Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS34 Impacts of Aquaculture and Mariculture

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001, Time: 11:15:00 AM

Location: Sandia/Santa Ana

Sdrigotti , E, , Laboratory of Marine Biology, Trieste, Italy, sdrigott@univ.trieste.it

Cok, S, , Laboratory of Marine Biology, Trieste, Italy, coksara@univ.trieste.it

Pecchiar , I, , Laboratory of Marine Biology, Trieste, Italy, pecchiir@univ.trieste.it

Cabrini, M, , Laboratory of Marine Biology, Trieste, Italy, cabrini@univ.trieste.it

CHANGE OF A PELAGIC BENTHIC AUTOTROPHIC COMMUNITY IN AN ADRIATIC MUSSEL AREA

Studies have been investigated the environmental impacts of bivalve cultures regarding their role as suspension feeders that reduce the amount of phytoplankton. The massive biodeposition leads to a continuous organic enrichment of sediment, which increase the oxygen demand and may cause a temporary anoxia. Microphytobenthos plays an important role controlling the oxygen balance and the water-sediment interface and also affecting increased flux of nutrients to the water column. In the coastal water of Adriatic Sea the possible modifications in microphytoplankton (MPP) and microphytobenthos (MPB) communities were investigated in the presence of suspended mussel cultures. Water and sediment samples were monthly collected, inside and outside a mussel farm. MPP determination and abundance were identified at four depths while MPB abundance in surficial sediment layers was performed to distinguish species and their different growth forms. Biological data were processed by univariate and multivariate methods. The effect of cultivated mussels was: MPP increased mostly its cell abundance in spite of a similar biodiversity within both stations while the MPB structure resulted less diversificated than in control station with a strong species selection.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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