The evaluation of fish farming impact by nutrient content and chlorophyll A in Mala Lamljana bay

Abstract

This paper offers a brief review of the impacts of fish farming on the nutrient content and chlorophyll a in Mala Lamljana Bay, Croatia. Local loading of nitrogen and phosphorous compounds in fish farms can be very significant and can represent the largest source of N and P in a given area. Low N and P concentrations, low chlorophyll a concentration and a great variety of phytoplankton species were found in the bay, despite the high nutrient loading during the long history of farming in the bay. The phytoplankton community consisted mostly of diatoms and partly of dinoflagellates. Skeletonema costatum and Chaetoceros compressus were the dominant species (90%) in summer chlorophyll, which is typical for Middle Adriatic oligotrophic coastal waters. Nevertheless, further studies are required to determine changes in water column factors and planktonic communities in this area.

Keywords

• Fish farm
• cages
• nutrients content
• chlorophyll A
• phytoplankton species