TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of white seabream (Diplodus sargus) production on macrobenthic colonization patterns
AU - Carvalho, Susana
AU - Cúrdia, João
AU - Moura, Ana
AU - Gaspar, Miguel B.
AU - Dinis, Maria Teresa
AU - Pousão-Ferreira, Pedro
AU - Cancela da Fonseca, Luís
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are indebted to Dr. Manuela Falcão for the information on chemical data. We would also like to thank to Paula Pereira, Francisco Leitão, Hugo Saldanha, Ana Silva, Paulo Vasconcelos and João Guerra for technical support during sampling surveys and for the identification of some specimens, as well as to the technicians from the fish farm for feeding and controlling fish production. The present investigation is financially supported by the MARE project “Novas Tecnologias de Produção Aquícola” and by a PhD grant from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/8521/2002). The authors are also grateful for the invaluable comments provided by the two anonymous reviewers that greatly improved the final version of this manuscript.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - The present work evaluates the influence of fish production on macrobenthic colonization over large areas (approximately 700 m2), where the colonizing populations are not nearby the disturbed area. Sampling was undertaken within newly created aquaculture earthen ponds under two contrasting conditions: white seabream (Diplodus sargus) production and no production (control). Macrobenthic and geochemical samples were collected 7, 23, 54, 93 and 180 days after filling the earthen ponds with seawater pumped from a water reservoir for the first time. The water reservoir was also sampled, and is used as a reference for the colonizing populations. Macrobenthic colonization rate in the ponds was low, probably due to the isolation of the disturbed habitat, to the large size of the defaunated area, and possibly to geochemical constraints. Initial colonization was by insect larvae (mainly chironomids), the bivalves Cerastoderma spp., the polychaetes Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata and Hydrodoides elegans, and nemerteneans. The number of species was similar in control and production ponds, even though under production higher total abundance values were observed. Although well represented in the water reservoir, the amphipod Microdeutopus gryllotalpa was only observed within the new ponds after 6 months. Preliminary results suggest that macrobenthic colonization patterns were influenced by fish production, as assemblages were significantly different among ponds. Higher food availability due to fish production may explain the results obtained, but ecological reasons, such as predation, may also contribute for shaping the macrobenthic communities.
AB - The present work evaluates the influence of fish production on macrobenthic colonization over large areas (approximately 700 m2), where the colonizing populations are not nearby the disturbed area. Sampling was undertaken within newly created aquaculture earthen ponds under two contrasting conditions: white seabream (Diplodus sargus) production and no production (control). Macrobenthic and geochemical samples were collected 7, 23, 54, 93 and 180 days after filling the earthen ponds with seawater pumped from a water reservoir for the first time. The water reservoir was also sampled, and is used as a reference for the colonizing populations. Macrobenthic colonization rate in the ponds was low, probably due to the isolation of the disturbed habitat, to the large size of the defaunated area, and possibly to geochemical constraints. Initial colonization was by insect larvae (mainly chironomids), the bivalves Cerastoderma spp., the polychaetes Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata and Hydrodoides elegans, and nemerteneans. The number of species was similar in control and production ponds, even though under production higher total abundance values were observed. Although well represented in the water reservoir, the amphipod Microdeutopus gryllotalpa was only observed within the new ponds after 6 months. Preliminary results suggest that macrobenthic colonization patterns were influenced by fish production, as assemblages were significantly different among ponds. Higher food availability due to fish production may explain the results obtained, but ecological reasons, such as predation, may also contribute for shaping the macrobenthic communities.
KW - Colonization patterns
KW - Earthen ponds
KW - Macrobenthic communities
KW - Succession
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34247589243&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.actao.2007.01.002
DO - 10.1016/j.actao.2007.01.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34247589243
SN - 1146-609X
VL - 31
SP - 307
EP - 315
JO - Acta Oecologica
JF - Acta Oecologica
IS - 3
ER -