Evaluation of ecosystem-level effects of intertidal bivalve culture: Gaspé.

A regional priority in Québec is to better understand the functional relationship between increased organic sedimentation due to suspended bivalve aquaculture and benthic responses to better predict the benthic ecological carrying capacity of sites for suspended bivalve aquaculture. This project constituted a scoping study in the baie de Gaspé in the fall of 2008 to evaluate the impact of current aquaculture practices on the benthic environment. As a first step in a larger future research, this work was limited to infaunal and sediment samples to evaluate if patterns relating to mussel farming exist.

Publications:

McKindsey, C.W., et al., Spatial variation of benthic infaunal communities in baie de Gaspé (eastern Canada) – Influence of mussel aquaculture, Aquaculture (2012), doi;10.1016/j.aquaculture.2012.05.037

For further information, please contact: project leader, Chris McKindsey, at Chris.Mckindsey@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.