Impacts of jellyfish on marine cage aquaculture : an overview of existing knowledge and the challenges to finfish health (original) (raw)

Abstract

Gelatinous plankton present a challenge to marine fish aquaculture that remains to be addressed. Shifting plankton distributions, suggested by some to be a result of factors such as climate change and overfishing, appear to be exacerbated by anthropogenic factors linked directly to aquaculture. Fish health can be negatively influenced by exposure to the cnidarian hydrozoan and scyphozoan life stages commonly referred to as “jellyfish”. Impact is particularly pronounced in gill tissue, where three key outcomes of exposure are described; direct traumatic damage, impaired function, and initiation of secondary disease. Cnidarian jellyfish demonstrated to negatively impact fish include Cyanea capillata, Aurelia aurita, and Pelagia noctiluca. Further coelenterates have also been associated with harm to fish, including sessile polyps of species such as Ectopleura larynx. An accurate picture of inshore planktic exposure densities within the coastal environments of aquaculture would aid in understanding cnidarian species of concern, and their impact upon fish health, particularly in gill disease. This information is however presently lacking. This review summarises the available literature regarding the impact of gelatinous plankton on finfish aquaculture, with a focus on cnidarian impact on fish health. Present strategies in monitoring and mitigation are presented, alongside identified critical knowledge gaps.

Citation

Clinton, M, Ferrier, D E K, Martin, S A M & Brierley, A S 2021, 'Impacts of jellyfish on marine cage aquaculture : an overview of existing knowledge and the challenges to finfish health', ICES Journal of Marine Science, vol. 78, no. 5, pp. 1557–1573. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaa254

Publication

ICES Journal of Marine Science

Rights

Copyright © International Council for the Exploration of the Sea 2021. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaa254.

Description

BBSRC Eastbio funded studentship (lead author).