TY - JOUR
T1 - Localized effects of offshore aquaculture on water quality in a tropical sea.
AU - Dunne, Aislinn
AU - Carvalho, Susana
AU - Moran, Xose Anxelu G.
AU - Calleja, Maria Ll
AU - Jones, Burton
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-08-05
PY - 2021/7/30
Y1 - 2021/7/30
N2 - Aquaculture production has increased steadily in many tropical countries over the past few decades, although impact assessments have been frequently neglected. We investigated the impacts of an offshore barramundi fish farm on water quality in the southern-central Red Sea, a traditionally understudied tropical, oligotrophic, and semi-enclosed basin. Inorganic nutrients, particulate matter, chlorophyll-a, and heterotrophic bacteria were measured periodically over 8 months around the farm. Water down-current from the farm had, on average, more heterotrophic bacteria and chlorophyll-a than up-current (11% and 34% higher, respectively). Ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen:phosphorus down-current from the farm were lower than ratios up-current (mean 9.8 vs 16.0, respectively). Phosphate, inorganic nitrogen, and particulate matter showed patterns of enrichment associated with the farm after a fish feeding event. Strategies such as feed optimization and considering hydrodynamics in site selection may improve water quality for future fish farms in Saudi Arabia and other tropical countries.
AB - Aquaculture production has increased steadily in many tropical countries over the past few decades, although impact assessments have been frequently neglected. We investigated the impacts of an offshore barramundi fish farm on water quality in the southern-central Red Sea, a traditionally understudied tropical, oligotrophic, and semi-enclosed basin. Inorganic nutrients, particulate matter, chlorophyll-a, and heterotrophic bacteria were measured periodically over 8 months around the farm. Water down-current from the farm had, on average, more heterotrophic bacteria and chlorophyll-a than up-current (11% and 34% higher, respectively). Ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen:phosphorus down-current from the farm were lower than ratios up-current (mean 9.8 vs 16.0, respectively). Phosphate, inorganic nitrogen, and particulate matter showed patterns of enrichment associated with the farm after a fish feeding event. Strategies such as feed optimization and considering hydrodynamics in site selection may improve water quality for future fish farms in Saudi Arabia and other tropical countries.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/670390
UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0025326X21007669
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112732
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112732
M3 - Article
C2 - 34330001
SN - 0025-326X
VL - 171
SP - 112732
JO - Marine pollution bulletin
JF - Marine pollution bulletin
ER -