Impacts of marine aquaculture at large spatial scales: evidences from n and p catchment loading and phytoplankton biomass

International audience; While several studies point at off-shore aquaculture as a possible source of impacts on the local marine environment, very few have analysed its effects at large scales such as at the bay, gulf or basin levels. Similar analyses are hampered by the multiple sources of disturbance that may concomitantly affect a given area. The present paper addresses these issues taking the Gulf of Castellammare (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) as an example. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) loads were calculated for the period 1970-2007, and compared to chlorophyll-a concentration as measured inside and outside the Gulf over the same period. Results indicate that N and P catchment loading h…

Animal fouling as an indicator of water quality in Mediterranean fish farmed areas

In the Mediterranean, most of the fish farm plants are located in very deep water columns (>20-30 m) and are characterised by energetic hydrodynamic regime levels. Thus, the effects of farming load...

Effetto dell’impatto antropico e geometria del substrato sulla distribuzione e struttura delle comunità bentoniche vegetali di fouling

Effect of boat noise on the behaviour of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus in the Mediterranean Sea

The effect of boat noise on the behaviour of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus was investi- gated in the Egadi Islands, Sicily, during spring 2005 using a fixed tuna trap set near shipping routes. Tuna behaviour was observed when exposed to both natural ambient sound and sound generated by hydrofoil passenger ferries, small boats and large car ferries. Acoustical and behavioural analyses were conducted with and without extraneous sound to define a list of behavioural categories. Each vessel produced different engine sounds with regard to their composition and bandwidth, and all were distinctly different from ambient sound levels. In the absence of boat noise, tuna assumed a con- centrated coordi…