Objective In the last years there has been a steady growth in the development of aquaculture farms due to the increased demand of cultured species for consumption. One of the by-products of aquaculture is the creation of specific environmental problems related to intensive production and unsustainable farm expansion, leading to a boom and burst behaviour of aquaculture industries. Examples are the increasing occurrence of toxic red tides and the consequent incidence of diarrhetic and paralytic shellfish poisoning in southern European countries in the early nineties, or the permanent alteration of natural habitats in Latin America. Therefore, aquaculture and local water quality (WQ) are closely linked. The large inputs of nutrients and chemicals and the release of wastes into the environment may favour toxic algae blooms and induce bottom anoxia and eutrophication, especially where the carrying capacity of the receiving domain is limited (e.g. bays and semi-enclosed waterbodies. In turn, low aquaculture producti on rates may result from the appearance and spreading of diseases propitiated by a poor WQ. This proposal will help to better "structure" the understanding on the relationship between aquaculture and WQ, aiming towards the establishment of a set of aqua culture-related predictors for WQ. This is the soundest way to increase farm production and product quality in a sustainable manner, i.e. within the frame of a socially acceptable ICZM. This goal will be achieved by collecting and combining existing fie ld observations with available numerical simulations,"paving" the way for quantifying the relation between WQ and farm productivity. It will also allow the use of natural forcing mechanisms to increase or get the most out of the carrying capacity of the waterbody. The final results will be a starting point towards enhanced aquaculture production without compromising the "health state" of the receiving domain for future generations. Fields of science agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesfisheriesengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processesnatural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrologydrainage basinsengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringnatural resources managementwater management Programme(s) FP6-SUSTDEV - Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems: thematic priority 6 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) SUSTDEV-3.8.1 - Estimating thresholds of sustainability and externalities SUSTDEV-3.8.2 - Developing tools for integrated sustainability assessment and for the incorporation of sustainability in decision making processes Call for proposal FP6-2002-INCO-DEV/SSA-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme SSA - Specific Support Action Coordinator CENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LOS RECURSOS COSTEROS EU contribution No data Address JORDI GIRONA, 1-3CAMPUS NORD - UPCMÒDUL D-1 BARCELONA Spain See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
