Does the incorporation of shell waste from aquaculture in the construction of marine facilities affect the structure of the marine sessile community?

Autor(es)

Queiroz, Taciana da Costa ; Yokoyama, Leonardo Querobim ; Dias, Gustavo Muniz

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH; v. 198, p. 9-pg., 2024-04-10.

Resumo

The growth of the human population causes significant harm to ecosystems, directly affecting the biological diversity of coastal areas by replacing natural habitats with artificial structures such as breakwaters, ports, and marinas. The hard substrate from those marine facilities lacks the topographic complexity of natural habitats. Because of that, artificial habitats usually do not support a diverse community to the same extent as rocky shores in the surroundings. To address this issue and bring a strategic solution to the improper disposal of shell waste from aquaculture farms, we evaluated how increasing the environmental heterogeneity of walls by incorporating mussel and oyster shells on artificial concrete affected the diversity of sessile organisms from the subtidal zone. Adding shells to concrete positively affected ascidians ' richness. Substrates with added shells supported more species than fiat substrates in total. They promoted species that did not occur on fiat substrates that simulated the traditional walls of marinas and harbors. However, it did not affect the number of bryozoans and the average species richness. Consequently, incorporating shells resulted in communities with completely distinct structures from those on fiat substrates. Adding shells affected the community structure, reducing the dominance by the exotic bryozoan Schizoporella errata, and promoting the occurrence of other groups, such as ascidians. Using shell residues from aquaculture on marina walls adds substrate for colonization. Still, it is also likely to provide refuges for fragile and vulnerable organisms, like crevices and pits in natural habitats. Because of that, the increment in diversity was mostly group-specific and restricted to ascidians. This research reinforces the importance of creating complex artificial coastal structures, inspired by the blue economy, for a more heterogeneous coverage of sessile communities and reduced presence and dominance of exotic species. Thus, the strategy tested here, besides the effects on the sessile community, also supports efforts to reduce inappropriate waste disposal in the environment. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 17/19277-3 - Urbanização costeira e macrofauna de praias arenosas: Baixada Santista como modelo de estudo
• Beneficiário: Leonardo Querobim Yokoyama
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 19/15628-1 - Efeito da poluição luminosa, da complexidade ambiental e da proximidade com construções costeiras sobre a dinâmica e diversidade de comunidades bentônicas marinhas
• Beneficiário: Gustavo Muniz Dias
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Regular