Estuarine structured habitats, including benthic cultivation structure, are widely cited as substantial nursery and feeding grounds for fish and macroinvertebrates. Activities such as locomotion and foraging behaviour of sediment-dwelling species, however, may be hindered in the presence of the obstacles. In this study, collected field evidence demonstrated that habitat utilization of the juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus, an iconic and endangered macroinvertebrate, was adversely affected by high-density intertidal oyster rubble zones. Despite the fact that the utilization area of individual juvenile horseshoe crabs was independent of the presence of these obstacles, the abundance and number of positional fixes of tagged juveniles in these areas were lower. The effects of these obstacles and their associated topographic changes on the movement of the juvenile horseshoe crabs was investigated in a simulated laboratory experiment. Both the simulated oyster cultches and hummocks formed between the cultches reduced the total distance and displacement of the feeding trail, and less juveniles preferred to forage on elevated, dry hummocks (dry at low tide) formed between the cultches. Our findings suggested that oyster cultches and rubbles reduced the habitat quality for juvenile horseshoe crabs. On-bottom oyster cultivation activities seeking to conserve horseshoe cabs by avoiding nursery habitats should instead consider off-bottom or offshore cultivation methods.

河口结构化的栖息地，包括底栖养殖结构，被广泛用作鱼类和大型无脊椎动物的苗圃和觅食场。但是，在存在障碍物的情况下，诸如泥沙沉积物种的活动和觅食行为等活动可能会受到阻碍。在这项研究中，收集的现场证据表明，少年三脊horse马Tachypleus tridentatus的栖息地利用，一个标志性和濒临灭绝的大型无脊椎动物，受到高密度潮间牡蛎瓦砾区的不利影响。尽管单个幼体crab的利用面积与这些障碍物的存在无关，但这些区域中带标记的幼体的数量和位置定位的数量较低。在模拟实验室实验中研究了这些障碍及其相关的地形变化对少年the的运动的影响。模拟的牡蛎养殖场和在养殖场之间形成的山岗都减少了喂食径的总距离和位移，并且在养殖场之间形成的高架干山雀（低潮时干）更不喜欢觅食幼鱼。我们的发现表明，牡蛎寄养和瓦砾降低了幼年horse的栖息地质量。试图通过避开苗圃栖息地来保护马蹄形出租车的海底牡蛎养殖活动应考虑采用海底或近海养殖方法。