Recolonization and succession of marine macrobenthos in organic-enriched sediment deposited from fish farms

Abstract

High organic loading deposited on the sea bottom by marine fish farming activities often eliminates benthic organisms in the vicinity. In this study, organic-enriched sediment collected underneath a fish farm was defaunated, placed in settling trays and exposed to the subtidal area of a clean site of similar hydrography. Trays were sampled monthly for a consecutive period of 5 months, and recolonization and successional patterns of macrobenthos were studied using univariate and multivariate statistics. Recolonization occurred rapidly, and averages of 144 animals/tray and 26 species/tray were recorded within the first month. Molluscs accounted for 49% of species and polychaetes for 77% of abundance during the first month of recolonization. Temporal changes in abundance, diversity and species composition found in subsequent months resembled spatial changes of benthic community along a decreasing pollution gradient generalised by Pearson and Rosenberg (1978, Oceanography & Marine Biology Annual Review 16, 229–311). Abundance reached a peak after 3 months (434 animals/tray) and then declined. Species number also increased, peaked after 4 months (47 species/tray), and was followed by a decrease. The polychaete Prionospio malmgreni succeeded Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata as the dominant species after the first month, reached a peak (194 animals/tray) after 3 months, then declined sharply. The rapid recolonization and succession of the macrobenthic community on organic-enriched sediment suggested that present fish farming methods are unlikely to have a long-term impact on benthic communities once farming activities are reduced/ceased.