Past, present and future benefits from marine biogenic shellfish reef habitats (4463)

生物贝类珊瑚礁是由牡蛎和贻贝等物种存在而形成的复杂海底栖息地。它们促进高生物多样性，并为人类提供重要的好处，包括改善水质、食物供应和文化服务，如休闲潜水和钓鱼。这些栖息地曾经在英国各地非常丰富，但后来严重枯竭。由于它们为人类和海洋生物多样性提供了多种好处，生物礁具有很高的保护和恢复兴趣。然而，我们缺乏对过去损失的规模、它们曾经提供的好处以及如果恢复它们未来可以提供什么好处的了解。我们还需要了解谁将从恢复活动中受益，以及在沿海栖息地继续大量使用的情况下，为了保持这些栖息地的健康，必须做出什么权衡。为了填补这些知识空白，本博士将调查英格兰西南部法尔河口一个地点的生物贝类珊瑚礁生态系统服务提供的过去、现在和未来。案例研究方法将使深入分析和实际应用成为可能。它还将开发方法学方法，并为更广泛的研究和管理提供经验教训。该博士将与利益攸关方密切合作，采用自然科学和社会科学方法，了解这些栖息地过去丧失和未来再生的影响，以及恢复行动的好处和权衡将如何在社会上分配。在埃克塞特大学、普利茅斯海洋实验室和自然英格兰大学的专家的指导下，学生将深入了解海洋管理者面临的挑战，同时对应对这些挑战的方法产生跨学科的理解。最近政府在25年环境计划和渔业法中对生态系统管理方法的承诺，以及对生物多样性净收益方法的承诺，意味着该项目在为生物礁的政策和管理提供信息方面具有巨大的潜力。成功的学生将获得深入研究生态、历史和社会科学方法的能力，以获得跨学科的研究技能，这些技能可以为他们未来在学术界、政府或行业的职业生涯奠定基础。

Biogenic shellfish reefs are complex seafloor habitats created by the presence of species such as oysters and mussels. They promote high biodiversity and provide important benefits to humans including improved water quality, food provision and cultural services such as recreational diving and fishing. These habitats were once highly abundant around the United Kingdom but were subsequently severely depleted. Because of the multiple benefits they provide to humans and marine biodiversity, biogenic reefs are of high conservation and restoration interest. However, we lack an understanding of the scale of past loss, the benefits they once provided and what benefits they could provide in the future if they were to be restored. We also need to understand who will benefit from restoration activities and what trade-offs will have to be made to keep these habitats healthy while coastal habitats continue to be heavily used.To fill these knowledge gaps, this PhD will investigate the past, present and future of ecosystem service provision in biogenic shellfish reefs at a site in the South West of England, the Fal Estuary. A case study approach will allow for in-depth analysis and practical application. It will also develop methodological approaches and generate lessons for wider research and management.This PhD will work closely with stakeholders and adopt natural and social scientific approaches to understand the implications of past loss and future regeneration of these habitats, and how the benefits and trade-offs of restoration action will be distributed across society. Supervised by experts based at the University of Exeter, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Natural England, the student will develop a deep knowledge of the challenges facing marine managers while generating an interdisciplinary understanding of approaches to tackle these challenges head-on.Recent governmental commitments in the 25 Year Environment Plan & Fisheries Act to an ecosystem approach to management, and commitment to a Net Gain approach to biodiversity, means this project has great potential to inform policy and management for biogenic reefs. The successful student will gain the ability to delve into ecological, historical and social science approaches to gain interdisciplinary research skills that they can build on in their future careers in academia, government or industry.