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Sediment‐water Fluxes of Nutrients and Dissolved Organic Carbon in Extensive Sea Cucumber Culture Ponds
Author(s) -
Zheng Zhongming,
Dong Shuanglin,
Tian Xiangli,
Wang Fang,
Gao Qinfeng,
Bai Peifeng
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
clean – soil, air, water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1863-0669
pISSN - 1863-0650
DOI - 10.1002/clen.200800193
Subject(s) - sediment , total organic carbon , nutrient , environmental science , dissolved organic carbon , monoculture , organic matter , nitrate , phosphorus , environmental chemistry , ammonium , polyculture , aquaculture , agronomy , chemistry , fishery , ecology , biology , paleontology , organic chemistry , fish <actinopterygii>
Sediment samples were collected from three seawater aquaculture ponds, and soil characteristics, sediment oxygen consumption (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient fluxes were measured using chamber incubations at laboratory. The three ponds were each representing a specific monoculture or polyculture model of sea cucumber. Total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in the dry sediment ranged from 0.14 to 0.26% and 0.022 to 0.037%, respectively. Total phosphorus (TP) contents in the sediment were more spatially and temporally variable. SOC ranged from 15.29 to 45.86 mmol m –2 d –1 and showed significant differences among the three ponds ( p < 0.05). TOC, total carbon (TC) contents, and SOC of the sediment in the pond polycultured with jellyfish increased with culture time, indicating that jellyfish farming enhanced the accumulation of organic matter in the sediments to some extent. Sediment showed net nitrate and ammonium uptake in most ponds and months, and significant differences were found among months ( p < 0.05). Dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) was released from the sediments in all ponds with low flux rates. DOC was released from the sediment in all ponds and ranged from 0.67 to 1.74 g DOC m –2 d –1 . The results suggested that non‐artificial‐feeding sea cucumber culture ponds could not only yield valuable seafood products, but also effectively remove nutrients from the aquaculture systems and consequently alleviate nutrient loadings of the nearby coast.