Impacts of an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system on benthic nutrient fluxes: a case study in Sanggou Bay, China

Benthic nutrient fluxes in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) bay—Sanggou Bay, China—were measured in June and September 2012. The benthic nutrient fluxes and total organic carbon (TOC) of sediment in this IMTA system were significantly lower than in monoculture bays. This was due to the efficient recycling of organic matter in the IMTA system, as revealed by historical data of annual production, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration in seawater and TOC in sediment. Benthic nutrient fluxes in the IMTA system were mainly controlled by seawater temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) and nutrient concentrations, which were strongly related to aquaculture activities. In June, the early growth phase of cultured finfish and bivalves contributed little to biodeposition, and benthic nutrient fluxes tended to be from the sediment to the seawater and contributed to algal growth. In September, the active growth of finfish and bivalves resulted in high concentrations of nutrients in the seawater and TOC in the sediment; 64% of the nitrogen and 25% of the phosphorus metabolized by bivalves were transferred from the seawater to the sediment