Importance of different size classes of phytoplankton in Beatrix Bay, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, and the potential implications for the aquaculture of the mussel,<i>Perna canaliculus</i>

Safi, Karl; Gibbs, Max M.

doi:10.1080/00288330.2003.9517164

Cited by 35 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…It is now well established that many bivalves are unable to efficiently remove cells in the picoplankton size range (Widdows et al 1979, Dupuy et al 1999, Tomaru et al 2002. In 1999, studies conducted in Beatrix Bay, Pelorus Sound, in summer found that picophytoplankton (> 0.2 to 2 mm) in the top 15 m of the water column comprised on average 29% of the phytoplankton biomass but contributed, at times, up to 65% (Safi & Gibbs 2003). Consequently the size class structure of phytoplankton in Pelorus Sound may have significant implications for the sustainability of mussel aquaculture in this area.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If Perna canaliculus are unable to efficiently remove picophytoplankton, then a significant amount of biomass in marine farms in parts of the Pelorus Sound may not be available for grazing (Safi & Gibbs 2003). One aim of the present study was to establish whether the picophytoplankton are being efficiently removed by P. canaliculus or whether P. canaliculus supplement their diet, as other bivalves do, through the consumption of heterotrophic food sources such as microzooplankton (Dupuy et al 1999, Wong et al 2003) and bacteria (Pile & Young 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differential grazing on natural planktonic populations by the mussel Perna canaliculus

Safi¹,

Hayden²

2010

Aquat. Biol.

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Phytoplankton biomass alone cannot predict growth and condition in the mussel Perna canaliculus. This study investigates whether food selection processes, low removal rates of small picophytoplankton-sized particles (0.2 to 2 μm) or additional heterotrophic food sources such as microzooplankton and bacteria may help explain this observation and therefore aid in predicting growth and condition in P. canaliculus. Three grazing experiments were run at different times of the year, using naturally varying planktonic assemblages. P. canaliculus did not feed efficiently on picophytoplankton or bacterial particles and higher filtration rates were always observed on larger phytoplankton (> 2 μm). Much of the 0.2 to 2 μm size fraction, whether heterotrophic or autotrophic, was not directly utilised for mussel growth. In terms of phytoplankton biomass, grazing and ingestion was often highest on naked flagellated cells. Results indicated that selection of some phytoplankton for ingestion was based on food quality, with both small and large naked flagellated cells with high carbon content often preferred over other morphotypes. P. canaliculus also supplemented its diet with heterotrophs, heavily grazing a range of microzooplankton. Grazing overall showed selection for naked flagellated or ciliated microzooplankton with high carbon content. The results indicate that rather than directly accessing picophytoplankton and bacteria, P. canaliculus accesses these populations through the food web by grazing upon microzooplankton, mixotrophic algae and, potentially, aggregates. This study adds to our ability to predict mussel condition by identifying key food sources for the growth of P. canaliculus.KEY WORDS: Phytoplankton · Size structure · Mussels · Picophytoplankton · Pelorus SoundResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential grazing on natural planktonic populations by the mussel Perna canaliculus

Safi¹,

Hayden²

2010

Aquat. Biol.

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“…Most suspended biomass was not in living cells, similar to Skidaway River Estuary, USA, where most suspended material was detrital (Verity 2002). Although picophytoplankton were uncounted here, they contribute only an average of 29% to phytoplankton C in central Pelorus Sound (Safi & Gibbs 2003). Furthermore, mesozooplankton enumerated in Beatrix Bay in October 1997 to October 1999 contributed only an average of 2 mg N m -3 to suspended PN (J. R. Zeldis unpubl.…”

Section: Seston Composition Dynamics and Ecological Rolementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

ENSO and riverine control of nutrient loading, phytoplankton biomass and mussel aquaculture yield in Pelorus Sound, New Zealand

