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Bivalve culture is know to affect some interactions between the water column and the benthic environment with the organic enrichment. An in situ mesocosms experiment was used to determine the influence of mussel biodeposition on the benthic ecosystem in St. Peters Bay, Prince Edward Island, eastern Canada. Eight mussel densities (0 to 2266 mussels m-2) were placed above mesocosms to reproduce the organic enrichment from a mussel farm over 12 weeks. The experimental procedure created an accumulation of organic matter on the seafloor with increasing mussel densities. Some benthic parameters had the predicted response to organic enrichment, with the presence of anoxic sediment in sediment profile images, increased water and organic matter content, and reduced infaunal abundance and species richness. Other parameters, including redox potential, total free sulfides, and the response of the biotic index AMBI, had inconsistent responses to mussel biodeposition-related organic enrichment. Given that other studies done in other locations have observed varying results, results suggest that measurement of various parameters is important to interpret the influence of deposition from mussel farms. The conditions of the site and the study duration are also parameters to consider when evaluating the results from mesocosm studies. Results from this study also suggest that St. Peters Bay is likely impacted by biodeposition from the mussels farmed there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture contributes a significant portion of the global aquatic biomass destined for human consumption. Bivalve and marine finfish aquaculture operations require sea‐based farm sites that result in considerable interactions with the natural environment. The addition of feed waste and physical structures (e.g., net pens and longline mussel culture) can provide an attractive artificial reef for many species and studies have shown both positive and negative effects on the surrounding ecosystem due to wild species interactions with aquaculture sites. Assessing these interactions can be complex, depending on the local ecosystem, and several monitoring techniques have been used to accurately determine associations of wild finfish and decapods to marine farms. In this review, we assessed the main methods used to monitor aquaculture‐ecosystem interactions. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are discussed and suggestions to mitigate shortfalls for future studies are outlined. It was evident that combining methodologies should be prioritised to lessen the impact of identified weaknesses of any given approach. Designing studies with complementary approaches may help attain robust data that can be used to further understand aquaculture‐ecosystem interactions and the underlying proximate mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mussel aquaculture has expanded worldwide and it is important to assess its impact on the water column and the planktonic food web to determine the sustainability of farming practices. Mussel farming may affect the planktonic food web indirectly by excreting bioavailable nutrients in the water column (a short-term effect) or by increasing nutrient effluxes from biodeposit-enriched sediments (a long-term effect). We tested both of these indirect effects in a lagoon by using plankton-enclosing benthocosms that were placed on the bottom of a shallow lagoon either inside of a mussel farm or at reference sites with no history of aquaculture. At each site, half of the benthocosms were enriched with seawater that had held mussels (excretion treatment), the other half received non-enriched seawater as a control treatment. We monitored nutrients ([PO43-] and [NH4+]), dissolved oxygen and plankton components (bacteria, the phytoplankton and the zooplankton) over 5 days. We found a significant relationship between long-term accumulation of mussel biodeposits in sediments, water-column nutrient concentrations and plankton growth. Effects of mussel excretion were not detected, too weak to be significant given the spatial and temporal variability observed in the lagoon. Effects of mussels on the water column are thus likely to be coupled to benthic processes in such semi-enclosed water bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examines the effect of mussel farming on benthic infaunal communities in baie de Gaspé, eastern Canada, at two spatial scales: 10m (directly under vs. between mussel longlines — Position) and 100m (between mussel farm and reference locations — Treatment, each of which was replicated at 4 Sites). None of the evaluated univariate descriptors of benthic communities (abundance, taxonomic richness, Shannon–Weiner diversity, AMBI, and M-AMBI) differed between Treatments or among Positions within Sites in any consistent way. Similarly, multivariate community structure also did not differ among Treatments. In contrast, multivariate community structure directly under mussel lines differed from that between mussel lines in 3 of 4 mussel farm sites whereas none of the reference sites showed such 10m-scale variation. Of the species that accounted for the greatest proportion of the dissimilarity between Positions within mussel farm sites, second-order opportunistic species (Prionospio steenstrupi and Pectinaria granulata) were consistently more abundant directly under mussel lines than between them. Species belonging to other ecological groups did not show any consistent trends. It is suggested that studies that do not consider within-site (10m-scale, below vs. between longlines) variation may fail to detect the influence of suspended bivalve culture in some cases. Overall, effects of mussel culture in baie de Gaspé were slight and within the natural variation of benthic communities in the area. This suggests that the current industry should be sustainable. However, plans to expand the industry in the