| Abstract | Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) seems to be one of the best solutions for sustainable aquaculture. Within the Remedia LIFE Project, an experimental IMTA plant was put in place in the Mar Grande of Taranto (Mediterranean Sea, Southern Italy). The polyculture of several bioremediating organisms, such as mussels, tubeworms, sponges, and seaweeds, was combined with a coastal cage fish farm, in order to remove organic and inorganic wastes coming from the fish's metabolism. To verify the effectiveness of the system, the ex ante measurement of chemical-physical variables, trophic status, microbial contamination, and zoobenthos community health was compared with the results of the same measurement performed one year and two years after the implementation of the experimental IMTA plant. The results were encouraging, since a reduction in total nitrogen concentration in the seawater (from 43.4 ± 8.9 to 5.6 ± 3.7 ?M/l), a reduction in microbial pollution indicators in the seawater (total coliforms: from 280 ± 18 MPN/100 mL to 0; E. coli: from 33 ± 1.3 MPN/100 mL to 0) and in the sediments (total coliforms: from 230 ± 6.2 MPN/100 g to 170 ± 9; E. coli: from 40 ± 9.4 MPN/100 g to 0), an enhancement of the trophic status (TRIX: from 4.45 ± 1.29 to 3.84 ± 0.18), and an increase in the zoobenthic quality indices and biodiversity were recorded (AMBI: from 4.8 to 2.4; M-AMBI: from 0.14 to 0.7). These results prove that the Remedia LIFE project's purpose was achieved. The selected bioremediators worked synergistically, improving water and sediments quality within the fish farm area. Moreover, bioremediating organisms increased their weight as a result of wastes uptake, producing, as co-products, large amounts of additional biomass. This could be commercially exploited, thus being an added value of the IMTA plant. Based on our findings, the promotion of eco-friendly practices to ameliorate ecosystem health should be encouraged. |
| Text | 481584 2023 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163846 Scopus 2 s2.0 85154537345 Bioremediation; Environmental quality; Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture; Macrobenthos; Mediterranean Sea; Microbiology Environmental quality improvement of a mariculture plant after its conversion into a multi trophic system Stabili L.; Giangrande A.; Arduini D.; Borghese J.; Petrocelli A.; Alabiso G.; Ricci P.; Cavallo R.A.; Acquaviva M.I.; Narracci M.; Pierri C.; Trani R.; Longo C. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, via Lecce Monteroni, Monteroni di Lecce, 73047, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, via Lecce Monteroni, 73047 Monteroni di Lecce, Italy, , Italy; Institute for Water Research IRSA CNR, Talassografico A. Cerruti , via Roma 3, Taranto, 74123, Institute for Water Research IRSA CNR, Talassografico A. Cerruti , via Roma 3, 74123 Taranto, Italy, , Italy; Department of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Orabona 4, Bari, 70126, Department of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy, , Italy; CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, Rome, 00196, CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy, , Italy Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture IMTA seems to be one of the best solutions for sustainable aquaculture. Within the Remedia LIFE Project, an experimental IMTA plant was put in place in the Mar Grande of Taranto Mediterranean Sea, Southern Italy . The polyculture of several bioremediating organisms, such as mussels, tubeworms, sponges, and seaweeds, was combined with a coastal cage fish farm, in order to remove organic and inorganic wastes coming from the fish s metabolism. To verify the effectiveness of the system, the ex ante measurement of chemical physical variables, trophic status, microbial contamination, and zoobenthos community health was compared with the results of the same measurement performed one year and two years after the implementation of the experimental IMTA plant. The results were encouraging, since a reduction in total nitrogen concentration in the seawater from 43.4 ± 8.9 to 5.6 ± 3.7 M/l , a reduction in microbial pollution indicators in the seawater total coliforms from 280 ± 18 MPN/100 mL to 0; E. coli from 33 ± 1.3 MPN/100 mL to 0 and in the sediments total coliforms from 230 ± 6.2 MPN/100 g to 170 ± 9; E. coli from 40 ± 9.4 MPN/100 g to 0 , an enhancement of the trophic status TRIX from 4.45 ± 1.29 to 3.84 ± 0.18 , and an increase in the zoobenthic quality indices and biodiversity were recorded AMBI from 4.8 to 2.4; M AMBI from 0.14 to 0.7 . These results prove that the Remedia LIFE project s purpose was achieved. The selected bioremediators worked synergistically, improving water and sediments quality within the fish farm area. Moreover, bioremediating organisms increased their weight as a result of wastes uptake, producing, as co products, large amounts of additional biomass. This could be commercially exploited, thus being an added value of the IMTA plant. Based on our findings, the promotion of eco friendly practices to ameliorate ecosystem health should be encouraged. 884 Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 85154537345 origin=inward Environmental quality improvement of a mariculture plant after its conversion into a multi trophic system Stoten 2023.pdf Articolo in rivista Elsevier 0048 9697 Science of the total environment Science of the total environment Sci. total environ. giorgio.alabiso ALABISO GIORGIO antonella.petrocelli PETROCELLI ANTONELLA loredana.stabili STABILI LOREDANA mariaimmacolata.acquaviva ACQUAVIVA MARIA IMMACOLATA marcella.narracci NARRACCI MARCELLA |
