Europe’s Vanished Reefs: The Collapse of Native Oyster Ecosystems

Often likened to coral reefs in their ecological importance, the European native oyster reef ecosystem—formed by Ostrea edulis—has now effectively disappeared from European coastal waters. A recent comprehensive study has determined that this ecosystem type is “collapsed” under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems framework, having met three of five collapse criteria: severe reduction in geographic distribution, highly restricted geographic range, and major disruption of ecological processes [2].