Influence of Commercial-Scale Seaweed Cultivation on Water Quality: A Case Study in a Typical Laver Culture Area of the Yellow Sea, North China

Abstract

Seaweeds are important to marine ecosystems through biogeochemical processes. Laver are the most widely farmed seaweeds with the largest culture area in China. This study analyzes the water quality characteristics in a large-scale laver culture area (Taoluo) by comparing a small-scale laver culture area and non-culture areas, thereby assessing the changes in water quality due to large-scale laver cultivation. Particulate organic carbon and/or dissolved organic carbon decreased while the total suspended solid increased seasonally or with the distance from the coast. The concentrations of total nitrogen as well as dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus were generally higher near the shore and decreased seasonally in Taoluo. Substantial spatial variation in nutrient parameters between culture and non-culture sites was observed. Moreover, significant variations between culture and non-culture sites on a spatio-temporal scale were mostly observed in December compared with September and October. Furthermore, more clusters were found in December based on the water quality characteristics in various sampling sites using a hierarchical clustering analysis. These results suggested that more spatial deviation in water quality parameters between culture and non-culture sites were found in December; thus it can be hypothesized that the changes in water quality due to large-scale cultivation for laver was likely to occur in northern China in winter, i.e., the period of best growth status for the cold-temperate species of laver (e.g., Neopyropia yezoensis). We hope that this study can help to further understand the effects of seaweed farming on marine environments.

Influence of Culture Conditions on the Growth of Red Macroalgae. A systematic review

“…Es importante tener en cuenta estos rangos dentro de los parámetros ambientales, ya que como lo visto en la revisión si se mantienen puede dar tasas de crecimiento favorables para las distintas especies de macroalgas rojas. Por ejemplo, la temperatura del mar es uno de los parámetros frecuentemente considerados, ya que es susceptible y variable conforme a las condiciones hidrológicas (lluvia y evaporación) y meteorológicas (temperatura del aire, radiación, velocidad del viento y corriente), asimismo la salinidad que varía conforme a las estaciones y el lugar donde se evalúa, el pH varía por el ingreso de tierra al medio acuático; por ello, el cultivo de macroalgas rojas es un gran regulador del pH y el OD por las capacidad de fijación de carbono y evolución fotosintética de oxígeno que estas presentan [34]. Además, de acuerdo a la especie de macroalga roja cultivada, esta se puede ver influenciada relevantemente por la temperatura del agua, la salinidad, el pH y los nutrientes (amoníaco, nitrato y fosfato) presentes en el medio; caso contrario se observarán alteraciones en el crecimiento y características de la especie [39].…”

Isolation and identification of bacterial pathogens causing ice-ice disease in Eucheuma cottonii seaweed at Seira Island Waters, Tanimbar Islands District, Maluku, Indonesia

“…Waves and winds influence the movement of currents, stirring up bottom sediments, and increasing the turbidity. Meanwhile, water turbidity is closely related to cloudiness caused by the abundance of organic and mineral particles such as sand, microorganisms, decaying plants, and animals, as well as human waste discharge (Liang et al 2022). Murky waters also obstruct the penetration of sunlight, hindering optimal photosynthesis in seaweed.…”

The Influence of Ecological Factors on the Contents of Nutritional Components and Minerals in Laver Based on Open Sea Culture System

“…Climate change has been predicted to result in elevated seawater temperatures, declining salinity (caused by increases in rainfall), coastal eutrophication and ocean acidification. The correlations between large-scale seaweed cultivation and the change of some environmental factors have been discussed [46][47][48], and previous studies have reported the relationships between wild macroalgal communities and abiotic factors [49][50][51][52]. They found that macroalgal abundance, distribution, and diversity responded to variability in salinity, light availability, nutrient availability, depth, bottom type, and wave exposure, and that the tissue-nutrient content in macroalgae was variable in space and time.…”