Bioremediation of Organically Enriched Sediment under Green Mussel Rafts Using Spionids Genus Prionospio (Polychaeta: Spionidae)

Abstract

Spionid polychaetes, Prionospio are one of the dominant polychaetes in the organically enriched sediment of Sriracha Bay, Chonburi, Eastern coastline of Thailand. This study aims at the bioremediation of organically enriched sediment under green mussel rafts by two spionid polychaetes, Prionospio (Prionospio) membranacea and Prionospio (Minuspio) pulchra. The biomass increment from the two spionids in the bioremediation process revealed that P. (P.) membranacea was significantly more efficient in converting the organic waste to biomass in term of body weight than P. (M.) pulchra. The efficiency of the two polychaetes in the reduction of total organic matter in the sediment was not significantly different. The potential in bioremediation of organic matter in sediment by the two spionids was better than other polychaetes used in the bioremediation of the organic waste from aquaculture system. This study showed that spionid polychaetes P. (P.) membranacea, had the potential for future study as bioremediator species of organically enriched sediment from aquaculture system.

Keywords

• bioremediation
• organically enriched sediment
• green mussel raft
• Prionospio