Biotic and abiotic factors influencing the invasion success and ecological impacts of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

However, invasions onto beds of the native blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, have seen shifts in dominance from mussels to oysters. Although invasions of C. gigas have been investigated, the influence of water motion on its invasion success and interactions with native M. edulis is almost unknown. Thus here, a combination of laboratory and field experiments were conducted to identify (i) predation patterns by native predators on M. edulis and C. gigas to quantify biotic resistance towards invasions; (ii) how these predation patterns change with hydrodynamic disturbance; (iii) how oscillatory flow velocity affects the clearance rates and relative impacts on resources of M. edulis compared to C. gigas; and (iv) how competitive interactions between M. edulis and C. gigas can affect their growth rates, health and mortality.