Recent recruitment failure of lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus, a key prey fish in the North Sea, followed by several years of low spawning stock biomass, prompted us to investigate factors influencing the recruitment of this species. We tested 2 hypotheses that relate to ecological mechanisms of recruitment regulation in lesser sandeel: (1) a positive spawning stock-recruitment relationship is decoupled in years associated with high abundances of age-1 sandeels and (2) the survival success of early larvae depends specifically on the abundance of Calanus finmarchicus and not C. helgolandicus. The findings of the present study supported both hypotheses and resulted in a multiple linear recruitment model with pronounced predictive capabilities. The model includes interactions between age-1 abundance and spawning stock biomass, plus the effect of C. finmarchicus abundance, and it explained around 65% of the inter-annual variation in recruitment in contrast to only 12% by a traditional Ricker curve. We argue that early egg production in C. finmarchicus supports the survival of larvae, and that climate-generated shifts in the Calanus species composition lead to a mismatch in timing between food availability and the early life history of lesser sandeels.

The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is an important aquaculture species world-wide. Due to its wide environmental tolerance and high growth rate, it has also become a successful invader in many areas, leading to major ecosystem changes. Low water temperatures were previously believed to restrict the establishment of Pacific oysters in Scandinavia. However, recent surveys reveal that the Pacific oyster is now established in many areas in Scandinavia. We present data on the current distribution, abundance and age-structure in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The biomass of oysters in the Danish Wadden Sea increased from 1,056 to 6,264 tonnes between 2005 and 2007. Massive settlements were observed along the Swedish west coast in 2007, with densities [400 oysters per m -2 . In Norway, populations are established on the southern coast, and specimens have been found as far north as 60°N. The potential impacts and probable causes of this recent large-scale establishment are discussed.

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An ecosystem-based approach to bivalve aquaculture management is a strategy for the integration of aquaculture within the wider ecosystem, including human aspects, in such a way that it promotes sustainable development, equity, and resilience of ecosystems. Given the linkage between social and ecological systems, marine regulators require an ecosystem-based decision framework that structures and integrates the relationships between these systems and facilitates communication of aquaculture-environment interactions and policy-related developments and decisions. The Drivers-Pressures-State Change-Impact-Response (DPSIR) management framework incorporates the connectivity between human and ecological issues and would permit available performance indicators to be identified and organized in a manner that facilitates different regulatory needs. Suitable performance indicators and modeling approaches, which are used to assess DPSIR framework components, are reviewed with a focus on the key environmental issues associated with bivalve farming. Indicator selection criteria are provided to facilitate constraining the number of indicators within the management framework. It is recommended that an ecosystem-based approach for bivalve aquaculture be based on a tiered indicator monitoring system that is structured on the principle that increased environmental risk requires increased monitoring effort. More than 1 threshold for each indicator would permit implementation of predetermined impact prevention and mitigation measures prior to reaching an unacceptable ecological state. We provide an example of a tiered monitoring program that would communicate knowledge to decision-makers on ecosystem State Change and Impact components of the DPSIR framework.KEY WORDS: Bivalve aquaculture management · Ecosystem-based approach · DPSIR framework · Indicators · Thresholds · Benthic effects · Pelagic effects · Social-ecological systems Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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