The impact of mussel (Mytilus sp.) farming on zooplankton communities in Notre Dame Bay Newfoundland

Stacey, Joy E. (2003) The impact of mussel (Mytilus sp.) farming on zooplankton communities in Notre Dame Bay Newfoundland. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the impact of mussel (Mytilus sp.) farming on cold water zooplankton communities as one component of a larger, interdisciplinary study of the environmental sustainability of shellfish aquaculture in Newfoundland. The mesozooplankton communities of two Mytilus sp. farms on the northeast coast of Newfoundland are compared to their hydrodynamically comparable reference sites, sampled quarterly in 2001-2002. Like many other shallow coastal areas, the zooplankton communities in Notre Dame Bay area are characterized by the predominance of several small species, including Acartia sp., Pseudocalanus sp., Temora sp. and Oithona sp. While the size distributions and total abundance were not significantly affected by mussel farming, the community composition of the farms differed from their reference sites in some study periods. The abundances of Pseudocalanus sp., Acartia sp., entropages sp. and harpacticoid copepods were higher at the farms than at the reference sites while the abundances of copepod nauplii, Oithona sp. and Temora sp. were lower at the farms compared to the reference sites. These differences may be related to direct ingestion of some groups, differences between the food fields of farms and references, or competition with mussels for available food.

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