Theory 88/Coastal & Estuary/Oyster reefs
Reefs Balance Salt and Predation
The claim
Oyster reef survival is set by the ratio of salinity to predation pressure, so low-salinity refuges persist where predators cannot.
01Mechanism
Oysters tolerate a salinity range while predators tolerate another; the overlap determines where reefs survive.
02Prediction
Survival should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Survival tracking salinity alone would remove predation.