Effects of aquaculture fallowing on the recovery of macrofauna communities

Zhulay, Irina; Reiss, Katrin; Reiss, Henning

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.05.064

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Because macrofauna are important to ecosystem processes, can be identified microscopically, and have differing tolerances to enrichment gradients, they have been used widely to assess environmental impacts associated with human activities, including marine finfish farming (Keeley et al, 2012; Sanz‐Lázaro & Marín, 2011), oil‐drilling (Denoyelle et al, 2010), and mining (Josefson et al, 2008). Macrofauna assessments have also been used to monitor environmental recovery from these activities (Daan et al, 1996; Machado et al, 2018; Zhulay et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biotic signals associated with benthic impacts of salmon farms from eDNA metabarcoding of sediments

Gilmore

Sutherland

et al. 2021

Molecular Ecology

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Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding can rapidly characterize the composition and diversity of benthic communities, thus it has high potential utility for routine assessments of benthic impacts of marine finfish farming. In this study, 126 sediment grab samples from 42 stations were collected at six salmon farms in British Columbia, Canada. Benthic community changes were assessed by both eDNA metabarcoding of metazoans and macrofaunal polychaete surveys. The latter was done by analysing 11,466 individuals using a combination of morphology-based taxonomy and DNA barcoding. Study objectives were to: (i) compare biotic signals associated with benthic impacts of salmon farming in the two data sources, and (ii) identify potential eDNA indicators to facilitate monitoring in Canada. Alpha diversity parameters were consistently reduced near fish cage edge and negatively correlated with pore-water sulphide concentration, with coefficients ranging from −0.62 to −0.48. Although Polychaeta are a common indicator group, the negative correlation with pore-water sulphide concentration was much stronger for Nematoda OTU richness (correlation coefficient: −0.86) than for Polychaeta (correlation coefficient: −0.38). Presence/absence of Capitella generally agreed well between the two methods despite that they differed in the volume of sediments sampled and the molecular marker used. Multiple approaches were used to identify OTUs related to organic enrichment statuses. We demonstrate that eDNA metabarcoding generates biotic signals that could be leveraged for environmental assessment of benthic impacts of fish farms in multiple ways: both alpha diversity and Nematoda OTU richness could be used to assess the spatial extent of impact, and OTUs related to organic enrichment could be used to develop local biotic indices.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biotic signals associated with benthic impacts of salmon farms from eDNA metabarcoding of sediments

Gilmore

Sutherland

et al. 2021

Molecular Ecology

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“…Such biogeochemical changes may negatively impact naturally occurring communities, often leading to their decline (Jusup et al, 2009; Salvo et al, 2017). The effects of organic enrichment on the benthos have been widely studied, especially on soft substrates, and aquaculture activities typically lead to changes in macrofaunal succession (Karakassis, 2000) and decreases in species diversity (Zhulay et al, 2015). Benthic bacterial communities have also been shown to shift with changes in organic matter concentrations near cages (Kawahara et al, 2009; Cordier et al, 2018; Keeley et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal Bacterial Surveillance of Salmon Aquaculture Sites Indicates a Long Lasting Benthic Impact With Minimal Recovery

et al. 2018

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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.

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“…Macrofauna abundance has been found to differ between farm and reference sites 129,130 and change in response to farming activity 131 and fallowing. 76 The unimodal relationship between macrofauna abundance and enrichment stage, with increasing abundance of opportunistic taxa as enrichment stage increases until suddenly dropping off at high enrichment, has been observed during both the fallowing and reintroduction of farms.…”

Section: Macrofauna Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental indicators in salmon aquaculture research: A systematic review

Rector

Weitzman

Filgueira

et al. 2021

Reviews in Aquaculture

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The ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA) is a strategy for the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector, but the question of how it can be practically implemented remains unclear. Indicators that can be applied at relevant scales of impact and that reflect the environmental status and change offer a means of operationalizing EAA. Therefore, a systematic literature review was carried out to identify environmental indicators referenced in salmon aquaculture literature and review their potential to support EAA. Using the PRISMA method for selecting journal papers, 101 articles that included 531 indicators were reviewed. Indicators were characterized based on the effect of aquaculture they measure, their similarity to other indicators extracted, and the scale at which they were applied. Indicators and their characteristics are presented in a searchable online database. A scoring method for evaluating indicators based on criteria drawn from environmental indicator literature and the potential scalability of indicators to meet the needs of EAA was developed and applied to the most frequently referenced indicators. Overall, near-field indicators of benthic impacts dominated salmon aquaculture literature. Of the most frequently referenced indicators, those that scored highest based on criteria drawn from environmental indicator literature also scored highest on scalability and therefore their potential contribution to EAA. Overall, results suggest that additional research and application of far-field environmental indicators in salmon aquaculture will be required to identify a suite of indicators that can be applied as part of EAA practice.

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Effects of aquaculture fallowing on the recovery of macrofauna communities

Cited by 21 publications

References 32 publications

Biotic signals associated with benthic impacts of salmon farms from eDNA metabarcoding of sediments

Biotic signals associated with benthic impacts of salmon farms from eDNA metabarcoding of sediments

Temporal Bacterial Surveillance of Salmon Aquaculture Sites Indicates a Long Lasting Benthic Impact With Minimal Recovery

Environmental indicators in salmon aquaculture research: A systematic review

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