Publication Abstract

Benthic community changes associated with intertidal oyster cultivation

M.M. Nugues, M.J. Kaiser and D.B. Edwards

A study of the environmental effects associated with the trestle cultivation of Pacific oysters was conducted at a commercial cultivation site in the River Exe estuary, Devon, England. Small, but significant, changes were detected in the macrofaunal community sampled beneath oyster trestles compared with that found in adjacent uncultivated areas. These changes were linked with an increase in organic and silt composition of the sediment beneath the trestles and a reduction in the depth of the oxygenated layer of sediment. Water velocity was decreased by the presence of the trestles, and probably explains the increase in sedimentation rate observed beneath the trestles. Despite the observed changes, they are relatively minor compared to the extreme environmental changes associated with suspended bivalve culture.

Reference:

M.M. Nugues, M.J. Kaiser and D.B. Edwards, 1998. Benthic community changes associated with intertidal oyster cultivation. Aquaculture Research, 27: 913-924.