Translocating Intact Assemblages to Degraded Sites to Accelerate Ecological Recovery

Estuarine ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, coastal development, and increased nutrient and sediment inputs. These pressures are deteriorating ecological health and threatening the functioning and services that estuarine ecosystems provide. Here, we conducted a pilot study to assess the initial recovery capacity of highly eutrophic intertidal estuarine sediments. We theorised that the translocation of intact assemblages (including bioturbating macrofauna) into degraded areas would oxygenate sediments and initiate short term responses as a proxy of recovery. Our pilot study revealed that in situ experimental translocation enhanced macrobenthic richness, abundance, and diversity relative to controls at the degraded site. Translocation also affected ecosystem functions, with translocated sediments emitting less CH 4 relative to controls. This study suggests the potential of translocation approaches to jumpstart recovery. Our results were limited to only 5‐day experimentation as we focused on early‐stage recovery processes in sediment only; thus next steps should test the efficacy of different translocation designs, including longer duration, and the feasibility of upscaling in order to maximise the net benefits of this nature‐based restoration approach.