region remain to be evaluated with respect to the ecological carrying capacity of the entire bay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of the food industry, raising concerns about the influence of this activity on the environment. We take a holistic approach to review off-bottom and suspended mussel culture effects on the benthic environment and benthic communities. Both longline and 'bouchot' mussel culture add much physical structure (infrastructure and mussels) to the environment, altering hydrosedimentary processes by modifying currents and increasing sedimentation locally, and providing habitat for many benthic organisms. Biodeposition from mussels and these organisms increases benthic organic loading and linked biogeochemical processes to influence O2, pH, redox potentials, dissolved sulphides, and other sediment parameters, benthic respiration and nutrient fluxes, and benthic infaunal communities. Mussel culture may also influence seagrasses and algae, although this has not been well-studied. Far-field effects on the benthos may occur through a number of mechanisms, including aggregation of epibenthic macrofauna in culture sites, alteration of plankton communities, and the enhancement of exotic and indigenous pest species owing to the addition of physical structure to the environment. Quantitative relationships between farming level and benthic influences are lacking, making predictions of effects difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic subsidies to natural systems can influence the diet of mobile omnivore species and co-occurring species. This study assessed if fall-off from mussel aquaculture subsidized wild populations of mobile scavengers and predators, such as the commercially important lobster Homarus americanus. A Bayesian stable isotope-mixing model with parameters determined from the literature and from a 105 days laboratory feeding experiment was applied to wild lobsters to determine how important the various food sources were in these lobsters, especially mussel fall-off. Isotopic values were mainly affected by lobster size with model outputs indicating that large lobsters (>80 mm cephalothorax) fed mainly on mussels from the mussel farm (46% of the diet) while small ones fed mostly on the rock crab Cancer irroratus (99%). The contribution of mussel subsidies to the lobster's diet was thus size-specific and direct (i.e. through mussel fall-off and not through co-occurring species such as rock crab). The absence of a link between food sources and lipid energy content in lobsters suggested that the reduction of rock crab consumption would have to be more drastic to affect the general health of large lobsters in the short term. • Large (mature) lobsters directly consume mussel from aquaculture (46% of the diet). • Small lobsters fed outside the farm on rock crab (99% of the diet). • In the short term, a lower crab consumption did not affect the health of large lobsters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In coastal environments, fishing and aquaculture may be important sources of disturbance to ecosystem functioning, the quantification of which must be assessed to make them more sustainable. In the Chausey Archipelago, France, recreational fishing and commercial shellfish farming are the only two evident anthropogenic activities, dominated by bivalve hand-raking and ‘bouchot’ mussel culture, respectively. This study evaluates the impact of both activities on bivalve recruitment dynamics by comparing primary recruitment intensity (short-term effect) and recruitment efficiency (medium-term effect) by sampling bivalves in reference (undisturbed) and disturbed (i.e. subjected to hand-raking or in ‘bouchot’ mussel culture areas) parcels throughout and at the end of the recruitment season, respectively. Specific hypotheses evaluated were that ( H1 ) bivalve hand-raking negatively affects bivalve recruitment and that ( H2 ) ‘bouchot’ mussel culture promotes bivalve recruitment. Patterns in bivalve community structure in reference parcels (i.e. natural pattern) differed between initial and final recruitment, underlining the great importance of early post-settlement processes, particularly secondary dispersal. Primary recruitment intensity was inhibited in hand-raking parcels whereas it was promoted in ‘bouchot’ mussel culture parcels, but the effect on recruitment efficiency was muted for both activities due to post-settlement processes. Nevertheless, the importance of effects that occur during the first step of recruitment should not be ignored as they may affect bivalve communities and induce immediate consequences on the trophic web through a cascade effect. Finally, it is highlighted that hand-raking damages all life stages of the common cockle Cerastoderma edule , one of the major target species, suggesting that this activity should be managed with greater caution than is currently done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downward fluxes of organically rich biodeposits under suspended mussel lines can cause benthic impacts such as changes in benthic community structure or microbial mat production. Quantifying sediment erosion in these coastal ecosystems is important for understanding how fluxes of organic matter and mussel biodeposits contribute to benthic–pelagic coupling. Critical shear velocity (u* crit ), erosion rates and particle size distributions of resuspended sediment were measured at four stations distributed along a transect perpendicular to a mussel farm in Lagune de la Grande Entrée, Îles-de-la-Madeleine (Quebec, Canada). Stations were selected underneath the outer-most mussel line (0 m) and at distances of 15, 30 m and at a reference station (500 m) further along the transect. Shear velocity was measured using a calibrated portable Particle Erosion Simulator, also referred to as the BEAST (Benthic Environmental Assessment Sediment Tool). Undisturbed sediment cores obtained by divers were exposed