Fish-farming effects on benthic community structure in coastal sediments: analysis of meiofaunal recovery
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Published source details
Mazzola A. (2000) Fish-farming effects on benthic community structure in coastal sediments: analysis of meiofaunal recovery. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 57, 1454-1461.
Published source details Mazzola A. (2000) Fish-farming effects on benthic community structure in coastal sediments: analysis of meiofaunal recovery. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 57, 1454-1461.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Cease or prohibit aquaculture activity Action Link |
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Cease or prohibit aquaculture activity
A before-and-after, site comparison study in 1997 of two soft seabed sites in the Gulf of Gaeta, Mediterranean Sea, Italy (Mazzola et al. 2000) found that after removing a fish farm, invertebrate abundance appeared similar to that of an unfarmed site after two months, but community composition remained different after four months. Before removal, abundance at the farmed site (850–1,350/10 cm2) appeared different to the unfarmed site (1,250–2,750). This was still true a month after removal (farmed: 1,350; unfarmed: 2,800). After two months, abundances were similar at all sites (farmed: 1,500–2,300; unfarmed: 2,000–2,850). Community composition remained different after four months (data presented as graphical analyses). A fish farm was removed in July 1997. One farmed site and one unfarmed site (1 km north) were surveyed monthly between March and October 1997. Three sediment samples were taken by divers at each site during each survey using a core (3.7 cm diameter, 10 cm depth). Invertebrates (between 37 µm and 1 mm) were identified and counted.
(Summarised by: Anaëlle Lemasson)
