No abstract

Coastal aquaculture has experienced substantial growth in the last few decades and associated impacts on natural environments are of increasing importance. Understanding both the effects of aquaculture on marine ecosystems and the processes of recovery during fallowing periods is crucial for the development of a more environmentally sustainable industry. Because bacteria are sensitive to environmental change, surveying fluctuations in bacterial communities is a promising tool for monitoring the status of benthic environments. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to characterize bacterial communities in flocculent matter samples collected over a period of 3 years and at various distances from cages (0–200 meters) at production and fallow (3–35 months) salmon aquaculture sites in southern Newfoundland to evaluate the environmental impact of aquaculture on predominantly hard-bottom substrates. Bacterial composition analysis revealed four clusters, three of which (defined as “recently disturbed,” “intermediate impact,” and “high impact”) differed markedly from a fourth “low impact” cluster that contained far-field samples collected >500 m from cages. Samples within the high impact group were most often collected directly under cages, whereas those in the intermediate impact group were mainly sampled from 20 to 40 m from cages. Large scale phylum shifts (increases of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, and decreases in Proteobacteria and Epsilonbacteraeota) and a decline in bacterial diversity were observed in the high impact cluster, indicating significant ecological change. Samples from sites of different fallow duration were found in the high impact cluster, indicating a lack of recovery, even after 35 months of fallowing. Finally, we identified 28 genera as bacterial biomarkers, specific to one or more clusters, including genera associated with organically enriched environments and previously reported in the context of aquaculture impacts. Tracking the relative abundance of biomarkers in relation to different lengths of fallowing in the three more impacted clusters showed that these markers remained significantly above low impact cluster levels at all times, further pointing toward incomplete recovery. Our results suggest that coastal aquaculture on hard-bottom substrates is prone to long lasting impacts on bacterial communities, especially below cages, and that effects can be accurately tracked using bacterial community profiles or specific biomarkers.

No abstract

A new opportunistic annelid (Ophryotrocha cyclops) discovered on benthic substrates underneath finfish aquaculture sites in Newfoundland (NL) may be involved in the remediation of organic wastes. At those aquaculture sites, bacterial mats and O. cyclops often coexist and are used as indicators of organic enrichment. Little is known on the trophic strategies used by these annelids, including whether they might consume bacteria or other aquaculture-derived wastes. We studied the lipid and fatty acid composition of the annelids and their potential food sources (degraded flocculent organic matter, fresh fish pellets and bacterial mats) to investigate feeding relationships in these habitats and compared the lipid and fatty acid composition of annelids before and after starvation. Fish pellets were rich in lipids, mainly terrestrially derived C18 fatty acids (18:1ω9, 18:2ω6, 18:3ω3), while bacterial samples were mainly composed of ω7 fatty acids, and flocculent matter appeared to be a mixture of fresh and degrading fish pellets, feces and bacteria. Ophryotrocha cyclops did not appear to store excessive amounts of lipids (13%) but showed a high concentration of ω3 and ω6 fatty acids, as well as a high proportion of the main fatty acids contained in fresh fish pellets and bacterial mats. The dorvilleids and all potential food sources differed significantly in their lipid and fatty acid composition. Interestingly, while all food sources contained low proportions of 20:5ω3 and 20:2ω6, the annelids showed high concentrations of these two fatty acids, along with 20:4ω6. A starvation period of 13 days did not result in a major decrease in total lipid content; however, microscopic observations revealed that very few visible lipid droplets remained in the gut epithelium after three months of starvation. Ophryotrocha cyclops appears well adapted to extreme environments and may rely on lipid-rich organic matter for survival and dispersal in cold environments.