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Effects of off‐bottom shellfish aquaculture on winter habitat use by molluscivorous sea ducks
Author(s) -
Žydelis Ramūnas,
Esler Daniel,
Kirk Molly,
Sean Boyd W.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/aqc.977
Subject(s) - aquaculture , fishery , habitat , intertidal zone , predation , shellfish , estuary , mytilus , ecology , biology , oyster , aquatic animal , fish <actinopterygii>
1. Shellfish farming is an expanding segment of marine aquaculture, but environmental effects of this industry are only beginning to be considered. 2. The interaction between off‐bottom, suspended oyster farming and wintering sea ducks in coastal British Columbia was studied. Specifically, the habitat use of surf scoters ( Melanitta perspicillata ) and Barrow's goldeneyes ( Bucephala islandica ), the most abundant sea duck species in the study area, was evaluated in relation to natural environmental attributes and shellfish aquaculture. 3. The extent of shellfish farming was the best‐supported habitat variable explaining variation in surf scoter densities, and the only habitat attribute from the considered set that was a strong predictor of Barrow's goldeneye densities. In both cases, the findings indicated strong positive relationships between densities of sea ducks and shellfish aquaculture operations. These relationships are presumably the result of large numbers of wild mussels ( Mytilus trossulus ) that settle and grow on aquaculture structures and are preferred prey of these sea ducks. 4. Previous work has shown that aquaculture structures provide good conditions for recruiting and growing mussels, including refuge from invertebrate predators, which in turn provides higher densities of higher quality prey for sea ducks than available in intertidal areas. This offers a rare example in which introduction of an industry leads to positive effects on wildlife populations, which is particularly important given persistent declines in numbers of many sea ducks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.