2026: Modeling and Validating Restoration Site Priorities Based on Population Connectivity (TNC)
Coastal marine environments have suffered from historical overfishing, eutrophication and other pollution. Researchers from Cornell and The Nature Conservancy seek to restore and protect these ecosystems and their services by developing spatially explicit approaches to predict ecosystem-scale processes. Restoration often focuses on a few species with an outsized foundational role in building habitat that supports whole communities. In the case of oysters and other bivalves, their filter-feeding also provides water clarification and nutrient cycling ecosystem services, helping to reduce coastal eutrophication. Few other foundational species pack as much ecosystem punch as native eastern oysters, as well as important One Health links: the growing US oyster aquaculture industry, a coastal economic engine, contributes ecosystem services described above, generates an eco-friendly dietary protein, and is highly regulated for food safety.
Cornell: Matthew Hare (Cornell CALS/Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment)
TNC: Boze Hancock (Senior Marine Habitat Restoration Scientist), Carl Lobue (NY Ocean Programs Director), Marta Ribera (Spatial Ecologist)