engleski

Impact of fish farming on macrobenthic communities in the eastern Adriatic Sea

The effects of fish farming (sea bream and sea bass) on benthic communities in a semi-enclosed cove in the insular region in the eastern part of middle Adriatic were studied. The first investigation was performed in autumn, 1999, a few years after the pioneer fish farming with only few cages of small capacity started in the investigated cove, and which was immediately before mooring of new cages with the aim of increasing fish farming production. Samples were taken by SCUBA divers along three depth transects from surface to 35 m deep. After three years of production, in spring 2003, the control sampling, with the aim to establish impact of fish farming on benthic communities, was carried out on the same transects. On the investigated area in 1999 a total of 147 algal taxa was determinate (101 Rhodophyta, 24 Phaeophyta, 22 Chlorophyta). Higher number of taxa was recorded on reference transect (139) then on two transects influenced by experimental fish farming (117, 100). After three years of intensive fish farming degradation of benthic communities occurred with complete disappearance of communities of brown alga Cystoseira corniculata ssp. laxior and Cystoseira adriatica previously prevailing on that area.

fish farming; macrobenthic communities; Adriatic Sea

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