Differences in resident prey survival on newly created shell and established natural intertidal oyster reefs

Established natural oyster reefs historically provide a three‐dimensionally complex habitat utilized by a variety of resident and transient species, but newly created reefs designed to counter the loss of natural reefs initially may lack similar complexity. The loosely stacked shells of newly created reefs little resemble the vertically interconnected live and dead shell matrix typical of older reefs. Reduced complexity on created reefs may alter predator–prey dynamics and negatively affect ecological functions typically associated with natural reefs. We examined select physical characteristics (e.g. shell morphology) and short‐term survival of reef‐resident prey to determine if differences exist between newly created (