ABSTRACT: Worldwide bivalve aquaculture is expanding rapidly. Simultaneously, there has been a loss of natural bivalve reefs due to anthropogenic activities. As bivalve reefs support several ecosystem functions disproportionate to the area they cover, there is interest in their restoration. The Firth of Thames (FoT) in northern New Zealand once supported dense populations of green lipped mussels Perna canaliculus, which were extirpated by a dredge fishery in the mid-20^th century. Efforts to restore these biogenic habitats are underway. The largest standing populations of this species in the area currently exist in aquaculture. This study aimed to determine if larval spill-over from aquaculture can provide a larval subsidy to bivalve reef restoration efforts in the FoT. We used a combination of trace elemental fingerprinting and biophysical modelling techniques to determine patterns of larval dispersal in the area. Results of both approaches indicated that the larval pool in the area is well mixed with larvae produced at aquaculture locations capable of settling throughout the study area. Overall this shows, for the first time, that larval spill-over from aquaculture may provide a subsidy to restoration efforts and assist with establishing sustainable populations. When determining restoration locations, the potential for aquaculture populations to act as a larval source should be explicitly considered. Conversely, when considering the location of new aquaculture sites, the consequences of larval spill-over to surrounding wild populations should be assessed. We recommend that restoration efforts and aquaculture be carefully integrated in a network approach which could provide both ecological and economic benefits.

中文翻译：

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水产养殖的溢出可能为贻贝礁的恢复提供幼体补贴

摘要：全球双壳类水产养殖正在迅速发展。同时，由于人为活动，天然双壳类珊瑚礁损失了。由于双壳类珊瑚礁所支持的生态系统功能与其覆盖区域不成比例，因此人们对其恢复很感兴趣。泰晤士（FOT）在北部新区新西兰曾经支持绿色贻贝的人口密集的弗斯翡翠管，这是由一个疏通渔业中期摘除20^个世纪。恢复这些生物源生境的努力正在进行中。该区域目前该物种最大的常备种群存在于水产养殖中。这项研究旨在确定从水产养殖中溢出的幼虫是否可以为FoT中的双壳礁恢复工作提供幼虫补贴。我们使用了痕量元素指纹图谱和生物物理建模技术的组合来确定该区域幼虫扩散的模式。两种方法的结果均表明，该区域的幼虫池与在整个研究区域都能安居的水产养殖场所产生的幼虫充分混合。总体而言，这首次表明，水产养殖中的幼虫溢出可为恢复工作提供补贴，并有助于建立可持续的种群。确定修复位置时，应明确考虑水产养殖种群作为幼体来源的潜力。相反，在考虑新的水产养殖场址时，应评估幼体溢出对周围野生种群的影响。我们建议将恢复工作和水产养殖认真结合到网络方法中，这样既可以提供生态效益，也可以提供经济效益。