Stable isotope and fatty acid analysis reveal the ability of sea cucumbers to use fish farm waste in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture

Cutajar, Karl; Falconer, Lynne; Massa-Gallucci, Alexia; Cox, Rachel E.; Schenke, Lena; Bardócz, Tamás; Andolina, Cristina; Signa, Geraldina; Vizzini, Salvatrice; Sprague, Matthew; Telfer, Trevor

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115511

Cited by 19 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), by potentially transforming mariculture wastes (e.g., uneaten food and fish feces) into food sources for other reared species 27 , 50 – 53 , could thus also help to mitigate the impacts of marine aquaculture on the benthic trophic status. In this regard, holothuroids feeding on fish farm waste in integrated aquaculture, are potentially able to modify quantity and composition of sedimentary organic matter 31 . Therfore, they could represent a reliable tool to modify benthic trophic status 19 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also, these animals can grow faster in mariculture-impacted sites where protein-enriched feed is abundant 25 , 26 . They, indeed, have recently been tested and used as bioremediators in polycultures and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems, with promising results 20 , 27 – 31 . Despite warm temperatures may negatively affect their metabolic machinery and other functional traits such as, for example, those traits involved in the immune response 32 – 34 , sea cucumbers are ectothermic and osmo-conformers 35 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sea cucumbers bioturbation potential outcomes on marine benthic trophic status under different temperature regimes

Ennas,

Pasquini,

Abyaba

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Eutrophication affects coastal oceans worldwide, modifies primary production and sediment biogeochemistry and, overall, is progressively compromising marine ecosystems’ integrity. Because of their known bioturbation ability, sea cucumbers are supposed to be candidates for mitigating benthic eutrophication. To provide insights on this, we investigated differences in organic matter quantity and biochemical composition (as proxies of benthic trophic status) of sediments and feces of the sea cucumber Holothuria tubulosa acclimated in mesocosms at temperatures comprised between natural conditions (14–26 °C) and an extreme of 29 °C (representing the highest anomaly under heat waves in the Mediterrranean Sea). Organic matter features differed significantly between sediments characterized by different trophic statuses and the holothuroid’s feces, though with some exceptions. Feces resulted almost always organically enriched when compared with the ambient sediments, though with variable differences in composition in sediments characterized by different initial trophic status. Our results point out that sea cucumbers maintain their bioreactor capacity at all experimental temperatures including the (anomalous) highest one, irrespectively of the available food, suggesting that they could be profitably utilized to mitigate benthic eutrophication also in a warmer Mediterranean Sea.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sea cucumbers bioturbation potential outcomes on marine benthic trophic status under different temperature regimes

Ennas,

Pasquini,

Abyaba

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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“…Fishes 2024, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 25 detritus from uneaten feed, feces, and decaying biomass, providing insights into nutrient cycling and recycling within an aquatic ecosystem [47,48]. Over the past decade, studies have convincingly demonstrated the multifaceted benefits of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), showcasing its positive impact on ecological sustainability, economic viability, and social accessibility [23,49,50].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This removal process, however, introduces a dynamic element to the sediment environment, influencing the fatty acid profile. Any variations in fatty acid profile of sediment between different IMTA systems may reflect differences in the organic matter and detritus from uneaten feed, feces, and decaying biomass, providing insights into nutrient cycling and recycling within an aquatic ecosystem [47,48].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth Performance and Environmental Quality Indices and Biomarkers in a Co-Culture of the European Sea Bass with Filter and Deposit Feeders: A Case Study of an IMTA System

