Fish farm effluents alter reef benthic assemblages and reduce coral settlement.
Mar Pollut Bull
; 153: 111025, 2020 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32275570
ABSTRACT
Fish farming in coastal areas is a rapidly growing industry. However, unregulated fish farming practices that release massive amounts of unconsumed feed and fecal material into the water column, can result in a nutrient-enriched environment that extends to nearby reef systems. To understand the impact of fish farm effluent on coral settlement, we tested the settlement rate of Pocillopora acuta larvae on artificial substrates conditioned for 12 weeks at three sites with increasing distance (2-10 km) from fish farms in Bolinao, Philippines. Sites far from the fish farms had higher biofilm and crustose coralline algae cover. In contrast, the site closest to the fish farms, where nutrient levels were higher, had greater sediment and turf algae cover. Tiles conditioned at the farther sites promoted higher (6-8%) larval settlement whereas tiles from the nearer site had lower settlement (3%). These findings show that fish farm effluents can indirectly affect coral settlement on adjacent reefs by promoting growth of other biota that may inhibit larval settlement and by reducing the availability of suitable substrate.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Aquicultura
/
Antozoários
/
Recifes de Corais
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mar Pollut Bull
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Filipinas