Published

Oyster microhabitat study 2023-2024, data for "Thermal buffering by intertidal oyster reefs on mudflats in the European Wadden Sea" Version 3

Rosa Jolma (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research https://doi.org/10.25850/nioz/7b.b.sj

Intertidal organisms are exposed to extreme temperatures especially during heatwaves, that are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change. Habitat-forming species may buffer extreme temperatures creating a more hospitable environment for their conspecifics and other organisms. Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) are known to have such temperature buffering capacity on rocky shore systems but their thermal effects on mudflat ecosystems has not been investigated before. We filled this gap by recording temperatures in oyster-formed microhabitats (crevices and oyster-created tidal pools) and comparing them to temperatures on surrounding plain mud flats in the European Wadden Sea. The measurements were conducted over a one-year period using biomimetic temperature loggers. The temperature buffering effect was most pronounced in the summer, when mean temperatures were 0.3-0.4 °C lower in crevices between oysters than on plain mud. The difference was also present, albeit less pronounced, for cumulative heat exposure hours, while a difference in day maximum temperatures occurred only in one of the two locations. These results show that oyster reefs provide thermal buffering also in temperate intertidal mudflat systems with the effect being less pronounced than on tropical rocky shores where the temperature difference is approximately six degrees around the year.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Subject Earth and Environmental Sciences
DAS Code 7b.b.sj
Source https://doi.org/10.25850/nioz/7b.b.sj
Version 3
Creator(s)
Jolma, Rosa (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)
ORCID
Contact the corresponding author

Thieltges, David (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)
ORCID

van Leeuwen, Sonja (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)
Depositor Rosa Jolma (rosa.jolma@nioz.nl)
Publication Date 2026-01-07T08:37:18.2906819
Deposit Date 2025-05-02
Dataset Persistent Identifier DOI:10.25850/nioz/7b.b.sj
Alternate identifier
Related identifier https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2026.107834
Contributor Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)
Distributor Research Data Management(NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)
Distribution Date 2025-05-02
Production Date 2026-01-07
Dates
Collected
2023-09-01 until 2024-08-31
Funding References
Geographic Coverage