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Characterising Biofouling Communities on Mussel Farms Along an Environmental Gradient: a Step Towards Improved Risk Management

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Characterising Biofouling Communities on Mussel Farms Along an Environmental Gradient: a Step Towards Improved Risk Management Vol. 8: 15–30, 2015 AQUACULTURE ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS Published online December 14 doi: 10.3354/aei00159 Aquacult Environ Interact OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS Characterising biofouling communities on mussel farms along an environmental gradient: a step towards improved risk management A. M. Watts1,2,3,*, S. J. Goldstien1, G. A. Hopkins2 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand 2Coastal and Freshwater Group, Cawthron Institute, Nelson 7010, New Zealand 3Present address: National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA), 217 Akersten Street, Port Nelson, Nelson 7010, New Zealand ABSTRACT: Biofouling pests can have significant economic impacts on aquaculture operations, including increased processing and production costs. An important first step towards improved biofouling management is understanding the density and distribution of the biofouling species within a growing region. In this study, biofouling communities were sampled from 73 commercial mussel farms within New Zealand’s main mussel growing region, Pelorus Sound. At each farm, photoquadrats (0.08 m2, n = 6) of biofouling organisms were obtained at 2 depth ranges (3 per range) from suspended long-line droppers, both at the surface (0 to 3 m of the dropper) and bottom (9 to 24 m, depending on dropper length and water depth). Biomass samples and visual estimates of biofouling biomass were also obtained. Strong spatial variation in the structure of biofouling communities was evident, with increasing dissimilarity between communities along Pelorus Sound. Problematic taxa (e.g. the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida and calcareous tubeworm Pomatoceros sp.) were dominant near the entrance to the Sound, where annual temperature cycles are often reduced and salinity concentrations are higher. Generally, biofouling cover decreased with increasing water depth. A large proportion (48%) of biofouling biomass scores were categorised as high, equating to 121.2 ± 20 g m−2 (or 16%) of long-line for a heavily fouled farm, or 10 t for a typical 3 ha farm. Distributional patterns, such as those identified in this study, could be used by aquaculture industries to better inform the timing and placement of susceptible crop species and production stages (e.g. mussel spat). Refined monitoring methods may also facilitate industry participation in collecting long-term biofouling records. KEY WORDS: Biofouling · Artificial substrate · Community structure · Aquaculture · Mussel · Perna canaliculus INTRODUCTION et al. 2002, McKindsey et al. 2007, Dürr & Watson 2010, Adams et al. 2011, Fitridge et al. 2012, Antoni- Marine farm infrastructure is composed of a di verse adou et al. 2013, Sievers et al. 2013). The accumula- range of artificial components, including ropes, floats, tion of biofouling is predominantly detrimental for anchors, cages, nets and rafts (Fitridge et al. 2012). aquaculture industries, reducing revenue and crop These surfaces, which intercept water flow and conse- growth, and increasing processing and production quently larvae in the water column, provide extensive costs, disease risk, structural fatigue, farm load, and habitat for colonisation by biofouling organisms (Metri the mechanical handling and maintenance of equip- © The authors 2015. Open Access under Creative Commons by *Corresponding author: [email protected] Attribution Licence. Use, distribution and reproduction are un - restricted. Authors and original publication must be credited. Publisher: Inter-Research · www.int-res.com 16 Aquacult Environ Interact 8: 15–30, 2015 ment (Claereboudt et al. 1994, Grant et al. 1998, species of barnacles and calcareous tubeworms (Car - McKindsey et al. 2009, Fitridge et al. 2012, Fitridge & ver et al. 2003, Forrest & Blakemore 2006, LeBlanc et Keough 2013, Sievers et al. 2013, Lacoste & Gaert- al. 2007). Their implementation can also have unde- ner-Mazouni 2014). For example, dominant growth sirable effects, such as the fragmentation of colonial of the ringed tubularian Ectopleura larynx in the Nor- organisms, which may contribute to their localised wegian fish farming industry increases the frequency spread (Hopkins & Forrest 2010, Paetzold & Da - and duration of infrastructure cleaning during peak vidson 2011). In addition, biofouling treatments can fouling seasons (Guenther et al. 2009, 2010). increase the intensity of stock stress and mortality In the mussel aquaculture industry, culture stock (LeBlanc et al. 2007, Antoniadou et al. 2013). provides an ideal and accessible 3-dimensional bio- The occurrence and impacts of specific biofouling fouling