Chapter 2
Monitoring of Environmental Impacts
of Marine Aquaculture
Marianne Holmer
1, *, Pia Kupka Hansen
2 , Ioannis Karakassis
3 ,
Joseph A. Borg
4 , and Patrick J. Schembri
4
Abstract Marine aquaculture is regulated and monitored through international
and national legislation that varies significantly between countries and regions
around the world. Research is still needed to improve the monitoring programmes, in
particular those related to the ecosystem approach at larger scales. Most monitoring programmes include examination of the benthic environment and some also
of water quality, although impacts are difficult to detect due to rapid dilution. In
the Mediterranean benthic monitoring may include use of the seagrass Posidonia
oceanica, as this species is widespread and highly sensitive to aquaculture waste
products. This chapter provides details of two monitoring programmes: (1) salmon
farming in Norway and (2) sea bream/sea bass and tuna farming in Malta.
Keywords Ecosystem approach, Europe, case studies, Norway, Malta
2.1 Regulation and Monitoring of Marine Aquaculture
Marine aquaculture is a diverse production industry involving a variety of different
species, production methods and husbandry. In this chapter we will primarily focus
on finfish culturing and to some extent shellfish production. Environmental impacts
of finfish culturing are widely documented (Hargrave 2005) and include a broad
1
Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M,
Denmark. Tel + 4565502605; Fax + 4565930457; E-mail: holmer@biology.sdu.dk
2
Institute of Marine Research, Box 1870 Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway
3
Marine Ecology Laboratory, Biology Department, University of Crete, PO Box 2208, Heraklion
714 09 Crete, Greece
4
Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
* Corresponding author
M. Holmer et al. (eds.), Aquaculture in the Ecosystem.
47
© 2008 Springer
Monitoring of Environmental Impacts
of Marine Aquaculture
Marianne Holmer
1, *, Pia Kupka Hansen
2 , Ioannis Karakassis
3 ,
Joseph A. Borg
4 , and Patrick J. Schembri
4
Abstract Marine aquaculture is regulated and monitored through international
and national legislation that varies significantly between countries and regions
around the world. Research is still needed to improve the monitoring programmes, in
particular those related to the ecosystem approach at larger scales. Most monitoring programmes include examination of the benthic environment and some also
of water quality, although impacts are difficult to detect due to rapid dilution. In
the Mediterranean benthic monitoring may include use of the seagrass Posidonia
oceanica, as this species is widespread and highly sensitive to aquaculture waste
products. This chapter provides details of two monitoring programmes: (1) salmon
farming in Norway and (2) sea bream/sea bass and tuna farming in Malta.
Keywords Ecosystem approach, Europe, case studies, Norway, Malta
2.1 Regulation and Monitoring of Marine Aquaculture
Marine aquaculture is a diverse production industry involving a variety of different
species, production methods and husbandry. In this chapter we will primarily focus
on finfish culturing and to some extent shellfish production. Environmental impacts
of finfish culturing are widely documented (Hargrave 2005) and include a broad
1
Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M,
Denmark. Tel + 4565502605; Fax + 4565930457; E-mail: holmer@biology.sdu.dk
2
Institute of Marine Research, Box 1870 Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway
3
Marine Ecology Laboratory, Biology Department, University of Crete, PO Box 2208, Heraklion
714 09 Crete, Greece
4
Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
* Corresponding author
M. Holmer et al. (eds.), Aquaculture in the Ecosystem.
47
© 2008 Springer