Density of hydrobiont populations in the coastal zone of the Barents Sea and in aquaculture

Abstract

Objects for obtaining additional food sources and maintaining the quality of the environment in multicultural farms of the northern seas can be kelp (Laminaria saccharina), sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), mussel (Mytilus edulis), which do not require significant costs during cultivation. The aim of the study was to assess the productive potential of species promising for multiculture based on the density of their populations. The work is based on the materials of expeditionary research of marine communities of the Barents Sea and on the analysis of scientific and practical developments on the cultivation of aquatic organisms in the reservoirs of the High North. Kelp and mussels are characterized by a wide range of variation density and biomass, and individual characteristics. On the Murman coast, in natural kelp beds, the average biomass is 1.4–5.4 kg/m2 (up to 16 kg/m2), and the average density is 9–104 specimens/m2 (up to 172 specimens/m2), significantly varying depending on the local conditions of the biotope. The largest biomass values are characteristic of the mussel population at the Kola Bay mouth (4.8–17.8 kg/m2), and the highest population density was noted in the bays of the Eastern Murman (45030–61167 specimens/m2). Mussels with the largest size and weight (from the studied areas) were found in the Pechenga Bay (shell height 4.3±0.1 cm, mussel weight 6.84±0.34 g). The population density parameters of cultivated species in marine benthic communities, which affect the growth of aquatic organisms, can be recommended for use in multicultural farms of kelp, mussels and sea urchins.