This dataset contains results from experiments comparing reef-associated community colonization among oyster reef and sand habitats in Quonochontaug Pond, Rhode Island, USA. Experimental sampling trays were deployed and assigned to four experimental treatments. Trays were deployed by divers on SCUBA on July 10, 2018 (summer) and September 7, 2018 (fall) and were leveled with the surrounding substrate by carefully excavating the surrounding reef material (interior treatment) or sediment (edge, shell, and sand treatments). After 28-29 days, divers collected the trays and associated fauna were measured.

Table of Contents

• Coverage
• Dataset Description
  • Methods & Sampling
  • Data Processing Description
• Data Files
• Supplemental Files
• Related Publications
• Related Datasets
• Parameters
• Instruments
• Project Information
• Funding

These data were published in Davenport et al., 2022 (Restoration Ecology). All figure numbers mentioned refer to Davenport et al., 2022 (Restoration Ecology).

To compare reef-associated community colonization among oyster reef and sand habitats, we deployed experimental sampling trays assigned to four treatments in Quonochontaug Pond, Rhode Island, USA (41.3 N, 71.7 W). Sampling trays (plastic bakery trays, 0.66 meters L x 0.56 meters W x 0.14 meters H) were lined with fiberglass window screen (1-millimeter mesh opening). For the reef edge, reef interior, and shell treatments, trays were filled with five gallons of clean, articulated oyster shell from a shell recycling program run by The Nature Conservancy. For the sand treatment, the sampling trays were lined as before but filled with ten gallons of locally-sourced sand that was sieved to remove live organisms. Reef edge treatments of a single tray filled with shell were placed abutting each reef at a position randomized by cardinal direction (Fig. S3). Reef interior treatments of a single tray filled with shell were placed at the innermost point on each reef (Fig. S3). Shell and sand treatments of a single tray filled with shell or sand, respectively, were placed in each control plot (Fig. S3). Trays were deployed by divers on SCUBA on July 10, 2018 (summer) and September 7, 2018 (fall) and were leveled with surrounding substrate by carefully excavating the surrounding reef material (interior treatment) or sediment (edge, shell, and sand treatments).

After 28-29 days, divers collected the trays by carefully lifting them off the substrate and noting any organisms that escaped during retrieval. Divers brought the trays to the boat where fish were removed and euthanized in a eugenol/seawater solution before they were bagged and all tray contents placed in coolers. Tray contents were rinsed, sieved and sorted and all individuals were removed and stored in 10% isopropyl alcohol. Individuals were enumerated and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic group, measured, and weighed (wet weight in grams). Trays were rinsed and allowed to dry fully between deployments. Two trays were upturned during the fall deployment (block 1 reef interior; block 3 reef interior), leading to 24 trays sampled in summer and 22 trays in fall.

Measurements are total length to the nearest 1 millimeter (mm) for fishes, carapace width to nearest 0.1 mm for crabs, carapace length to nearest 0.1 mm for shrimps, shell height to nearest 0.1 mm for snails, and shell length to the nearest 0.1 mm for slipper shells. Fish measurements were determined with a metric ruler. All other organisms were measured with Vernier calipers. For species found at high densities, a subset (up to 20 individuals per species per sample) was weighed individually, after which organisms were weighed in bulk by species. Polychaetes were not measured, were weighed in bulk, and were only counted if heads were present.

Tray contents were rinsed with fresh water over a 1-mm sieve and stored in 10% isopropyl alcohol for approximately 1-6 months prior to identification and size and biomass measurements.

Data Processing:
All analyses were conducted in R (version 3.6.1; R Core Team 2019). Multivariate analyses were conducted using the vegan package (version 2.5-6; Oksanen et al. 2019). Linear mixed model analysis in R using the lme4 package (Bates et al. 2015).

BCO-DMO Processing:
- Adjusted field/parameter names to comply with BCO-DMO naming conventions
- Missing data identifier 'NA' replaced with 'nd' (BCO-DMO's default missing data identifier)
- Added a conventional header with dataset name, PI names, version date
- Values in column "wet_weight" were rounded to 3 decimal places for all trays except t1
- Values in the column "meas" were rounded to 1 decimal place

Coverage: Coastal New England

NSF Award Abstract:
Disease outbreaks in the ocean are increasing, causing losses of ecologically important marine species, but the factors contributing to these outbreaks are not well understood. This 5-year CAREER project will study disease prevalence and intensity in two marine foundation species - the seagrass Zostera marina and the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. More specifically, host-disease relationships will be explored to understand how genetic diversity and population density of the host species impacts disease transmission and risk. This work will pair large-scale experimental restorations and smaller-scale field experiments to examine disease-host relationships across multiple spatial scales. Comparisons of patterns and mechanisms across the two coastal systems will provide an important first step towards identifying generalities in the diversity-density-disease relationship. To enhance the broader impacts and utility of this work, the experiments will be conducted in collaboration with restoration practitioners and guided by knowledge ascertained from key stakeholder groups. The project will support the development of an early career female researcher and multiple graduate and undergraduate students. Students will be trained in state-of-the-art molecular techniques to quantify oyster and seagrass parasites. Key findings from the surveys and experimental work will be incorporated into undergraduate courses focused on Conservation Biology, Marine Biology, and Disease Ecology. Finally, students in these courses will help develop social-ecological surveys and mutual learning games to stimulate knowledge transfer with stakeholders through a series of workshops.

The relationship between host genetic diversity and disease dynamics is complex. In some cases, known as a dilution effect, diversity reduces disease transmission and risk. However, the opposite relationship, known as the amplification effect, can also occur when diversity increases the risk of infection. Even if diversity directly reduces disease risk, simultaneous positive effects of diversity on host density could lead to amplification by increasing disease transmission between infected and uninfected individuals. Large-scale field restorations of seagrasses (Zostera marina) and oysters (Crassostrea virginica) will be utilized to test the effects of host genetic diversity on host population density and disease prevalence/intensity. Additional field experiments independently manipulating host genetic diversity and density will examine the mechanisms leading to dilution or amplification. Conducting similar manipulations in two marine foundation species - one a clonal plant and the other a non-clonal animal - will help identify commonalities in the diversity-density-disease relationship. Further, collaborations among project scientists, students, and stakeholders will enhance interdisciplinary training and help facilitate the exchange of information to improve management and restoration efforts. As part of these efforts, targeted surveys will be used to document the perceptions and attitudes of managers and restoration practitioners regarding genetic diversity and its role in ecological resilience and restoration.