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Aquaculture: Balance among Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Safe and Nutritious Seafood

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Agriculture and Aquaculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 16835

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ermelinda Prato

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Guest Editor

Institute of Water Research (IRSA), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Taranto, Italy
Interests: marine byproduct; bioactive compounds; functional properties; seafood; fish discards; by-products valorization; health benefits
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last four decades, the farming of aquatic organisms has been the agro-industrial activity with the highest growth rate worldwide. Aquaculture provides highly nutritive food, because of their high nutritional value, mostly characterized by the presence of bioactive compounds (polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, high quality proteins, minerals, proteins, etc.), which have many human health benefits.

Despite the undeniable benefits of aquaculture, aquaculture activity is one of the most criticized worldwide, mainly because of the environmental impacts that have been or can be caused. Aquaculture produces large amounts of waste in the form of fecal matter and unused feed. These largely nitrogen-based wastes can cause oxygen depletion in coastal environments with a reduction of marine productivity in certain coastal areas. Moreover, a wide array of chemicals is used in aquaculture: antifoulants that contain biocides and pesticides, antibiotics, anaesthetics, hormones, and algicides. Many of these chemicals, as well as having negative effects on biota, can be accumulated in seafood and be toxic to consumers. Seafood security demands that the aquaculture be sustainable for people and provide them with nutritional benefits while posing minimal health risks.

This Special Issue welcomes articles dedicated to all aspects of aquaculture. Papers may focus on the impact of aquaculture on the aquatic environment; the risks and benefits of consumption of farmed fish; contaminants used in aquaculture and farmed seafood safety; and nutritional quality of farmed seafood.

Dr. Ermelinda Prato
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Impacts of aquaculture (water, sediments, organisms)
Waste management
Chemical contaminants
Sustanaible aquaculture
Seafood chemistry
Farmed seafood quality
Risks and benefits of consumption of farmed seafood

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3269 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Strategies for Successful Scallops Spat Collection on Artificial Collectors in the Taranto Gulf (Mediterranean Sea)

by Loredana Papa, Ermelinda Prato, Francesca Biandolino, Isabella Parlapiano and Giovanni Fanelli

Water 2021, 13(4), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13040462 - 10 Feb 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2147

Abstract

The high variability in natural recruitment of Pectinidae is a common feature of many marine invertebrates with a pelagic larval stage, but may negatively affect aquaculture activities. Detailed information on settlement patterns and spat availability is required to reduce costs and labor. In this regard, we attempted to establish the precise immersion time and the deployment dates for spat collectors in the Taranto Gulf (Mediterranean Sea, Italy). The first experiment was carried out from June to October 2013, deploying collectors every 15 days and retrieving them after 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks. Results from the first experiment allowed us to select 8 weeks as the best immersion time for spat collection. The second experiment was carried out from June 2013 to July 2014 when we deployed spat collectors every 15 days and recovered them after 8 weeks to detect the favorable periods to place the collectors in water to obtain the highest scallop spat harvest rate. Mimachlamys varia was the most abundant pectinid (greater than 90%), whose recruits were collected during most of the year studied, followed by Flexopecten glaber with the highest rates in July (87%) and Pecten jacobaeus, which never exceeded 17% of collected spat. M. varia had a long recruitment period (from October to early June), F. glaber showed a high number of spat during autumn months and from June to July while P. jacobaeus showed a restricted period of spawning. Our experiments provide useful insights into strategies for establishing scallop aquaculture in order to promote these mollusks as alternative candidates for aquaculture farming in the area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture: Balance among Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Safe and Nutritious Seafood)

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16 pages, 1869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Growth Parameters of the Black Scallop Mimachlamys Varia in the Gulf of Taranto (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy)

by Ermelinda Prato, Francesca Biandolino, Isabella Parlapiano, Loredana Papa, Giuseppe Denti and Giovanni Fanelli

Water 2020, 12(12), 3342; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123342 - 28 Nov 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1703

Abstract

The present study examines the juvenile growth of nine cohorts of Mimachlamys varia in a coastal area of the Ionian Sea, from January 2014 to May 2015. The results showed that M. varia could reach commercial size in less than one year of cultivation, but significant differences in absolute growth rate (AGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were found among cohorts (p < 0.05). Relationships between scallop growth (size and weight) and environmental variables (water temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll concentration) were also identified. The length–weight relationship showed negative allometric growth and indicated high correlation with R², ranging from 0.95 to 0.82. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters showed the highest values of L_∞ in the cohorts collected in January, April and February (52.2, 51.2 and 50.3), respectively. The growth performance index (φ’) ranged between 2.52 (cohort collected in June) and 3.03 (cohort collected in August). The obtained data add basic knowledge to the growth performance of this species, making this a good opportunity to facilitate aquaculture diversification in this part of Mediterranean Sea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture: Balance among Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Safe and Nutritious Seafood)

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17 pages, 2804 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Long-Term and Retention Impacts of the Intervention Policy for Cage Aquaculture on the Reservoir Water Qualities in Northern China

by Gelin Kang, Jingchen Yin, Naixin Cui, Han Ding, Shaoming Wang, Yuqiu Wang and Zuoda Qi

Water 2020, 12(12), 3325; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123325 - 26 Nov 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1961

