July 12, 2010
Spain unveils mussel farming investigation
Spain's team of scientists from the Upper Council of Scientific Investigation (CSIC), the company Proinsa and Canadian experts began an investigation to determine the sustainable and ecological development of mussel farming.
"The project is funded by the Xunta de Galicia and provides to foster "ecological sustainability of mussel raft aquaculture," said CSIC. In addition, researchers aim to "deepen the knowledge of mussel cultivation in Galicia and its environmental impacts, developing methods to optimise it whilst maintaining the ecological integrity of the area."
Taking advantage of the outcropping season, they began the study this week. The research was carried out through an experimental campaign at the zone of Lorbé, Ares-Betanzos estuary, where Proinsa has one hundred rafts for mussel production.
The scientists will address the study of "the feeding behaviour of mussels and phytoplankton biomass and other environmental parameters and their interaction with mussel farming" using the underwater robot Acrobat.
The goal of the experiment is to "establish the optimal areas for cultivation, and its influence on the depletion of phytoplankton and on the production of bio-deposits and their re-mineralisation."
Such observations would be repeated in autumn, spring and winter. The project leader and CSIC scientist, MarÃa José Fernández Reirez, said "Once we collect all the results, we will integrate them into a model of carrying capacity, which will tell us if the ecosystem still has the capacity to increase the number of rafts, if the maximum biomass has already been exceeded or if it is in equilibrium with the environment."
Finally, she ensured that the results serve not only to Galicia but also to develop mechanisms for efficient management of ecosystems and strategies that promote the sustainability of mussel culture in other countries, including Canada.