Cotou,

Miliou,

Chatzoglou

et al. 2024

Fishes

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This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system comprising co-cultured fed fish and organic extractive species representing three distinct trophic levels as well as the impact and potential utilization of two commercially available fish feeds made up of 35% fish meal (FM) and 20% fish meal (LFM) ingredients, using a multi-indicator assessment approach. Significant alterations were observed in growth performance indicators (GPIs), water and sediment quality indices, toxicity tests and biomarkers within the IMTA system. The fish survival, weight gain (WG), and specific growth rate (SGR) were higher in the IMTA system with significantly lower feed conversion ratios (FCRs) and higher feed efficiency (FE) in comparison to the fed fish monoculture system. Yet, organic filter feeders displayed 100% survival, and increased shell growth, while deposit feeders exhibited successful survival and significant weight gain. In the comparison between FM-IMTA and LFM-IMTA, fed fish in FM-IMTA showed higher WG, SGR, and FE with lower FCR. Environmental parameters like temperature, oxygen, and nutrient concentrations fluctuated but generally improved in the IMTA system, indicating lower mesotrophic conditions. Sediment fatty acid profiles differed between systems and toxicity assessments, which suggested a lower impact in IMTA and FM-IMTA systems. The sediment microbial community displayed high similarity within IMTA systems and between FM-IMTA and LFM-IMTA. These findings underscore the potential of IMTA systems for sustainable aquaculture, emphasizing improved growth performance and reduced environmental impact, particularly when using fish meal feeds.

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“…Fish waste was also found to be palatable to H. forskali but further studies on growth performance are needed (MacDonald et al, 2013). In contrast, survival and growth of H. poli were generally affected by IMTA conditions, regardless of the primary species associated (Chatzivasileiou et al, 2022;Cutajar et al, 2022aCutajar et al, , 2022bGrosso et al, 2023), and similarly, H. arguinensis showed a reduction in weight, low FRs and negative AE when fed sediment enriched with fish (seabream) waste (Domıńguez-Godino and Gonzaĺez-Wangüemert, 2019a). The differences observed between species could be caused by several factors, including a different ecological compatibility due to a specific feeding strategy in the wild.…”

Section: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Aquaculture of emerging species in North-Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: a systematic review on sea cucumber farming and potential development

Ciriminna,

Signa,

Cilluffo

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Sea cucumbers are considered a traditional food delicacy in Asian countries. In last decades high market demand, uncontrolled exploitation and inadequate management have led to stock overexploitation, driving commercial interest in new target species and new areas. In recent years, Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic sea cucumbers have become fishing targets, and, due to overfishing, a significant decline of wild populations have been observed, with detrimental effects on benthic communities and ecosystems. Indeed, in addition to being an important economic resource, sea cucumbers play a key ecological role in benthic dynamics where they are involved as ecosystem engineers in the processing of organic matter in the detrital food web pathway. In this context, aquaculture can play a crucial role in supporting the conservation of natural stocks by reducing harvesting pressure on wild populations and enabling restoration programmes for depleted stocks. Commercial sea cucumber farming is already an established reality in the Indo-Pacific region, where it has become one of the most profitable sectors of aquaculture production. In Europe, on the other hand, sea cucumber aquaculture is still an emerging sector, whose development is hampered by poor and fragmented information on the farming requirements of native species. In this context, this systematic review was carried out with the aim of providing a comprehensive summary of the state of the art of farming practices of the European sea cucumbers considered as a target of commercial fisheries. A total of 34 original articles were included in this review, after title, abstract and full-text screening. The results highlighted a sharp increase in the number of studies over the last six years. Portugal, Turkey and Italy are the countries where most research has been carried out. Among the selected species, Holothuria tubulosa was the most studied, while only one article was found on Parastichopus regalis. The main aims of this review were i) to gather all available literature on the farming practices of North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean sea cucumber species, ii) to outline the most common farming practices, iii) to identify gaps and future directions in this emerging aquaculture sector.

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Stable isotope and fatty acid analysis reveal the ability of sea cucumbers to use fish farm waste in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture

Cited by 19 publications

References 52 publications

Sea cucumbers bioturbation potential outcomes on marine benthic trophic status under different temperature regimes

Sea cucumbers bioturbation potential outcomes on marine benthic trophic status under different temperature regimes

Growth Performance and Environmental Quality Indices and Biomarkers in a Co-Culture of the European Sea Bass with Filter and Deposit Feeders: A Case Study of an IMTA System

Aquaculture of emerging species in North-Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: a systematic review on sea cucumber farming and potential development

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