Effects of fish farm waste on Posidonia oceanica meadows: synthesis and provision of monitoring and management tools.
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.
Holmer
Marianne
M
Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark. holmer@biology.sdu.dk
Argyrou
Marina
M
Dalsgaard
Tage
T
Danovaro
Roberto
R
Diaz-Almela
Elena
E
Duarte
Carlos M
CM
Frederiksen
Morten
M
Grau
Antoni
A
Karakassis
Ioannis
I
Marbà
Nuria
N
Mirto
Simone
S
Pérez
Marta
M
Pusceddu
Antonio
A
Tsapakis
Manolis
M
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
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical