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Content archived on 2024-06-10

Aquaculture management and ecological interaction of noxius phytopl ankton developments in the south of Latin America

Objective

The main objectives are defined as follows :
* To determine the environmental fish farming effects on the marine ecosystem, in term of coastal seawater quality, including the dissolved substances, seston, and benthos disturbance.
* To identify the factors involved in the development of phytoplankton, considering the mineral nutrients as measured in the seawater near fish farms, and dissolved organics coming from excess fish granules dissolution.
* To define the disturbance caused by UV-b radiations on the growth of phytoplankton populations : importance of cell stress, protection strategy and eventual stimulation of PSP synthesis and photodegradation of organic nutrients.
Expected Outcome

This project should provide an index of tolerance for the media, considering the risk of hazardous monospecific blooms, or particularly noxious cells presence, and the substances stimulating them.
Extrapolation of the impact results, in view of future expansion of salmon farming, will give a forecast of the risk, and prevent irreversible degradation of the environment.
The key activities involve :
* Field studies on the fish farming influence on the pelagic compartment. Three typical cases are considered : fish farm in a fjord, a bay and a channel. The hydrobiological parameters conductivity, temperature and depth, light, seston and chlorophyll fluorescence are measured in real time in situ by probes (CTD Sea bird, laser granulometer Cilas, fluorimeter). The seawater sampling for calibration, chemical analyses of nutrients and phytoplankton specific determination are defined, according to the probes data.
* Modelling the dispersion of particles and dissolved nutrients in the water mass around the fish farms. The model provides information on the nutrient flux from the cages, and the associated chorophyllian cells.
* Field studies on the fish farming influence on the benthic compartment. Vertical profiles of the carbon and nitrogen content of sediment beneath the fish farms, benthic macrofauna and diversity currentmetry and bathymetry provide a complete description of the seafloor characteristics.
* Modelling the particulate organic loading of the seafloor. The new model to be used and adapted to the conditions along the South American coasts, allows quantitative prediction of the carbon loading on underlying sediments, considering spatial and temporal scales.
* Bioassays on phytoplankton growth regulation by nutrients. The role of exogenous inputs due to fish farming (feed elutriate) as well as natural substances resulting of dense fish population (urea, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate) is tested on phytoplankton growth. The bioassays are performed in laboratory, on plurispecific algal populations and monospecific cultures.
* Bioassays on phytoplankton growth regulation by UV-b radiations. The selective effect of natural radiation on phytoplankton species, and effect of UV-b intensity will be estimated through a specific and chemical study of the irradiated populations. The consequence of adding organic substances (feed elutriate) to phytoplankton cultures under UV-b radiation will be studied, as well as the photodegradation of organic substances. The response to UV-b stress, of a toxic dinoflagellate responsible in shellfish contaminations will be studied, according to the concentration in mycosporine-like aminoacids and PSP production.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

IFREMER - Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer
EU contribution
No data
Address
Centre de Brest
29290 Plouzane
France

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Total cost

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Participants (3)

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