Abstract
In this study, we investigated if juvenile European lobstersHomarus gammaruswould eat waste from Atlantic salmonSalmo salarcages in a coastal integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) setup and if there were any impacts on growth. Trophic interactions between salmon and lobsters were assessed using δ15N and δ13C stable isotope analysis and fatty acid profiling from fish feed as indicators of nutrient flow. Analysis revealed that lobsters directly utilised particulate waste from salmon production, as levels of indicator fatty acids from salmon feed were significantly higher in lobster tissues near the fish cages compared to the control site. Route of uptake may have been direct consumption of waste feed or faecal material or indirectly through fouling organisms. Stable isotope analysis did not indicate nutrient transfer to lobsters, suggesting that the duration of the study and/or the amount of waste consumed was not sufficient for stable isotope analysis. Lobsters grew significantly over the trial period at both sites, but there was no significant difference in lobster growth between the sites. Our results show a trophic relationship between salmon and lobsters within this IMTA system, with no apparent advantage or disadvantage to growth.
Highlights
The European lobster Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758) is an important economic decapod crustacean, with a natural distribution ranging from Morocco to northern Norway (Wilson 2008)
Juvenile lobsters form small burrows in sediment and feed on zooplankton and organic matter particles suspended in the water column, using currents created by their pleopods
We evaluated a novel combination of co-cultured species wherein the juvenile lobsters would be used for restocking purposes rather than as an additional economic crop
Summary
The European lobster Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758) is an important economic decapod crustacean, with a natural distribution ranging from Morocco to northern Norway (Wilson 2008). Lobsters grown in land-based hatcheries and directly released into the environment are known to be vulnerable to immediate predation as they have limited exposure to environmental stimuli (Agnalt et al 2017). To improve survivability, seabased containers have been used successfully to acclimatise juvenile lobsters to environmental conditions before final release (Beal et al 2002, Perez Benavente et al 2010, Beal & Protopopescu 2012, Daniels et al 2015, Halswell et al 2016). Juvenile lobsters form small burrows in sediment and feed on zooplankton and organic matter particles suspended in the water column, using currents created by their pleopods (swimmerets). The particle sizes consumed at this stage are normally between 60 and 100 μm (Lavalli & Barshaw 1989), suggesting that they are able to consume fine particulate wastes from fish farms
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