Assessing the benefits of shellfish aquaculture in improving water quality in Poole Harbour, an estuarine Marine Protected Area
Gravestock, V.J.; Nicoll, R.; Clark, R.W.E.; Humphreys, J. (2020). Assessing the benefits of shellfish aquaculture in improving water quality in Poole Harbour, an estuarine Marine Protected Area, in: Humphreys, J. et al. Marine protected areas: Science, policy and management. pp. 729-746. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-102698-4.00037-x
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Marine Protected Area; Shellfish aquaculture; Bivalves; Ecosystem services; Water quality; Filtration rate; Eutrophication; Poole Harbour |
| Authors | | Top |
- Gravestock, V.J.
- Nicoll, R.
- Clark, R.W.E.
- Humphreys, J.
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| Abstract |
Poole Harbour has a long-standing history of shellfish production and is an area of multiple Marine Protected Area (MPA) designations. Currently an area of 181.5 ha is dedicated to the farming of several shellfish species, namely oysters and mussels. This chapter examines the ecosystem services associated with shellfish aquaculture in Poole Harbour and the potential benefits to the MPA, particularly with respect to improvements in water quality. These services were quantified using knowledge of local aquaculture practices and site-specific water quality data, in-combination with information obtained from peer-reviewed scientific literature. The results suggest shellfish aquaculture in Poole Harbour is capable of filtering significant volumes of water and could subsequently lead to substantial reductions in algal concentration. These findings are considered in the wider context of using shellfish aquaculture as a way of helping to reduce the effects of eutrophication within estuarine and coastal systems like Poole Harbour. |
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