PARR-2011-M-20
Simple model estimations of bay-scale ecological carrying capacity for suspended mussel culture

A simplified model formulation is available that has proven useful for the preliminary assessment of bay-scale carrying capacity. This approach targets the most important aspects of the carrying capacity calculation, which supply and remove phytoplankton in a water body under enhanced shellfish grazing pressure. These are the time it takes for a given bivalve population to filter the bay volume (clearance time), the time needed for tides to flush a bay and re-supply external food sources (residence time), and the time required for phytoplankton growth to replace internal food resources (phytoplankton doubling time).  Calculations will use existing data for multiple major shellfish culture embayments in Canada, and the results will be expressed as an index of ecological carrying capacity.  These calculations have proven to be a useful tool for identifying potentially problematic aquaculture sites so that further research and detailed modeling programs can be deployed. The focus of this project is on mussel aquaculture owing to their relatively high biomass per unit area and their access to food supplies throughout the water column.

Principal investigator: Peter Cranford, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS; Tel.: (902) 426-3277; Email: Peter.Cranford@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Team members: Terri Sutherland, DFO-Pacific region; Luc Comeau, DFO-Gulf region; Gehan Mabrouk, DFO-Newfoundland region; Chris McKindsey, DFO-Quebec region

2-year project (2011/12, 2012/13)