Artificial Oyster Reef Biodiversity and Water Quality Data from Prince Edward Island

45 taxa colonized artificial oyster reefs installed in a fragmented eelgrass meadow from 2021 to 2023. The dataset contains source datafiles, R code, and supplementary figures supporting a study on ecosystem recovery. It includes biotic data on invertebrate and plant diversity, abundance, and biomass, as well as environmental measurements.

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between oyster recruitment and subsequent increases in taxa richness and biomass using biotic data columns.
• Compare fish diversity and use around older reefs versus bare sediment patches using collected biotic data.
• Model the local improvement in water quality around artificial reefs compared to bare patches using environmental data.
• Examine the colonization timeline of 45 taxa across the multi-year monitoring period using time-series biotic data.

Strengths

• Data spans a multi-year project from 2021 to 2023, providing temporal depth.
• Records colonization by 45 distinct taxa, offering a specific measure of biodiversity.
• Includes both biotic data (diversity, abundance, biomass) and environmental data (water quality) for integrated analysis.

Limitations

• The dataset is supplementary to a publication; core analysis files may be fragmented across PDF, HTML, and CSV formats.
• Specific row counts, column names, and sample data are unavailable, hindering immediate assessment of data structure and scale.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single study site in Prince Edward Island, reducing generalizability.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, co-developed with Lennox Island First Nation.

Collection Method

Data collected from monitoring artificial oyster reefs constructed of concrete blocks in a fragmented eelgrass bed.

Time Range

2021 to 2023

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026, indicating recent maintenance.

Geography

Prince Edward Island, Canada