surface. The major biofouling groups that species on marine farm structures varies spatially colonise mussel shells include sponges, barnacles, (Cecche relli & Campo 2002, Thomsen et al. 2006) spirorids/ serpulids and ascidians (Dürr & Watson and temporally (Stæhr et al. 2000, Forrest & Taylor 2010), many of which are non-indigenous and have 2002), including variation in community structure detrimental impacts on the appearance, market - among years (Underwood & Anderson 1994), loca- ability, growth and condition of crop species. For tions (Lutz-Collins et al. 2009, Sievers et al. 2014) and instance, shell-boring polychaete worms such as depths (Hanson & Bell 1976, Woods et al. 2012). For Poly dora spp. devalue shellfish appearance, reduce example, Woods et al. (2012) and Cronin et al. (1999) hinge stability, disrupt shell formation and increase found reduced biofouling biomass and less diversity the vulnerability of shellfish to predation (Che et al. in biofouling communities with increased depth on 1996, Lleonart et al. 2003, Silina 2006, Simon et al. marine farm structures (mussel long-lines and tuna 2006, Fitridge et al. 2012, Fitridge & Keough 2013, sea cages). Some biofouling populations also prolifer- Sievers et al. 2014). In addition, increased biomass of ate rapidly and then gradually retreat. This is espe- the invasive colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum cially true for taxa such as ascidians, including inva- has been found to displace small, cultured New Zea - sive pest species such as D. vexillum, Ciona intes ti - land green-lipped mussels Perna canaliculus (Fletcher nalis and Styela clava (Valentine et al. 2007, Forrest et al. 2013b). et al. 2011, Fletcher et al. 2013a). Consequently, it is A number of techniques have been employed and imperative that more studies quantify variability in are continually being developed to mitigate and con- these patterns to improve risk management. trol biofouling in the aquaculture sector (Fitridge et An alternative approach for biofouling manage- al. 2012), including cleaning and replacing equip- ment in mussel aquaculture could therefore be to ment, biocidal paints, chemical treatments, heat treat- incorporate a more information-based approach, as ments, physical removal of pest species or exposure suggested by Sievers et al. (2014) and Fitridge et al. of artificial infrastructure to periods of air-drying, (2012). Such an approach would involve linking high-pressure power washing and fresh or hot water knowledge about site-specific patterns of biofouling baths (Enright 1993, Chambers et al. 2006, Forrest & development (or predictions of their occurrence) with Blakemore 2006, López-Galindo et al. 2010, Carl et strategies to avoid specific locations during times of al. 2012, Fitridge et al. 2012). Novel antifouling heavy biofouling, or strategies to remove biofouling approaches are also being trialled, including ‘eco- species. This knowledge could also inform decisions friendly’ antifouling formulations based on natural regarding the placement of susceptible crop species compounds and novel surface characteristics (Cahill and stages of production (e.g. mussel seed stock) et al. 2013), as well as the development of marine pest within a specific region or water depth. biocontrol tools (Atalah et al. 2013). However, the con- In New Zealand, Pelorus Sound (located in the trol of biofouling is industry- specific, and effective Marlborough Sounds) is the major growing region for management requires the development of technolo- the mussel farming industry, with approximately 645 gies and methods of application specific to the culture farms spread across 5000 ha of farming area (Woods environment. Therefore, control methods in mussel et al. 2012). Despite the value and extent of this area, aquaculture predominantly focus on maintaining aside from a few site-specific studies (Woods et al. clean shells through the use of avoidance strategies 2012), our knowledge about the spatial and temporal (Fitridge et al. 2012, Sievers et al. 2014). variation of biofouling organisms associated with While many of the described techniques may be these aquaculture farms is limited. Hence, this study successful in removing soft-bodied biofoulers, some had 3 specific objectives: (1) to characterise biofoul- fail to remove or prevent the settlement of several ing on mussel farm long-lines in Pelorus Sound, with Watts et al.: Biofouling community patterns on mussel farms 17 the expectation that community structure and the wind-driven circulation systems in the Pelorus, with relative abundance of pest species would vary across mean residence times varying from 21 d in Pelorus the study region; (2) to investigate the influence of channel to 6 d in the Kenepuru. Reduced flushing depth on biofouling community structure and species rates and strong stratification have been recorded relative abundance, with the expectation that bio- within the side arms and embayments
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