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Nutrient and nitrogen isotope monitoring of an aquaculture fishery in North Queensland, Australia
Author(s) -
Wormington Kevin Ray,
McBride Shan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2011.02979.x
Subject(s) - mangrove , avicennia marina , aquaculture , nutrient , fishery , biology , estuary , shellfish , environmental science , fish <actinopterygii> , aquatic animal , ecology
A one‐time monitoring event was initiated by an aquaculture fishery in North Queensland to assess if the discharges from the aquaculture fishery were increasing nutrient input into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Leaf samples from Avicennia marina (grey mangrove) were used to compare the nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) concentrations, and δ 15 N values in the receiving waters of the adjacent creeks and a set of reference sites established in a neighbouring creek. The same indicators were also measured in macroalgae from the nutrient extraction ponds. The mangrove leaves in the Mixing Zone of the receiving creek were slightly elevated in N concentrations (22 mg g −1 compared to 17.5 mg g −1 at the Reference sites) and δ 15 N values (6.5 compared to 4.5 at the Reference sites) showing there was an influence from the outputs of the aquaculture fishery. However, P concentrations were the same in the Mixing Zone and Reference sites. Downstream of the Mixing Zone, the concentration of N and P, and the δ 15 N values in the Receiving Waters were the same as the Reference sites, at levels considered normal in other studies. These results show that aquaculture fisheries can be managed to maintain nutrients at reference levels in mangrove foliage in estuaries of the receiving zones.