title: Effects of fish farm waste on Posidonia oceanica meadows: synthesis and provision of monitoring and management tools.
abstract: This paper provides a synthesis of the EU project MedVeg addressing the fate of nutrients released from fish farming in the Mediterranean with particular focus on the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica habitat. The objectives were to identify the main drivers of seagrass decline linked to fish farming and to provide sensitive indicators of environmental change, which can be used for monitoring purposes. The sedimentation of waste particles in the farm vicinities emerges as the main driver of benthic deterioration, such as accumulation of organic matter, sediment anoxia as well as seagrass decline. The effects of fish farming on P. oceanica meadows are diverse and complex and detected through various metrics and indicators. A safety distance of 400 m is suggested for management of P. oceanica near fish farms followed by establishment of permanent seagrass plots revisited annually for monitoring the health of the meadows.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark. holmer@biology.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holmer
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argyrou
authors.forename: Tage
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dalsgaard
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Danovaro
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diaz-Almela
authors.forename: Carlos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frederiksen
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karakassis
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marbà
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mirto
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pusceddu
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsapakis
mesh_terms: D035961:Alismatales / Q000254:growth & development*; D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D017753:Ecosystem; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005399:Fishes; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D011157:Population Dynamics; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical