Wash
Case Study A
Bird species included in model
Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Environmental issues simulated
Shellfishery management and natural variation changing habitat area, availability time and food density. Mitigation to increase food density and area.
Recommendations from modelling
Shellfishery management needs to reserve up to 8 times more shellfish biomass than consumed by Oystercatcher populations.
More information
Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., West, A.D., Caldow, R.W.G., Triplet, P., le V dit Durell, S.E.A. and McGrorty, S., 2004. When enough is not enough: shorebirds and shellfishing. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 271(1536): 233-237.
Stillman, R. A., West, A. D., Goss-Custard, J. D., Caldow, R. W. G., McGrorty, S., Durell, S. E. A. le V. dit, Yates, M., G., Atkinson, P. W., Clark, N. A., Bell, M. C., Dare, P. J. & Mander, M. (2003) An individual behaviour-based model can predict shorebird mortality using routinely collected shellfishery data. Journal of Applied Ecology, 40, 1090-1101.
Funding
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Case Study B
Bird species included in model
Common eider (Somateria mollissima), Common scoter (Melanitta nigra), Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Environmental issues simulated
Shellfishery management changing habitat area and availability time
Recommendations from modelling
Impact of shellfishing on oystercatcher and eider survival is reduced when alternative food resources are available.
More information
Caldow, R.W.G., Stillman, R.A. and West, A., 2003. Modelling study to determine the capacity of The Wash shellfish stocks to support eider Somateria mollissima, Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Dorset. http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/1589/
Funding
Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Natural England
Case Study C
Bird species included in model
Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), Common redshank (Tringa totanus), Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Red knot (Calidris canutus)
Environmental issues simulated
Human recreation and unspecified drivers changing habitat area, availability and food availability
Recommendations from modelling
Site quality was higher when more large prey species were present. Habitat loss and up to 20 disturbances per hour had relatively little impact on shorebird survival.
More information
West, A. D., Yates, M. G., McGrorty, S. & Stillman, R. A. (2007) Predicting site quality for shorebird communities: a case study on the Wash embayment, UK. Ecological Modelling, 202, 527-539.
Funding
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Natural England
Case Study D
Bird species included in model
Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Environmental issues simulated
Shellfish food requirements of oystercatchers
Recommendations from modelling
To maintain high oystercatcher survival rates, more than 40 kg ash-free mass of cockle and mussel biomass needs to be available to the birds at the start of the overwintering period.
More information
Stillman, R. A., Biermann, L. K. and Goss-Custard, J. D. (2021) Assessing oystercatcher shellfish food requirements in The Wash. BU Global Environmental Solutions report BUG2883 to Natural England. 107 pp.
Case Study E
Bird species included in model
Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Environmental issues simulated
Shellfish food requirements of oystercatchers
Recommendations from modelling
To maintain high oystercatcher survival rates, more than 40 kg ash-free mass of cockle and mussel biomass needs to be available to the birds at the start of the overwintering period.
More information
Bowgen, K. M., Stillman, R. A., Jessop, R., Atkinson, P. W. & Robinson, R. A. (in press) Assessing oystercatcher shellfish food requirements in The Wash using the Wash bird food model: an update for 2021-2023 including scenario testing of cockle stock management. 124 pp.
Funding
Natural England