Conservation is increasingly in conflict with human activities due to global human population growth, particularly in areas that support threatened species. Conflicts often impede effective implementation of needed conservation measures and also have implications for social inequality, resource use and economic development. Bivalve molluscan shellfish aquaculture is commonly considered one of the least impactful forms of protein production worldwide but, in some locations, may interfere with essential activities of threatened species such as the stopover ecology of migrating shorebirds. Here we assess the impact of oyster aquaculture as practiced in Delaware Bay (New Jersey, USA) on the presence and foraging behavior of migratory shorebird species of conservation concern. We conducted counts and behavioral observations of shorebirds across a 4.8‐km stretch of the Delaware Bay and tested the effect of regulated aquaculture structures and activities on shorebird presence relative to various environmental factors. We also evaluated differences in mean peck rates for each species within and away from aquaculture areas, and we examined multiple factors influencing foraging rates for each species. For all species, we found that oyster tending reduced the probability of shorebird presence by 1–7%, whereas the untended aquaculture structures had no detectable impact. Foraging rates were mostly influenced by environmental conditions, particularly the presence of competitors (gulls or other shorebirds), and the foraging substrate. None of the focal species substantially altered their time budget or foraging rates in the presence of tended or untended oyster aquaculture. This evidence suggests that intertidal oyster aquaculture and migrating shorebirds can co‐utilize the resource rich intertidal areas on which they occur.

中文翻译：

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评估保护冲突：潮间牡蛎养殖是否抑制候鸟的觅食行为？

由于全球人口的增长，尤其是在支持濒危物种的地区，保护与人类活动的冲突越来越多。冲突经常阻碍有效执行必要的养护措施，也对社会不平等，资源利用和经济发展产生影响。双壳软体动物贝类水产养殖通常被认为是世界范围内影响最小的蛋白质生产形式之一，但在某些地方，可能会干扰濒临灭绝物种的基本活动，例如迁徙shore鸟的中转生态。在这里，我们评估了特拉华湾（美国新泽西州）实施的牡蛎养殖对有保护意义的mi游鸟类的存在和觅食行为的影响。我们对4个水鸟进行了计数和行为观察。在特拉华湾8公里的范围内，测试了受监管的水产养殖结构和活动对shore鸟相对于各种环境因素的影响。我们还评估了水产养殖区域内外各物种平均啄食率的差异，并研究了影响每种物种觅食率的多种因素。对于所有物种，我们发现牡蛎养护将shore鸟存在的可能性降低了1–7％，而无限制的水产养殖结构没有可检测到的影响。觅食率主要受环境条件的影响，特别是竞争者（海鸥或其他水鸟）的存在以及觅食基质。在有趋于或未趋于破坏的牡蛎养殖的情况下，没有一个重点物种改变其时间预算或觅食率。