Abstract

To ensure the safety of the water supply of the Panjiakou reservoir, in 2016, the Chinese central government comprehensively banned the fishing cage culture that had lasted for almost 30 years. However, the long-term effects and retention impacts of the government’s mandatory intervention on the reservoir water quality are unknown. To determine the reservoir water quality, we employed statistical methods along with the mathematical model to investigate the internal relationship since the construction of the reservoir. We applied seasonal trend decomposition using loess (STL) to explore the long-term and seasonality trend of monthly total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorous (TP). To separate the impact of upstream water quality changes from cage culture on reservoir water quality, we employed generalized additive models (GAMs). We created a model, the LAKE2K model, to investigate the internal sources of the sediment that accumulated during the aquaculture period and its retardant effect. The results revealed that the concentration of upstream TN was more affected by non-point sources than by TP. The long-term policy of encouraging aquaculture has greatly contributed to the increase in the reservoir TP concentration rather than an increase in TN; the prohibition of cage aquaculture has resulted in a sharp drop in TP. After the ban, the sediment became the main source of TP. We suspect that the TP concentration of the reservoir and sediment will decrease gradually until a new equilibrium is reached within 10 years. This study offers lake managers an opportunity to increase their insight into the interaction of management measures with water quality and provides valuable information for the natural recovery of the eutrophic system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture: Balance among Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Safe and Nutritious Seafood)

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12 pages, 1053 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Characteristics of Percentage Edibility, Condition Index, Biochemical Constituents and Lipids Nutritional Quality Indices of Wild and Farmed Scallops (Flexopecten glaber)

by Francesca Biandolino, Isabella Parlapiano, Asia Grattagliano, Giovanni Fanelli and Ermelinda Prato

Water 2020, 12(6), 1777; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061777 - 22 Jun 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2436

Abstract

The consumption of seafood has considerably increased over recent decades; however, as wild seafood stocks are limited, the cultured ones represent a possible valuable alternative. The purpose of this study was to compare wild and cultured scallops, Flexopecten glaber, on the basis of their marketability indices and biochemical characteristics. Wild and cultured specimens were harvested from the Ionian Sea (the Central Mediterranean Sea). Protein and lipid were significantly different between scallops, with the values of protein of 8.50 and 11.6 g/100 g and lipid of 1.45 and 1.70 g/100 g for wild and cultured scallops, respectively. Regarding fatty acids (FAs), statistical differences were also detected. The cultured species showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) than its wild counterpart. Eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6:3) were the major polyunsaturated fatty acids, although only DHA showed significant differences between wild and culture scallops (p < 0.05). The ratio of n3/n6 PUFA showed high values, with 2.7 and 3.1 for wild and cultured scallops, respectively. The atherogenic and thrombogenic indices and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acid ratio indicated an import role in human diet. The appreciated nutritional properties of this species could support the interest to promote its cultivation, ensuring high food nutritive value for the purchasers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture: Balance among Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Safe and Nutritious Seafood)

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15 pages, 1473 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutrient Removal Efficiency and Growth of Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) under Different Harvesting Regimes in Integrated Recirculating Aquaponic Systems for Rearing Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

by Tareq Irhayyim, Milán Fehér, Judit Lelesz, Miklós Bercsényi and Péter Bársony

Water 2020, 12(5), 1419; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12051419 - 16 May 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3599

Abstract

The harvesting of plant biomass is usually implemented as an effective tool for plant management and removing the nutrients absorbed in plant tissues. Here, the influence of harvesting different biomasses (50%, 33%, 25%, and 0% (no harvest)) of watercress (Nasturtium officinale) was investigated in integrated recirculating aquaponic systems (IRASs) for rearing common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Twelve independent IRASs were designed (4 × 3); each system consisted of a fish rearing tank, a waste collection tank, and a hydroponic bed. Water quality parameters and the growth of both fish and plants were measured in all the systems, and then the nutrient removal capacities of the hydroponic beds were calculated. The results revealed that increasing the biweekly harvested biomass of the plants decreased the growth of the watercress, while it did not affect the growth of the common carp. Increasing the harvested biomass of the plants also decreased the nitrate nitrogen and orthophosphate removal efficiencies of the aquaponic systems, while it did not affect the ammonia and nitrite nitrogen removal efficiencies. Therefore, a biweekly harvesting of less than 25% of the biomass of the growing watercress is recommended for efficient nutrient removal and the sustainable growth of both watercress and the common carp in aquaponic systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture: Balance among Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Safe and Nutritious Seafood)

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Other

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17 pages, 2326 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Characteristics of Ammonia Removal and Nitrifying Microbial Communities in a Hybrid Biofloc-RAS for Intensive Litopenaeus vannamei Culture: A Pilot-Scale Study

by Wujie Xu, Yu Xu, Haochang Su, Xiaojuan Hu, Keng Yang, Guoliang Wen and Yucheng Cao

Water 2020, 12(11), 3000; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113000 - 26 Oct 2020

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4346

Abstract

Ammonia is the main pollution factor of the aquatic environment in marine shrimp culture systems. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the combination of biofloc technology and nitrifying biofilter for the ammonia removal, a 70-day production trial was conducted in a simplified pilot-scale hybrid biofloc-based recirculating aquaculture system (biofloc-RAS) with the intensive culture of Litopenaeus vannamei. Nitrogen dynamics and nitrifying microbial communities were investigated in three replicated systems simultaneously under the conditions of high feed loading and zero water exchange. Along with biofloc development in the culture tank and biofilm formation in the nitrifying biofilter during the trial, nitrification could be fastly and effectively established in the system, which was indicated by the dynamics of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), NO₂^–-N, NO₃^–-N, and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations. Meanwhile, similar nitrifying microorganisms could be found between biofloc and biofilm, despite some differences in abundance, diversity, and composition of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. High TAN removal rate could be achieved and was significantly and positively correlated with abundances of these nitrifying microbial communities in both biofloc and biofilm, further indicating that both biofloc and biofilm could contribute highly to nitrification performance of the biofloc-RAS. The results of this study indicate a potential application of the biofloc-RAS in coastal intensive aquaculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture: Balance among Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Safe and Nutritious Seafood)

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