engleski

Structure and dynamic of biofouling communities within aquaculture area in northern Adriatic Sea, Croatia.

Biofouling communities (BC) are composed of sessile, suspension-feeding macrofouling organisms. Composition and abundance of BC are spatially and temporally variable, and are also determined by environmental factors including the surface properties of collector substrates, such as: age, texture, depth, complexity, inclination and position in the water column. The intensive development of biofouling communities within aquaculture farms has a substantial detrimental impact on shellfish production due to physical shell damage, disruption of opening and closing of shellfish valves, competition for food and space, reduction of water flow, and increased weight of aquaculture installations. The specific objectives of the present study were to establish the horizontal and vertical patterns of BC over time and to detect dominant biofouling species within the 2 aquaculture area of the Northern Adriatic Sea. Their variable horizontal and vertical distribution clearly reflects the complexity of ecological processes even within a small spatial scale - distant several hundred meters.

shellfish ; mariculture ; biofouling ; Adriati Sea ; Croatia

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