A simple, non-negotiable truth of ensuring success in the restoration of ecological engineers (EE) and the functions they support is the need for the focal species to survive, grow and reproduce. Using mechanistic modeling, such as a dynamic energy budget (DEB), to map an EE's fundamental niche supports restoration and management predictive of EE resilience under current and future conditions. One EE, the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, provides critical estuarine habitat and supports a valuable fishery across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Recent declines in oyster populations in this region from anthropogenic activities and extreme events have led to significant efforts to restore wild, self-sustaining broodstock reefs, and [...]
