MACAROMOD: A tool to model particulate waste dispersion and benthic impact from offshore sea-cage aquaculture in the Macaronesian region

Rodrigo Riera, Óscar Pérez, Chris Cromey, Myriam Rodríguez, Eva Ramos, Omar Álvarez, Julián Domínguez, Óscar Monterroso and Fernando Tuya

Ecological Modelling, 2017, vol. 361, issue C, 122-134

Abstract: Uneaten feeding pellets and fish released faeces cause the most severe impact on the benthos beneath aquaculture offshore sea-cages. A modelling tool, ‘MACAROMOD', composed of particulate waste dispersion and benthic response, was developed to predict the environmental disturbances of offshore sea-bream (Sparus aurata), sea-bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and meagre (Argyrosomus regius) aquaculture in the Macaronesian region (oceanic archipelagos in the north-eastern Atlantic). MACAROMOD was tested at 8 sites (7 farms in the Canary Islands and 1 farm in Madeira), hence covering a high variability in oceanographic and environmental conditions. In general, a low percentage of lost pellets was found (3%), while a high rate of pellets were consumed by wild fishes (97%). Considering all studied sites, significant correlations were shown between observed and predicted solid fluxes (R2=0.89), and also between solid fluxes and the depositional footprint on the benthos, by taken advantage of observed and predicted values of the ecological status AMBI index (R2=0.6966). A flux threshold of 12kg solids m−2yr−1 was predicted as a boundary from which ecological degradation occurs for the study region. MACAROMOD is therefore a valid tool to improve planning and monitoring Macaronesian aquaculture.

Keywords: Sea-cage aquaculture; Dispersion model; Benthic impact; Macaronesian region; Atlantic ocean (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:361:y:2017:i:c:p:122-134

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.08.006

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