ALBERT

Description: The presented data shows the results of suitability analyses to assess potential restoration grounds for ostrea edulis in the German Bight's marine protected areas (MPA) Borkum Reef Ground and Sylt Outer Reef. We made use of existing marine data from various sources and applied a spatial multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). Spatial input variables are scored uniformly in order to express their respective ability to improve restoration preconditions. They are summed in a linear combination using expert's judgements founded weights using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) algorithm. Datasets which describe circumstances to prevent a successful restoration are subtracted from the resulting suitable area. The dataset presented here includes the resulting raster datasets as described in out publication. Detailed metadata on the original raw data (not included here) are listed in Table 1 of the publication. The Analysis was performed in 2021 and modified in 2022.

Description: Against the background of the UN decade on ecosystem restoration and the new EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and in the context of marine spatial planning and complex maritime user conflicts, reliable information on habitat suitability for large-scale restoration is an important prerequisite for implementing conservation management and for supporting successful, sustainable, and ecologically efficient restoration measures. In this study, habitat suitability was assessed using multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) for the restoration of the European oyster, Ostrea edulis, in marine protected areas (MPAs) of the German Bight in the North Sea: Borkum Reef Ground (Borkum Riffgrund, BRG) and Sylt Outer Reef – Eastern German Bight (Sylter Außenriff, SAR). Based on site selection criteria, exclusion and suitability factors for the MCDA were defined. Results were integrated with the available geodata to produce habitat suitability maps for oyster restoration in the area of interest. Suitable as well as unsuitable habitats have been successfully identified for both MPAs: several hundred square kilometres (≥97.2% of BRG) or several thousand square kilometres (≥74.5% of SAR) were classified as ecologically and logistically suitable for oyster restoration measures in the respective MPAs. As oyster restoration is significantly limited by human activities (e.g. bottom trawl fisheries), the management of fisheries is an important prerequisite for successful oyster restoration in both MPAs. Results show that designated fishery management measures will increase the possibilities for oyster restoration. In BRG, our results correspond to the known historical distribution. In SAR, our results significantly exceed the historically known distribution. The habitat suitability analysis will facilitate decision-making regarding ocean use, and will reduce restoration costs through targeted management activities in areas of high suitability and expand species recovery by improving the survival of reintroduced individuals. The habitat suitability analysis procedure is easily adaptable for application to other areas, other species, or other habitat restoration projects, or to other conservation management settings. The software applied is open source and the suitability calculation is described in detail to inform wider applications.