Effects of mussel aquaculture on the nitrogen cycle and benthic communities in Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

Nitrogen pools and transformations and benthic communities at a Perna canaliculus farm and a nearby reference site without direct influence of marine farming in Kenepuru Sound. New Zealand, were compared. The organic nitrogen pool in the top 12 cm sediment was 7.4 to 10.8 mol m super(-2) at the muss...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine biology 1985-01, Vol.85 (2), p.127-136
Main Authors: Kaspar, H F, Gillespie, P A, Boyer, I C, MacKenzie, AL
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Marine
Perna canaliculus
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Summary:Nitrogen pools and transformations and benthic communities at a Perna canaliculus farm and a nearby reference site without direct influence of marine farming in Kenepuru Sound. New Zealand, were compared. The organic nitrogen pool in the top 12 cm sediment was 7.4 to 10.8 mol m super(-2) at the mussel farm and 6.1 to 8.9 mol m super(-2) at the reference site. The nitrate and nitrite pools were similar in both sediments, but the ammonium pool in the mussel farm sediment was about twice as high as in the reference sediment. The rates of nitrogen transformation at both sites and the effects of mussel farming on nitrogen availability are described. While the benthic infauna of the mussel-farm sediment consisted only of polychaete worms, the reference sediment contained also bivalve molluscs, brittle stars and crustaceans.
ISSN:0025-3162
DOI:10.1007/BF00397431