A Comparative Approach to Detect Macrobenthic Response to the Conversion of an Inshore Mariculture Plant into an IMTA System in the Mar Grande of Taranto (Mediterranean Sea, Italy)

• Published in: Water (Basel) Vol. 15; no. 1; p. 68
• Main Authors: Borghese, Jacopo, Musco, Luigi, Arduini, Daniele, Tamburello, Laura, Del Pasqua, Michela, Giangrande, Adriana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Aquaculture; Aquaculture industry; Bioremediation; Coasts; Comparative analysis; Environmental impact; Environmental protection; Farms; fish farms; Integrated approach; Italy; Mariculture; Mediterranean Sea; multivariate analysis; Ocean bottom; organic matter; Seafood industry; temporal variation; Variance analysis; water; Italy; Ionian Sea; Mediterranean Sea
• ISSN: 2073-4441; 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w15010068

The expected bioremediation effect, driven by the conversion of an inshore mariculture plant into an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system, which could mitigate the fish farm impact, related to the accumulation of organic matter on the seabed, has been studied. The ecological quality status was studied following a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design and variation measured through M-AMBI and compared with the results of univariate and multivariate analyses of variance, to evaluate the sensitivity of the two methodologies. Results from M-AMBI indicated a sharp change in the ecological quality status, just after one year of the conversion of the plant. By contrast, although changes were detected also utilizing univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, the natural temporal variability characterizing the area partially masked evidence of environmental amelioration.