The use of shellfish for eutrophication control

Abstract

Effects of excess loading of nutrients to the marine environment can be mitigated by mussel cultures, basically through nutrient removal from the marine environment when shellfish are harvested. Shellfish farming also provide other goods and services to the marine environment primarily through the impact on water transparency caused by shellfish filtration. There is an increasing awareness of the mitigation potential in mussel culture in relation to eutrophication, but so far practical examples of culture on full scale devoted to mitigation are few. Further, impact of mussel farming on nutrient cycling, e.g. in the sediments below the culture units, has raised concerns. In this review, we clarify concepts in relation to nutrient mitigation and discuss goods and services delivered by mussel mitigation cultures and their impact on an ecosystem scale based primarily on results from studies in heavily eutrofied estuaries. A multi-criteria approach for site selection is presented based on experiences from Danish waters, and economic aspects of mitigation cultures are analysed in relation to use of the produced mitigation mussels. Future perspectives for extractive cultures are discussed in relation to source of excess nutrients.

Magnitude, spatial scale and optimization of ecosystem services from a nutrient extraction mussel farm in the eutrophic Skive Fjord, Denmark

“…Petersen et al 2015 and references within). However, ancillary ecosystem services from mussel farming include the mediation of additional nutrients in biodeposits being buried in sediments or lost through microbial denitrification (Newell et al 2004) and the removal of excess phytoplankton and other suspended particulates (e.g.…”

Diurnal fluctuations in CO2 and dissolved oxygen concentrations do not provide a refuge from hypoxia and acidification for early-life-stage bivalves

“…In addition, longer-term effects of acidification and hypoxia on individuals surviving early life stage exposure may have negative 'carry over' or 'legacy' effects on subsequent life stages (Hettinger et al 2012, Gobler & Talmage 2013). All of these negative impacts could ultimately impact shellfish industries, as well as the many ecosystems services that bivalves provide (Officer et al 1982, Petersen et al 2015, Sebastiano et al 2015.…”

A review of the multiple benefits of mussel farming

“…; Petersen et al . ). Mussel farming provides services to the marine environment primarily through the impact on water transparency caused by their filtration activity.…”