Keywords

oyster reef; habitat restoration; non-plastic materials; Mosquito Lagoon; basalt fiber

Abstract

Oyster reefs are declining globally due to human impacts such as overharvesting, boat wakes, and climate change. Associated ecosystem services, including water filtration, fish and invertebrates’ habitats, and shoreline erosion protection, are lost when these reefs disappear. Traditionally, restoration efforts employed plastic mesh shell bags filled with recycled oyster shells as they provide recruitment substrate for new oyster spat and wave attenuating properties to protect shorelines. Due to rising concerns over microplastic pollution, non-plastic alternatives are being tested. Alternative restoration material must provide the same benefits to reef formation while maintaining structural integrity long enough for a healthy reef to form. One such material being tested is basalt fiber mesh shell bags as a direct replacement to plastic. Basalt is a fine-grained igneous rock formed from volcanic lava. Basalt rock is turned into fibers by melting at high temperatures then extruding into thin fibers. Woven into mesh, this provides a durable yet biodegradable restoration material. However, basalt fiber mesh shell bags may also be shedding microparticles (shards) into the environment. This study quantifies the shedding of shards from these basalt bags as the shards are similar in morphology to microplastics and fiberglass. In the field, basalt bags were deployed along the leveled edge of a dead reef during restoration. One-liter surface water samples were collected within 30 cm from the seaward edge of the bags prior to deployment and at time points from 1 hour to 9 months post-deployment. The water samples were analyzed using vacuum filtration and microscopy for the presence of basalt shards. Overall, the bags shed an average of 6.30 (± 7.50 SD) shards per liter and were 1.27 mm (± 1.96 SD) in length. These results highlight the need to assess new restoration materials not only for their potential ecological benefits but also for unintended consequences.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Walters, Linda

College

College of Sciences

Department

Department of Biology

Thesis Discipline

Marine Biology

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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