to shear stress to compare differences between stations. Erosion sequences indicated no significant differences in u* crit between stations, but there were significant differences in erosion rates beneath mussel lines compared to other stations. Erosion rates were the highest in cores from beneath mussel lines, but paradoxically had the lowest u* crit . Mean erosion rates at u* crit varied between 25 and 47 g m − 2 min − 1 and critical erosion thresholds varied between 1.58 and 1.73 cm s − 1 , which compare with intensive mussel culture sites elsewhere in eastern Canada. Significant differences existed in biotic and abiotic properties of sediments which could explain variation in maximum erosion rates within and between stations. Particle sizes measured by videography of resuspended sediment at different shear velocities ranged from 0.2 to 3.0 mm. Quantifying sediment erosion from intact marine sediments helps to improve our mechanistic understanding of these processes, and the BEAST further contributes to predictive capability in benthic–pelagic coupling modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: By predicting the dispersal of particulate aquaculture wastes around farm sites, numerical modelling can provide an effective tool to assess the spatial extent of environmental effects. The present paper describes how the aquaculture waste model DEPOMOD (Cromey, C.J., Nickell, T.D., Black, K.D. 2002a. DEPOMOD — modelling the deposition and biological effects of waste solids from marine cage farms. Aquaculture 214, 211–239.), originally developed for finfish aquaculture sites, was adapted and validated for suspended shellfish aquaculture. Field data were collected for species-specific model input parameters (mussel biodeposition rates and particle settling velocities) and several finfish model parameters (farm representation and calculation of aquaculture wastes) were adjusted for the shellfish scenario. Shellfish-DEPOMOD was tested at three coastal mussel Mytilus edulis farms with differing hydrodynamic regimes in Quebec, Canada. For each site, model predictions were compared to observed deposition measured in situ with sediment traps. Sedimentation rates under the three mussel culture sites were ca. two to five times those observed at corresponding reference sites. Mussel biodeposits were predicted to accumulate within 30 m of the farms in the shallow depositional sites while being dispersed more than 90 m in the deeper dispersive site. At the farm site in Great-Entry Lagoon, model predictions agreed well with field data for the 0+ and 1+ mussel cohorts when the maximum biodeposit production parameter was used. At the farm site in House-Harbour Lagoon, model predictions did not agree with observed sedimentation rates, due most likely to the resuspension and advection of non farm-derived material and complex hydrodynamics. The model correctly predicted the pattern of waste dispersal at the third farm site in Cascapedia Bay, although it underestimated biodeposition. Predicted fluxes may have been underestimated at this site because biodeposits from biofouling communities were not included in the calculation of aquaculture wastes. The relationship between modelled long-term biodeposition and benthic descriptors was assessed for the three farms. Alterations to the benthic community were observed at high biodeposition rates (>15 g m−2 d−1). At the most disturbed site, predicted fluxes were best correlated with the Infaunal Trophic Index (ITI) (R =−0.79, P <0.001), followed by AZTI''s marine disturbance index (AMBI) (R =0.64, P <0.001). The potential application of Shellfish-DEPOMOD in terms of the management of shellfish aquaculture sites is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Qualitative network models can be used to assess the behaviour of complex models. • Confidence in the results may be improved by adding information on the relative strength of linkages. • Hydrodynamic conditions may have a greater impact than nutrients on the influence of mussel culture on ecosystems. • Mussel culture has a positive impact on most macroinvertebrate predators. The expansion of the aquaculture industry in the last several decades has raised concerns about potential ecological impacts of the industry. Bivalve culture, particularly mussel farming, relies on naturally occurring plankton and numerous studies have demonstrated top-down control on phytoplankton, increased nutrients through excretion of metabolic wastes and remineralization of faeces and pseudofaeces, and bottom-up effects on predators and scavengers through mussel fall-off. However, results are inconsistent between studies, and hydrodynamic conditions and nutrient availability are thought to play an important role in the magnitude and the direction of the ecological effects of mussel culture on the surrounding ecosystem. We used qualitative network models (QNMs), to outline a general model that integrates these environmental conditions and (1) evaluated the ability of different model configurations to reproduce known responses to perturbations, (2) analyzed the behaviour of key components to contrasting hydrodynamic and nutrient condition scenarios, and (3) identified the most influential features of the derived scenarios. The model that included uncertain linkages to characterize unknown relationships performed best based on predetermined validation criteria; the addition of semi-quantitative information on the relative strength of certain linkages improved accuracy and sign determinacy of outcomes. The presence of suspended mussel culture negatively affected primary producers, zooplankton and deposit-feeders, and had a positive effect on predators and scavengers, especially in low-energy environments. Hydrodynamic conditions were shown to have a major impact on the response of the community to mussel culture, while nutrient availability had a very minor impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]