title: Long-term seafloor monitoring at an open ocean aquaculture site in the western Gulf of Maine, USA: development of an adaptive protocol.
abstract: The seafloor at an open ocean finfish aquaculture facility in the western Gulf of Maine, USA was monitored from 1999 to 2008 by sampling sites inside a predicted impact area modeled by oceanographic conditions and fecal and food settling characteristics, and nearby reference sites. Univariate and multivariate analyses of benthic community measures from box core samples indicated minimal or no significant differences between impact and reference areas. These findings resulted in development of an adaptive monitoring protocol involving initial low-cost methods that required more intensive and costly efforts only when negative impacts were initially indicated. The continued growth of marine aquaculture is dependent on further development of farming methods that minimize negative environmental impacts, as well as effective monitoring protocols. Adaptive monitoring protocols, such as the one described herein, coupled with mathematical modeling approaches, have the potential to provide effective protection of the environment while minimize monitoring effort and costs.
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA. Electronic address: ray.grizzle@unh.edu.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Grizzle
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA; Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Department of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, US Naval Academy, Mail Stop 11d590 Holloway Road, Annapolis, MD 21402-5042, USA.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Fredriksson
authors.affiliation: Ocean Engineering Program, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Irish
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Langan
authors.affiliation: MER Assessment Corporation, 14 Industrial Parkway, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Heinig
authors.affiliation: Oceans and Coasts Program, North America Region, The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203, USA.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Brevard County Extension, 3695 Lake Drive, Cocoa, FL 32926, USA.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Abeels
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources, Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources, Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005399:Fishes; D008281:Maine; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009791:Oceanography
keywords: Adaptive monitoring; Benthos; Environmental impacts; Finfish cages