Ecological Engineering for the Optimisation of the Land-Based Marine Aquaculture of Coastal Shellfish.

ABSTRACT: Whilst the demand for nutritious and sustainable seafood is increasing, fishing yields are declining due to overfishing and climate change. The inshore aquaculture of marine molluscs-e.g., the suspension-feeding cockle Cerastoderma edule for NW Europe-might be an alternative practice if cost-effective and nature-based technology enhances growth and survival. Our inshore experiments revealed that increasing the seawater residence time resulted in improved water quality. The reduction in sediment loads and stimulation of pelagic microalgal growth resulted in enhanced shell growth and meat content of the wild cockles seeded into the system. Shorter residence times resulted also in an increase in benthic microalgae, but the concurrent increase in silt content of the sediment appeared to hamper

SUBMITTER: Philippart CJM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7579225 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature