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Fish farm impacts on meiofauna and the microbenthic loop in Posidonia oceanica meadows
Pete, Dorothée; Mannard, Jennifer; Velimirov, Branko et al.
2010In Hendrik, Gheerardyn; Nara Bezerra, Tania; Cnudde, Clio et al. (Eds.) Fourteenth International Meiofauna Conference, Aula Academia, Ghent, 11-16 July 2010.
 

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Keywords :
meiofauna; seagrass; fish farm
Abstract :
[en] For about ten years, fish farming has been expanding all over the world. Even if this way of producing fishes is presented as a solution against overfishing, its impact on the surrounding environment can be important. For example, meadows of Posidonia oceanica, the endemic seagrass of the Mediterranean coastal zone, are fading close to those aquaculture, showing negative impacts on this hot spot of biodiversity. This seagrass is used as an indicator of perturbations, although it does not react quickly, mainly because of its low turnover rate (1,5 y-1). So, it is proposed here to use meiofauna and the microbenthic loop (organic matter, bacteria, microphytobenthos and meiofauna) of this ecosystem to detect earlier perturbations due to fish farms. Moreover, the exergy index, measuring the distance between an ecosystem and its optimum state (climax), is also calculated on the microbenthic loop in order to show its interrest in ecological studies. Study sites are both situated in the Gulf of Calvi (Corsica, France), in P. oceanica meadows, at a depth of 22 m. The studied fish farm is small (10 cages), situated offshore in front of Calvi and produces 40 tons of seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) per year. The reference site is located in front of the research station STARESO (STation de REcherches Sous-marine et Oceanographiques). Sediment cores (diameter: 4,7 cm) were taken in November 2008 at both sites and sliced in four layers (0-1 cm, 1-2 cm, 2-5 cm and 5-10 cm), according to the expected abundance of meiofauna organisms. Biomass and abundance of every parts of the microbenthic loop were thus analysed. Results concerning abundance, biomass and diversity of meiofauna organisms are presented here and compared with the rest of the microbenthic loop. Values of biomasses are also integrated in the calculation of the exergy index. Finally, this study evaluate the interest of meiofauna and the microbenthic loop to detect perturbations due to an aquaculture.
Research center :
Laboratoire d'Océanologie
Disciplines :
Zoology
Environmental sciences & ecology
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Pete, Dorothée ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Océanologie
Mannard, Jennifer ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Master compl. gest. ress. anim. & végé. mil. trop.
Velimirov, Branko;  Medizinische Universität Wien > General Microbiology
Gobert, Sylvie  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Océanologie
Language :
English
Title :
Fish farm impacts on meiofauna and the microbenthic loop in Posidonia oceanica meadows
Publication date :
July 2010
Event name :
14th International Meiofauna Conference
Event organizer :
Research Group Marine Biology, Biology Department, Ghent University
Event place :
Ghent, Belgium
Event date :
11-16 July 2010
Audience :
International
Main work title :
Fourteenth International Meiofauna Conference, Aula Academia, Ghent, 11-16 July 2010.
Editor :
Hendrik, Gheerardyn
Nara Bezerra, Tania
Cnudde, Clio
Deprez, Tim
Derycke, Sofie
De Troch, Marleen
Ingels, Jeroen
Merckx, Bea
Moens, Tom
Pape, Ellen
Vanaverbeke, Jan
Vanreusel, Ann
Vincx, Magda
More authors (3 more) Less
Publisher :
VLIZ, Ghent, Belgium
Collection name :
VLIZ Special Publication 44
Pages :
172
Name of the research project :
Utilisation de l'exergie pour mesurer et détecter les effets des perturbations affectant les herbiers à Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile: caractérisation au sein du compartiment sédimentaire.
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
Programme ARC.RACE 0510/333
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