Jellyfish blooms perception in Mediterranean finfish aquaculture

Bosch-Belmar, Mar; Azzurro, Ernesto; Pulis, Kristian; Milisenda, Giacomo; Fuentes, Verónica; Yahia, Ons Kéfi–Daly; Micallef, A.; Deidun, Alan; Piraino, Stefano

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2016.11.005

Cited by 52 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Over the last decade, the hydroid Ectopleura larynx has become one of the most common fouling species in northern Europe aquaculture, causing increasing problems for fish farmers [11]. Together with Pennaria disticha, E. larynx has been identified as a highly problematic taxon for marine fish farms also in the Mediterranean Sea [12]. Nonetheless, although fouling represents a costly and labour-intensive issue for marine fish farmers, a remarkable lack of knowledge still occurs about the structure and seasonal dynamics of the hydroid fouling community.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harmful Fouling Communities on Fish Farms in the SW Mediterranean Sea: Composition, Growth and Reproductive Periods

Bosch-Belmar

Escurriola

Milisenda

et al. 2019

JMSE

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Biological fouling organisms on fish cages represent a major issue and costly factor in marine finfish aquaculture. Cnidarians have been identified as one of the most problematical groups, contributing significantly to the occlusion and structural stress of the cage nets, but also dramatically affecting farmed species health in aquaculture facilities worldwide. Recently, significant relationships were established in different Spanish aquaculture facilities between hydrozoans and juvenile fish affected by gill injuries and mortality episodes. Community composition, growth rate and reproductive potential of biofouling were monitored on fish cages over two seasonal periods of fry cages farming, located in southern Spain (SW Alboran Sea), with a special focus on cnidarians. Biomass and community composition of biofouling changed with time and between studied periods, with a marked seasonality in colonization periods and taxonomic composition, particularly for the colonial hydrozoans. The hydroids Ectopleura larynx and Pennaria disticha were found at the highest densities. P. disticha was responsible for major biomass contribution to total hydroid biomass with the fastest growth rates. In addition, actinulae larvae of E. larynx were identified in zooplankton samples at high densities especially during periods of fry introduction in sea cages (when fish are highly vulnerable). These results corroborate evidence of the detrimental influence of fouling cnidarians in Mediterranean finfish aquaculture due to a direct harmful impact on fish health. Investigations on population dynamics, reproductive biology and envenomation potential of fouling hydrozoans should be regarded as key component of best monitoring practices to ensure good farmed fish welfare, maximization of aquaculture production and overall marine spatial planning.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harmful Fouling Communities on Fish Farms in the SW Mediterranean Sea: Composition, Growth and Reproductive Periods

Bosch-Belmar

Escurriola

Milisenda

et al. 2019

JMSE

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“…Adult P. noctiluca medusa were not collected by the vertical hauls during the monitoring period, however their occurrence at low density (≤1 ind m −3 ) were visually recorded by the facility operators (unpublished data). In preceding years, the monitored facilities endured large aggregations of P. noctiluca adult medusae, leading in 2011 to severe fish mortalities (10 tons) with associated economic consequences (Bosch-Belmar et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of Stinging Plankton Blooms on Finfish Mariculture in the Mediterranean Sea

Bosch-Belmar

Milisenda

Girons³

et al. 2017

Front. Mar. Sci.

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In recent years, caged finfish mariculture across European seas suffered production losses by severe fish mortality, following episodic outbreaks of invertebrate cnidarian stingers. Due to their stinging cells and injectable venoms, medusozoan jellyfish, or drifting propagules of polyp colonies at high density may impair caged fish health through toxic effects on vulnerable tissues of gills and skin, and related secondary bacterial infections. Gill disorders in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fish farms along the Spanish Mediterranean coast are commonly reported, but regular monitoring of the frequency of cnidarian outbreaks and their potential impacts on caged fish is still poorly enforced. In this study, two sea bass mariculture farms in Southern Spain (Málaga; Almería) were monitored biweekly for zooplankton, phytoplankton and fish gills condition, over 13 or 30 months for the Málaga and Almería facilities, respectively, within the period 2012-2014. Significant, direct correlations were found among low water temperature, recorded fish mortalities, and high abundances of planktonic cnidarians, particularly of the hydrozoan siphonophores Muggiaea atlantica and M. kochii, and the larval stage of Ectopleura larynx, a common member of cage biofouling communities. A significant relationship between cnidarian densities and the quantitative scoring of gill pathology was also observed. In addition, high densities of long-bristled planktonic diatoms (Chaetoceros spp.) coincided with a major fish mortality event (April 2012, Almería farm). Standardised monitoring of plankton dynamics and composition may help in promoting response capacities of Mediterranean mariculture managers to fish health challenges (such as stinging plankton blooms) by (a) improving diagnostic tools and preventative countermeasures and (b) supporting the development of science-based spatial planning and sustainable growth of coastal mariculture.

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“…Compared to 100 years ago, the impact of this phenomenon on the recreational uses of the shore is higher due to the simple fact that now there are "more people in the water" (Brinkman and Burnell, 2009). Additionally, jellyfish swarms can interfere with aquaculture (Bosch-Belmar et al, 2017), fisheries activities (reviewed by Purcell et al, 2007), and clog the cooling systems of power plants (Angel et al, 2016).…”

Section: Initiatives and Management Of Coastal Jellyfish Swarmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Management of Jellyfish Swarms

Prieto¹

2018

New Frontiers in Operational Oceanography

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Jellyfish includes creatures that are mostly constituted by water and have a gelatinous consistency. In this chapter, after providing a biological description of these organisms, the scales of variability associated to their life cycle and framing their dynamics in the context of the climate change, I review the diverse initiatives and management of coastal jellyfish swarms. Jellyfish swarms have relevant social and economic implications; however, systematic and periodic data of jellyfish occurrences along beaches is sparse. This data would help us to understand the inter-annual variability of the episodes of high jellyfish abundances and its potential relation to variable environmental conditions. Joint strategies with tools available to scientist, administration, policymakers, and stakeholders can optimize the cost of gathering these in situ data and maximize the benefit obtained from its scientific analysis. Three case studies of jellyfish blooms are presented, from which we can infer the importance of co-creation with stakeholders emerges as a key issue to allow for a solid understanding of the episodes and the implementation of appropriate knowledge-based future mitigation actions. Jellyfish: Biological Description and Scales of Variability Associated to Their Life Cycle ellyfish, as a general term, includes creatures that are mostly constituted by water and have a gelatinous consistency. As gelatinous zooplankton they include a broad taxonomy, including numerous groups such as Ctenophores, Cnidarians, salps, larvaceans, molluscs, and worms. This chapter focuses on two phyla, namely Ctenophora and Cnidaria, which are the most relevant due to their great impact on the ecosystem and economy. Biological description of jellyfish Among the gelatinous zooplankton, there is a distinct group of carnivores in the pelagic environment, the Ctenophores (commonly known as comb jellies). Recently, a new hypothesis of animal evolution emerged indicating that all animal phyla originated from this group (

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Jellyfish blooms perception in Mediterranean finfish aquaculture

Cited by 52 publications

References 26 publications

Harmful Fouling Communities on Fish Farms in the SW Mediterranean Sea: Composition, Growth and Reproductive Periods

Harmful Fouling Communities on Fish Farms in the SW Mediterranean Sea: Composition, Growth and Reproductive Periods

Consequences of Stinging Plankton Blooms on Finfish Mariculture in the Mediterranean Sea

Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Management of Jellyfish Swarms

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