About the Project
Restoring shellfish populations can help control eutrophication and achieve mandated water quality targets; however, this approach requires that ecosystem managers have a better understanding of how nitrogen moves through their estuary and the capacities of shellfish communities to remove nitrogen (N).
By leveraging a well-established collaborative group at GTM Reserve and engaging additional users, this project helped create a better understanding of shellfish distributions, health, filtration capacity in and around the Guana River Estuary. The project not only generated valuable water quality and shellfish data but it also established a path for increased research and monitoring by fostering connectedness between people and data.
About the Data
The project generated thirteen datasets of field observations for water, sediment, and shellfish metrics in the Guana Estuary, Florida, between 2021 and 2024. An overview of the project datasets and their accessibility is provided below.
The following datasets are available for download:
- Influence of invasive hogs and ribbed mussels on salt marsh functioning: This dataset contains field surveys and experimental results assessing the role of invasive hogs in disrupting salt marsh functioning and service provisioning. This dataset may be accessed using the “Request Data” button in the upper right corner of this page.
- Oyster Reefs in the Guana River: This dataset contains shapefiles of oyster reefs in the Guana River. Reefs were manually delineated and classified from drone imagery. This dataset may be accessed using the “Request Data” button in the upper right corner of this page. In addition, the dataset is viewable here.
The following datasets will be made publicly available within two years of project completion (September 2024) or upon publication of the associated manuscripts, whichever is sooner. Data will be archived in the interim with the Centralized Data Management Office (CDMO).
- S::can nitrate sensor data
- Isotope signatures of sediments, plants, and suspended particulate matter
- Net N2 rate measurements from sediment slurries along a salinity gradient
- Benthic fluxes along a salinity gradient
- Salinity effects on nitrate reduction pathways
- Water column phytoplankton nutrient limitation
- Benthic fluxes from sediments and shellfish
- Guana River marsh and mudflat maps, including mussel density
- Bivalve mediated carbon and nitrogen storage and removal
- Shellfish clearance rates
- Alternative scenarios for future nutrient export from the Guana watershed
The dataset description includes more information about data types, collection methods, and data accessibility.
Questions about these datasets can be directed to:
Ashley Smyth, University of Florida, [email protected]