success, suggesting that stabilizing oyster shell was all that was needed in the region. These results provide guidance for boating management and future oyster restoration efforts in microtidal estuaries.