Burry Inlet

Burry Inlet

by | Sep 26, 2019

Burry Inlet

Case Study A

Bird species included in model

Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Environmental issues simulated

Cold winter conditions increasing energy requirements, plus shellfishery management changing habitat area, habitat availability time, food quality.

Recommendations from modelling

Current shellfishing intensity does not reduce shorebird survival, but reduced fishable size or increased daily quota could.

More information

 West, A.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., McGrorty, S., Stillman, R.A., Durell, S., Stewart, B., Walker, P., Palmer, D.W. and Coates, P.J., 2003. The Burry shellfishery and oystercatchers: using a behaviour-based model to advise on shellfishery management policy. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 248: 279-292.

Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., McGrorty, S., Caldow, R.W.G., Norris, K.J., Johnstone, I.G., Ens, B.J., Van Der Meer, J. and Triplet, P., 2001. Predicting shorebird mortality and population size under different regimes of shellfishery management. Journal of Applied Ecology, 38(4): 857-868.

Funding

Countryside Council for Wales, Commission of the European Communities, Directorate-General for Fisheries, Natural Environment Research Council

Case Study B

Bird species included in model

Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Environmental issues simulated

Shellfishery management changing habitat 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 of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 271(1536): 233-237.

Funding

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Burry Inlet and Three Rivers

Burry Inlet and Three Rivers

by | Sep 25, 2019

Burry Inlet and Three Rivers

Multi-site model

Burry Inlet, Three Rivers

Bird species included in model

Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), Red knot (Calidris canutus)

Environmental issues simulated

Shellfishery management changing food density / quality

Recommendations from modelling

Shellfishery management needs to reserve 2-4 times more shellfish biomass than consumed by Oystercatcher populations.

More information

Stillman, R.A., 2008. Predicting the effect of shellfish stocks on the oystercatcher and knot populations of the Burry Inlet and Three Rivers. Countryside Council for Wales Marine Monitoring Report No. 65, Bournemouth University for the Countryside Council for Wales.

Stillman, R.A., Moore, J.J., Woolmer, A.P., Murphy, M.D., Walkere, P., Vanstaen, K.R., Palmer, D. and Sanderson, W.G., 2010. Assessing waterbird conservation objectives: An example for the Burry Inlet, UK. Biological Conservation, 143(11): 2617-2630.

Funding

Countryside Council for Wales

Colne Estuary

Colne Estuary

by | Sep 22, 2019

Colne Estuary

Bird species included in model

Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), Common redshank (Tringa totanus), Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Environmental issues simulated

Pacific oyster reef development and removal, changing habitat area and food density / quality

Recommendations from modelling

Pacific oyster reefs can provide important feeding habitat for shorebirds, especially in sites with lower food availablity in other habitats.

More information

Herbert, R.J.H., Davies, C.J., Bowgen, K.M., Hatton, J. and Stillman, R.A., 2018. The importance of nonnative Pacific oyster reefs as supplementary feeding areas for coastal birds on estuary mudflats. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 28(6): 1294-1307.

Funding

Natural England 

Dee Estuary

Dee Estuary

by | Sep 21, 2019

Dee Estuary

Bird species included in model

Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Environmental issues simulated

Shellfishery management and natural variation changing habitat area and availability time, and food quality

Recommendations from modelling

Shellfishery management needs to reserve over 2 times more shellfish biomass than consumed by Oystercatcher populations.

More information

West, A.D. and McGrorty, S., 2003. Marine monitoring project: Modelling osytercatchers and their food on the Dee Estuary, Traeth Lafan and Burry Inlet Spa to inform target setting and site management, Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Dorchester, Dorset.

Stillman, R.A. and Wood, K.A., 2013. Predicting oystercatcher food requirements on the Dee Estuary. A report to Natural Resources Wales, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset.

Funding

Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales

Dungarvan Harbour

Dungarvan Harbour

by | Sep 18, 2019

Dungarvan Harbour

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), Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Environmental issues simulated

Effects on birds of habitat loss and disturbance due to oyster cultivation.

Recomendations from modelling

Current extent of oyster cultivation not predicted to be affecting survival of priority bird species. Increases in extent of oyster cultivation likely to push system closer to the point at which a predicted effect on the birds would occur.

More information

Stillman, R. A., Biermann, L. K. & Morris, S. E. (2023) Intertidal oyster cultivation and shorebirds in Dungarvan Harbour: predictions from an individual-based model. BU Global Environmental Solutions report BUG2889 to WS Atkins Ireland Limited. 74 pp.

Funding

WS Atkins Ireland Limited