Aspects of the biofouling of salmon aquaculture nets in southwestern New Brunswick

Hall, Anthony David (1996) Aspects of the biofouling of salmon aquaculture nets in southwestern New Brunswick. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (14MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

A study of net fouling at three geographically distinct salmon farms in southwestern New Brunswick showed that during the summer production period (May-October), fouling communities were comprised of common members of the local flora and fauna. These results were similar to the observations of local salmon farmers, which suggests the potential value of these anecdotes as a source of fouling data. Analyses of relative abundance showed that the composition of communities was variously influenced by the time of year, location, and depth, but not by surface treatment. The application of a nontoxic antifouling wax to the nets showed no significant impact on species abundance, but did significantly reduce accumulated biomass throughout the production period. Also, the growth form of fouling organisms suggested that algae recruit to nets as spores and vegetative fragments, and invertebrates recruit as larvae and juveniles. The results also showed that biomass is not a particularly useful measure of fouling for operational purposes. Resistance to water flow due to the growth form of organisms is the primary operational impact of net fouling, and future research efforts should concentrate on quantification of this factor.

Actions (login required)

View Item