Spatial and temporal variability of fouling communities on oyster spat collectors at Inhaca Island Southern Mozambique: Exploring the influence on recruitment of the oysters Pinctada capensis and Saccostrea cucullata

A study on Inhaca Island, Mozambique, reveals that fouling communities significantly influence oyster recruitment, with barnacles dominating in both rocky and seagrass habitats. While the rock oyster Saccostrea cucullata thrives in rocky areas and the pearl oyster Pinctada capensis in seagrass, other taxa show higher relative abundance where oysters and barnacles are less dense. The research, conducted over two seasons using oyster collectors deployed for four months, found that competitive interactions between fouling fauna and oysters remain modest within this timeframe. This work enhances understanding of environmental processes shaping intertidal invertebrate colonization in the southwestern Indian Ocean.

Mafambissa, M., Lindegarth, M., & Macia, A. (2024). Spatial and temporal variability of fouling communities on oyster spat collectors at Inhaca Island Southern Mozambique: Exploring the influence on recruitment of the oysters Pinctada capensis and Saccostrea cucullata. Heliyon, 10(15), e35420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35420