Oyster reef restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: effect of artificial substrate and sge on nekton and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage use

In the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), reefs built by eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, provide critical habitat within shallow estuaries, and recent efforts have focused on restoring reefs to benefit nekton and benthic macroinvertebrates. We compared nekton and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages at historic, newly created (6years) shell and rock substrate reefs. Using crab traps, gill-nets, otter trawls, cast nets, and benthic macroinvertebrate collectors, 20 shallow reefs (