Ecological Engineering: Encouraging The Growth Of Oyster Reefs To Act As Breakwaters
Sunday, September 4, 2011 - 16:20
in Earth & Climate
Shoreline habitats are among the most threatened in the world as a result of storms, sea level rise, and anthropogenic disturbance along the coast. The ecological benefit of these areas is immense, since they serve as breakwaters to protect the shore from degradation by wave energy, provide habitat for a huge variety of marine species--including those that are harvested for food--and recycle nutrients. Despite the fact that shoreline areas make up less than 1% of all global habitats, their "ecosystem service value"--the amount of money they save humans by performing useful tasks for us--has been estimated at $8 trillion per year, or almost a quarter of total global ecosystem services.read more