Impacts of Marine and Lagoon Aquaculture on Macrophytes in Mediterranean Benthic Ecosystems

Aquaculture in Mediterranean lagoons, including fish and shellfish farming, significantly impacts benthic ecosystems by altering macrophyte communities. Fish farms introduce organic matter and nutrients that can extirpate seagrass meadows like Posidonia oceanica, with effects persisting long after farming ceases. Shellfish aquaculture introduces non-native seaweeds (e.g., from Japan and Korea), which dominate lagoons such as Venice, while mussel farms contribute to larval flows that overwhelm native seaweed forests. Additionally, shellfish farming spreads diseases affecting metazoans, disrupting ecosystem function. Overfishing of predatory fish and organic pollution have historically boosted the edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, leading to the decline of endemic seaweed forests. Attempts to restore urchin populations via hatchery seeding further artificialize habitats rather than aiding natural recovery. The study proposes guidelines to minimize aquaculture's ecological footprint on Mediterranean macrophytes.

Boudouresque, C.-F., Blanfuné, A., Pergent, G., Pergent-Martini, C., Perret-Boudouresque, M., & Thibaut, T. (2020). Impacts of Marine and Lagoon Aquaculture on Macrophytes in Mediterranean Benthic Ecosystems. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00218