Biogeochemical Characteristics of Sedimentary Organic Matter in Coastal Waters of a Mariculture Area: The Big Impact of Bay Scallop Farming

Bo Yang, Xuelu Gao (), Jin Liu (), Lei Xie, Jianmin Zhao, Qianguo Xing, Sandra Donnici, Luigi Tosi and Cheng Tang
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Bo Yang: Shenzhen Institute, Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen 518114, China
Xuelu Gao: CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
Jin Liu: Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Lei Xie: CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
Jianmin Zhao: CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
Qianguo Xing: CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
Sandra Donnici: National Research Council, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via Gradenigo, 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
Luigi Tosi: National Research Council, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via Gradenigo, 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
Cheng Tang: CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-23

Abstract: Four short sediment cores were collected to explore the impacts of bay scallop farming on the composition and accumulation of sedimentary organic matter (SOM). The results revealed that SOM was mainly composed of relatively easily biodegradable substances as evidenced by the high contribution rate of biopolymeric carbon (77.8–94.4%). The sediment accumulation rate in the scallop farming area ( SFA ) was 28.6% higher than that in the non-scallop farming area ( NSFA ). The total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) burial fluxes in the SFA were 33.1 and 36.6% higher than those in the NSFA , respectively. A rough estimate showed that the burial fluxes of TOC, TN, scallop-derived OC, and marine algal-derived OC in the ~150 km 2 SFA could increase by 1.08, 0.11, 0.39, and 0.68 g m −2 yr −1 , respectively, with annual scallop production increasing 10 4 t. This study highlights the significant effects of scallop farming on the biogeochemistry of SOM in coastal waters, which provides a direct reference for future research on the carbon cycle in shellfish culture areas.

Keywords: sedimentary organic matter; biopolymeric carbon; coastal environment; scallop farming; burial flux; carbon cycle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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