title: Assessing the bio-mitigation effect of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture on marine environment by a numerical approach.
abstract: With increasing concern over the aquatic environment in marine culture, the integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) has received extensive attention in recent years. A three-dimensional numerical ocean model is developed to explore the negative impacts of aquaculture wastes and assess the bio-mitigation effect of IMTA systems on marine environments. Numerical results showed that the concentration of surface phytoplankton could be controlled by planting seaweed (a maximum reduction of 30%), and the percentage change in the improvement of bottom dissolved oxygen concentration increased to 35% at maximum due to the ingestion of organic wastes by sea cucumbers. Numerical simulations indicate that seaweeds need to be harvested in a timely manner for maximal absorption of nutrients, and the initial stocking density of sea cucumbers >3.9 individuals m(-2) is preferred to further eliminate the organic wastes sinking down to the sea bottom.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan. Electronic address: zjb@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Junbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kitazawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D004777:Environment; D020387:Food Chain; D007564:Japan; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010839:Phytoplankton; D011156:Population Density; D012616:Sea Cucumbers; D012624:Seaweed; D044445:Ulva
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Bio-mitigation effect; IMTA; Impact assessment; Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture; MEC ocean model