Study reveals oyster reefs once thrived along Europe's coasts

Oysters once formed extensive reefs along much of Europe's coastline—but these complex ecosystems were destroyed over a century ago, new research shows. The paper, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, is titled "Records reveal the vast historical extent of European oyster reef ecosystems."Based on documents from the 18th and 19th centuries, the study reveals that European flat oysters formed large reefs of both living and dead shells, providing a habitat supporting rich biodiversity.Today these oysters are mostly found as scattered individuals—but the researchers found evidence of reefs almost everywhere, from Norway to the Mediterranean, covering at least 1.7 million hectares, an area larger than Northern Ireland.The research was led by the University of Exeter and The University of Edinburgh.Native oyster reefs created their own ecosystems, full of a diverse range of underwater life—supporting a greater number of species than surrounding areas.In addition to creating ...