title: Mussels as a tool for mitigation of nutrients in the marine environment.
abstract: Long-line mussel farming has been proposed as a mitigation tool for removal of excess nutrients in eutrophic coastal waters. A full-scale mussel farm optimized for cost efficient nutrient removal was established in the eutrophic Skive Fjord, Denmark where biological and economic parameters related to nutrient removal was monitored throughout a full production cycle (1 yr). The results showed that it was possible to obtain a high area specific biomass of 60 t WW ha(-1) eqvivalent to a nitrogen and phosphorus removal of 0.6-0.9 and 0.03-0.04 t ha(-1)yr, respectively. The analysis of the costs related to establishment, maintenance and harvest revealed that mussel production optimized for mitigation can be carried out at a lower cost compared to mussel production for (human) consumption. The costs for nutrient removal was 14.8 € kg(-1)N making mitigation mussel production a cost-efficient measure compared to the most expensive land-based measures.
authors.affiliation: Danish Shellfish Centre, DTU Aqua, Øroddevej 80, DK-7900 Nykøbing Mors, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens Kjerulf
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Aarhus University, Dep. of Environmental Science, P.O. Box 358, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hasler
authors.affiliation: Aarhus University, Dep. of Bioscience, P.O. Box 358, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Electronic address: kti@dmu.dk.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Timmermann
authors.affiliation: Danish Shellfish Centre, DTU Aqua, Øroddevej 80, DK-7900 Nykøbing Mors, Denmark; University of Copenhagen, Marine Biological Section, Strandpromenaden 5, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Danish Shellfish Centre, DTU Aqua, Øroddevej 80, DK-7900 Nykøbing Mors, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ditte Bruunshøj
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Tørring
authors.affiliation: Aarhus University, Dep. of Bioscience, P.O. Box 358, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Martin Mørk
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Denmark, Department of Biology, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holmer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D018533:Biomass; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003718:Denmark; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005068:Eutrophication; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism; D049880:Mytilus edulis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Cost-effectiveness; Eutrophication; Heavy metal bioaccumulation; Mussel production; Mytilus edulis; Nutrient removal