DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vmcvdnd51
title: Data from: Chasing windows of opportunity for habitat formation: spatial and temporal determinants of oyster settlement rates

description: The establishment and recovery of biogenic habitats in marine and
 terrestrial environments often rely on the co-occurrence of periods of
 suitable environmental conditions and propagule availability (e.g., seeds,
 larvae). However, despite the importance of these ‘windows of opportunity’
 for species colonization, the temporal and spatial variability of these
 periods across environmental gradients remains poorly understood. Eastern
 Australian estuaries transit between periods of floods and droughts, which
 strongly affect their salinity regimes. Here, we investigate how
 variations in salinity and temperature influence the frequency and
 duration of windows of opportunity for settlement and survival of
 reef-building oyster Saccostrea glomerata across an estuarine salinity
 gradient in eastern Australia. Oyster settlement probabilities were
 calculated using empirical data from a 2-year settlement study performed
 at 3 estuarine sites along a salinity gradient. Time series of salinity
 and temperature from 2010 to 2024 were analysed for windows of opportunity
 for oyster settlement, defined as periods in which the probability of
 oyster settlement was equal to or higher than 0.25. Oyster habitat cover
 was measured at seven intertidal sites along the estuarine salinity to
 assess how differential settlement patterns and ‘windows of opportunity’
 shape oyster habitat formation. We found that in eastern Australia, the
 windows of opportunity for oyster settlement occur during the warmer
 months and are more frequent and of longer duration at downstream
 (seaward) portions of estuaries, where salinity is higher due to greater
 oceanic influence. We also found that, although oysters can settle and
 survive at upstream locations, oyster habitat cover decreases from
 downstream to upstream locations along the estuarine salinity gradient,
 reflecting fewer and shorter windows of opportunity for settlement.
 Temporal fluctuations in salinity and temperature are critical in
 determining when and where oyster settlement will occur within estuarine
 salinity gradients. Consequently, to maximise the chances of ecological
 restoration success, oyster reef restoration projects should focus on not
 only prioritizing areas for restoration that have a higher likelihood of
 species establishment, but also timing restoration activities to occur
 during periods of suitable environmental conditions.
description: # Data from: Chasing windows of opportunity for habitat formation: spatial
 and temporal determinants of oyster settlement rates Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.vmcvdnd51](10.5061/dryad.vmcvdnd51) ## Description of the
 data and file structure This repository contains the data from the
 article: Esquivel-Muelbert & Bishop (2025). Chasing windows of
 opportunity for habitat formation: spatial and temporal determinants of
 oyster settlement rates Data description: We investigate how variations in
 salinity and temperature influence the occurrence of windows of
 opportunity for settlement and survival of reef-building oyster
 *Saccostrea glomerata* across an estuarine salinity gradient in eastern
 Australia. Oyster settlement probabilities were calculated using empirical
 data from a 2-year settlement study performed at 3 estuarine sites along a
 salinity gradient. Time series of salinity and temperature from 2010 to
 2024 were analysed for windows of opportunity for oyster settlement,
 defined as periods in which the probability of oyster settlement was equal
 to or higher than 25%. Oyster habitat cover was measured at seven
 intertidal sites along the estuarine salinity to assess how differential
 settlement patterns and ‘windows of opportunity’ shape oyster habitat
 formation. ### Files and variables #### File:
 oyster_settlement_data_2022_2024.csv **Description:** Oyster settlement
 data ##### Variables * year: One of two 12-month periods between March
 2022 and March 2024 (2022-2023 or 2023-2024) * deployment_date: Date on
 which settlement plates were deployed * collection_date: Date on which
 settlement plates were collected * site: Site name (Porto Bay, Bar Island,
 or Spencer) * plateid: Unique identifier for each settlement plate (months
 after experiment start_site name_replicate) * oyster_count: Number of
 oysters per 10x10 cm settlement plate #### File:
 bar_island_daily_2022-2024.csv **Description:** Daily temperature and
 salinity variables at the Bar Island autonomous water quality station
 ##### Variables * year: Year between 2022 and 2024 * month: Month between
 2022 and 2024 * date: Date between 2022 and 2024 * temp: Average daily
 temperature (Celsius) * temp_min: Minimum daily temperature (Celsius) *
 temp_max: Maximum daily temperature (Celsius) * sal: Average daily
 salinity (ppt) * sal_min: Minimum daily salinity (ppt) * sal_max: Maximum
 daily salinity (ppt) #### File: courangra_point_daily_2022-2024.csv
 **Description:** Daily temperature and salinity variables at the Courangra
 Point (near the Spencer site) autonomous water quality station #####
 Variables * year: Year between 2022 and 2024 * month: Month between 2022
 and 2024 * date: Date between 2022 and 2024 * temp: Average daily
 temperature (Celsius) * temp_min: Minimum daily temperature (Celsius) *
 temp_max: Maximum daily temperature (Celsius) * sal: Average daily
 salinity (ppt) * sal_min: Minimum daily salinity (ppt) * sal_max: Maximum
 daily salinity (ppt) #### File: gunyah_point_daily_2022-2024.csv
 **Description:** Daily temperature and salinity variables at the Gunyah
 Point (near the Porto Bay site) autonomous water quality station #####
 Variables * year: Year between 2022 and 2024 * month: Month between 2022
 and 2024 * date: Date between 2022 and 2024 * temp: Average daily
 temperature (Celsius) * temp_min: Minimum daily temperature (Celsius) *
 temp_max: Maximum daily temperature (Celsius) * sal: Average daily
 salinity (ppt) * sal_min: Minimum daily salinity (ppt) * sal_max: Maximum
 daily salinity (ppt) #### File: courangra_point_monthly_2010_2024.csv
 **Description:** Monthly temperature and salinity variables at the
 Courangra Point (near the Spencer site) autonomous water quality station
 ##### Variables * year: Year between 2010 and 2024 * month: Month between
 2010 and 2024 * sal_min: Minimum monthly salinity (ppt) * temp: Average
 temperature (Celsius) #### File: bar_island_monthly_2010_2024.csv
 **Description:** Monthly temperature and salinity variables at the Bar
 Island autonomous water quality station ##### Variables * year: Year
 between 2010 and 2024 * month: Month between 2010 and 2024 * sal_min:
 Minimum monthly salinity (ppt) * temp: Average temperature (Celsius) ####
 File: gunyah_monthly_2010_2024.csv **Description:** Monthly temperature
 and salinity variables at the Gunyah Point (near the Porto Bay site)
 autonomous water quality station ##### Variables * year: Year between 2010
 and 2024 * month: Month between 2010 and 2024 * sal_min: Minimum monthly
 salinity (ppt) * temp: Average temperature (Celsius)