Zeldis¹,

Howard‐Williams²,

Carter³

et al. 2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Multi-year time-series were used to describe oceanic and riverine nutrient supply and primary biomass in Pelorus Sound, a 50 km long estuary supporting most of New Zealand's $ 200 million per annum mussel Perna canaliculus aquaculture industry. In the summer half-year (October to March), when the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was negative (El Niño), NNW along-shelf wind stress strengthened and sea surface temperature (SST) at the Sound entrance cooled, indicating upwelling. This triggered increases in phytoplankton biomass, particulate nitrogen (PN) and per capita yield of farmed mussels in the Sound. In the winter half-year (April to September), wind stress was unrelated to SOI, but during NNW winds Pelorus River flows increased, along with NO 3 -, phytoplankton biomass, PN and mussel yield. During an extended period of positive SOI (La Niña), SSE winds and drought during 1999 to 2002, seston (PN) abundance and its food quality decreased, concomitant with a mussel yield decrease of ~25% throughout Pelorus Sound. Seston and mussel yield had recovered by 2003 without reductions in farming intensity, so over-grazing by mussels did not cause the yield minimum. Instead, climatic forcing of oceanic and riverine N supply and seston biomass underlay the inter-annual variation in mussel yield. As tracers of the relationship of nutrient loading and production, PN and mussel yield appeared more reliable than NO 3 -or chl a concentrations. In Pelorus Sound, oceanic and riverine N supplies are seasonally complementary and sustain year-round mussel yield, although their inter-annual variability, linked to wider climate forcing, can drive considerable fluctuation in yield over the decadal scale. KEY WORDS: Climate · Estuaries · Mussel aquaculture · ENSO · Nutrients · Primary biomass Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 371: [131][132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140][141][142] 2008 Figueiras et al. 2002, Huang et al. 2008. These potentially confounding effects mean that it is important to have a good understanding of factors affecting estuarine productivity to enable the aquaculture industry and resource managers to separate natural climatic variability from impacts due to the farming activity itself.As a case in point, here we consider Pelorus Sound, New Zealand (see Fig. 1). This estuary supports ca. 3 ⁄ 4 of the $ 200 million per annum, 75 000 t green weight, national production of New Zealand greenshell mussels Perna canaliculus, which are grown on hundreds of individual farms throughout its main channel, sidearms and embayments (New Zealand Marine Farming Association 2007). The mussels are grown using suspended rope culture (Zeldis et al. 2005) and feed on phytoplankton and other suspended particles drifting through the farms. Starting in early 1999, farm productivity in the Sound declined by ca. 25% (measured in terms of per capita meat yield) followed by recovery during 2002, with substantial economic impacts and distortions within the in...

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“…Monthly mean SST was ob tained using AVHRR satellite radiometer data (NIWA SST Archive, NSA: Uddstrom & Oien 1999) Zeldis et al (2008). Total microphytoplankton carbon biomass was calculated as the sum of these taxa and ac counted for an average of 71% of total phytoplankton carbon (Safi & Gibbs 2003).…”

Section: Environmental Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of climate on Pelorus Sound mussel aquaculture yields: predictive models and underlying mechanisms

Zeldis¹,

Hadfield²,

Booker³

2013

Aquacult. Environ. Interact.

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Multiple regression models were used to predict aquaculture production in Pelorus Sound, a 50 km long estuary supporting 68% of New Zealand's greenshell mussel Perna canaliculus aquaculture industry (worth NZ$ 204 million per annum). Mussel meat yield was modelled using both biological predictors, including seston (indexed by particulate nitrogen, PN), phytoplankton and nutrients collected over 9 yr (July 1997 to November 2005 by the mussel industry, and physical, climatic predictors, including Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), along-shelf winds, sea surface temperature (SST) and Pelorus River flow, held in New Zealand national databases. Yield was best predicted using biological predictors collected locally at the farms inside the sound, but it was also predictable using only physical predictors collected distant from the farming region. Seston (mussel food) was also predictable using the physical predictors. Optimal predictor sets for yield and seston differed between summer and winter half-years. In summer, deep water (which enters the sound through the estuarine circulation) at the sound entrance was nitrate (NO 3 − )-rich during upwelling conditions (negative SOI, NNW wind stress and cool SST). The increased NO 3 − levels, in turn, triggered increased PN within the sound. In the winter half-year, PN was unrelated to upwelling and NO 3 − effects at the entrance and was instead related to river flow. Remotely-sensed SST data showed that in summer, upwelling affected the entrance waters of the sound under negative SOI and upwelling-favourable wind stress, patterns which dissipated in winter. Overall, these results show that time series of physical drivers can be useful for explaining production variation of farmed bivalves and indicate the prospects for using data routinely collected in national databases for predicting mussel yield.

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Importance of different size classes of phytoplankton in Beatrix Bay, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, and the potential implications for the aquaculture of the mussel,Perna canaliculus

Cited by 35 publications

References 18 publications

Differential grazing on natural planktonic populations by the mussel Perna canaliculus

Differential grazing on natural planktonic populations by the mussel Perna canaliculus

ENSO and riverine control of nutrient loading, phytoplankton biomass and mussel aquaculture yield in Pelorus Sound, New Zealand

Influence of climate on Pelorus Sound mussel aquaculture yields: predictive models and underlying mechanisms

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