Mussels as a tool for mitigation of nutrients in the marine environment

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2014-05, Vol.82 (1-2), p.137-143
• Main Authors: Petersen, Jens Kjerulf, Hasler, Berit, Timmermann, Karen, Nielsen, Pernille, Tørring, Ditte Bruunshøj, Larsen, Martin Mørk, Holmer, Marianne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Aquaculture - economics; Aquaculture - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Cost-effectiveness; Denmark; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - economics; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - methods; Eutrophication; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heavy metal bioaccumulation; Invertebrates; Marine and brackish environment; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Mollusca; Mussel production; Mytilus edulis; Mytilus edulis - metabolism; Nitrogen - metabolism; Nutrient removal; Phosphorus - metabolism; Sea water ecosystems; Synecology; Water Pollution, Chemical - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.006

•We have assessed the potential of mussel production as mitigation tool.•The study is based on a full scale mussel farm optimized for nutrient removal.•Biological and economic parameters was monitored.•Mussel farming is a cost-effective mitigation measure.•Mussel farming can be used in addition to land-based mitigation measures. Long-line mussel farming has been proposed as a mitigation tool for removal of excess nutrients in eutrophic coastal waters. A full-scale mussel farm optimized for cost efficient nutrient removal was established in the eutrophic Skive Fjord, Denmark where biological and economic parameters related to nutrient removal was monitored throughout a full production cycle (1yr). The results showed that it was possible to obtain a high area specific biomass of 60tWWha−1eqvivalent to a nitrogen and phosphorus removal of 0.6–0.9 and 0.03–0.04tha−1yr, respectively. The analysis of the costs related to establishment, maintenance and harvest revealed that mussel production optimized for mitigation can be carried out at a lower cost compared to mussel production for (human) consumption. The costs for nutrient removal was 14.8€kg−1N making mitigation mussel production a cost-efficient measure compared to the most expensive land-based measures.