Large-Scale Salmon Farming in Norway Impacts the Epiphytic Community of Laminaria Hyperborea
Vol. 13: 81–100, 2021 AQUACULTURE ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS Published March 25 https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00392 Aquacult Environ Interact OPEN ACCESS Large-scale salmon farming in Norway impacts the epiphytic community of Laminaria hyperborea Barbro Taraldset Haugland1,2,*, Caroline S. Armitage1, Tina Kutti1, Vivian Husa1, Morten D. Skogen1, Trine Bekkby3, Marcos A. Carvajalino-Fernández1, Raymond J. Bannister1, Camille Anna White4, Kjell Magnus Norderhaug1,2, Stein Fredriksen1,2 1Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway 2Department of Biosciences, Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway 3Section for Marine Biology, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, 0349 Oslo, Norway 4Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona 7053, Tasmania, Australia ABSTRACT: Large-scale finfish farms are increasingly located in dispersive hard-bottom environ- ments where Laminaria hyperborea forests dominate; however, the interactions between farm effluents and kelp forests are poorly understood. Effects of 2 levels of salmonid fish-farming efflu- ents (high and low) on L. hyperborea epiphytic communities were studied by sampling canopy plants from 12 sites in 2 high-energy dispersive environments. Specifically, we assessed if farm effluents stimulated fast-growing epiphytic algae and faunal species on L. hyperborea stipes — as this can impact the kelp forest community composition — and/or an increased lamina epiphytic growth, which could negatively impact the kelp itself. We found that bryozoan biomass on the stipes was significantly higher at high-effluent farm sites compared to low-effluent farm and ref- erence sites, resulting in a significantly different epiphytic community. Macroalgal biomass also increased with increasing effluent levels, including opportunistic Ectocarpus spp., resulting in a less heterogeneous macroalgae community at high-effluent farm sites.
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