Linking local ecological knowledge and management perspectives on oyster predation in Mississippi and Alabama

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) provide critical ecosystem services, yet populations along the northern Gulf Coast are declining due to environmental stressors, such as water quality issues and predation. To evaluate how threats to oysters are perceived across stakeholder groups, we surveyed oyster Farmers and Resource professionals in Mississippi and Alabama about predator impacts, seasonal patterns, and mitigation strategies. Survey responses (n = 21) were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's Exact tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and t-tests. Farmers and Resource professionals identified multiple predators as important sources of mortality, but their relative rankings differed across groups. Resource professionals consistently viewed southern oyster drills as the greatest threat, whereas Farmers reported more evenly distributed impacts across predators. Differences also emerged in perceptions of how salinity influences predation and in the feasibility of management practices such as varied height deployment, although both groups identified similar effective strategies. Farmers expressed greater optimism about the future of oyster cultivation compared to Resource professionals. These findings demonstrate both areas of consensus and divergence in local ecological knowledge and natural resource management perspectives, highlighting the need for improved communication and integration of stakeholder experiences into predator management and restoration planning.