The use of shellfish for eutrophication control

• Published in: Aquaculture international Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 857 - 878
• Main Authors: Petersen, Jens Kjerulf, Saurel, Camille, Nielsen, Pernille, Timmermann, Karen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquaculture; Aquaculture development; Aquaculture products; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brackish; Environmental quality; Estuaries; European Aquaculture Development since 1993; Eutrophication; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Life Sciences; Marine; Marine environment; Mollusks; Nutrient cycles; Nutrient removal; Nutrients; Shellfish; Shellfish farming; Site selection; Zoology; Denmark; Europe; Mitigation; Nutrients; Mussel culture; IMTA; Eutrophication
• ISSN: 0967-6120; 1573-143X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10499-015-9953-0

Effects of excess loading of nutrients to the marine environment can be mitigated by mussel cultures, basically through nutrient removal from the marine environment when shellfish are harvested. Shellfish farming also provide other goods and services to the marine environment primarily through the impact on water transparency caused by shellfish filtration. There is an increasing awareness of the mitigation potential in mussel culture in relation to eutrophication, but so far practical examples of culture on full scale devoted to mitigation are few. Further, impact of mussel farming on nutrient cycling, e.g. in the sediments below the culture units, has raised concerns. In this review, we clarify concepts in relation to nutrient mitigation and discuss goods and services delivered by mussel mitigation cultures and their impact on an ecosystem scale based primarily on results from studies in heavily eutrofied estuaries. A multi-criteria approach for site selection is presented based on experiences from Danish waters, and economic aspects of mitigation cultures are analysed in relation to use of the produced mitigation mussels. Future perspectives for extractive cultures are discussed in relation to source of excess nutrients.