Ecosystem Responses to Aquaculture Induced Stress (ECORAIS)

The overall goal of the project is to qualitatively and quantitatively describe ecosystem responses to aquaculture induced stress with special regards to water-flow regimes. The overall goal will be realised by the integration of 8 distinct work packages aimed at (1) analysing data from previously collected benthic macro-faunal material to identify groups of species characteristic for different degrees of impact and sediment type, (2) quantifying the amount, composition and physical properties, such as sinking velocity, of feed and particulate effluents, (3) investigating (using models) the importance of small scale physics on the vertical exchange and the distribution of neutral and sinking particles and simulating sedimentation of waste feed and faece s in the near field of a fish farm, (4) measuring fish farm waste release by quantifying growth rates and nutrient storage in micro-, macroalgae, and mussels and particulate material flux. In the benthic zone, we aim to (1) quantify the total benthic and microbial metabolism around fish farms and at reference sites, and (2) explore macrofaunal biodiversity and quantify ecosystem functioning around fish farms situated in different flow regimes. The results generated by ECORAIS will provide a sounder basi s from which to design coastal management strategies for the Norwegian coastal zone.