Ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactions

Ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactions Bivalve aquaculture has direct and indirect effects on plankton communities, which are highly sensitive to short-term (seasonal, interannual) and long-term climate changes, although how these dynamics alter aquaculture ecosystem interactions is poorly understood. Here, we investigate seasonal patterns in plankton abundance and community structure spanning several size fractions from 0.2 µm up to 5 mm, in a deep aquaculture embayment in northeast Newfoundland, Canada. Using flow cytometry and FlowCam imaging, we observed a clear seasonal relationship between fraction sizes driven by water column stratification (freshwater input, nutrient availability, light availability, water temperature). Plankton abundance decreased proportionally with increasing size fraction, aligning with size spectra theory. Within the bay, greater mesozooplankton abundance, and a greater relative abundance of copepods, was observed closest to the aquaculture lease. No significant spatial effect was observed for phytoplankton composition. While the months of August to October showed statistically similar plankton composition and size spectra slopes (i.e., food chain efficiency) and could be used for interannual variability comparisons of plankton composition, sampling for longer periods could capture long-term phenological shifts in plankton abundance and composition related to various processes, including climate change. Conclusions provide guidance on optimal sampling to monitor and assess aquaculture pathways of effects. Cite this data as: Sharpe H, Lacoursière-Roussel A, Gallardi D (2024). Ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactions. Version 3.2. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Sampling event dataset. https://doi.org/10.25607/2ujdvh 2024-11-15 Fisheries and Oceans Canada Anais.Lacoursiere@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Nature and EnvironmentScience and TechnologyPhytoplanktonzooplanktonCoastal watersEnvironmentOceansAquacultureEcosystemsNewfoundland and Labrador Event data of the ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactionsCSV https://api-proxy.edh.azure.cloud.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/e00f1e31-e567-44ce-a786-42fd76c175a7/attachments/Event.csv Occurrence data of the ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactionsCSV https://api-proxy.edh.azure.cloud.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/e00f1e31-e567-44ce-a786-42fd76c175a7/attachments/Occurrence.csv Extended measurement or facts data of the ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactionsCSV https://api-proxy.edh.azure.cloud.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/e00f1e31-e567-44ce-a786-42fd76c175a7/attachments/ExtendedMeasurementorFact.csv Event data of the ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactionsFGDB/GDB https://api-proxy.edh.azure.cloud.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/e00f1e31-e567-44ce-a786-42fd76c175a7/attachments/Ecological%20seasonal%20plankton%20monitor%20shellfish%20aquaculture%20ecosystem.zip Data dictionaryCSV https://api-proxy.edh.azure.cloud.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/e00f1e31-e567-44ce-a786-42fd76c175a7/attachments/Data_Dictionary.csv Ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactionsESRI REST https://egisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/open_data_donnees_ouvertes/ecological_insight_of_seasonal_plankton_succession/MapServer Ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactionsESRI REST https://egisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/open_data_donnees_ouvertes/ecological_insight_of_seasonal_plankton_succession/MapServer

Bivalve aquaculture has direct and indirect effects on plankton communities, which are highly sensitive to short-term (seasonal, interannual) and long-term climate changes, although how these dynamics alter aquaculture ecosystem interactions is poorly understood. Here, we investigate seasonal patterns in plankton abundance and community structure spanning several size fractions from 0.2 µm up to 5 mm, in a deep aquaculture embayment in northeast Newfoundland, Canada. Using flow cytometry and FlowCam imaging, we observed a clear seasonal relationship between fraction sizes driven by water column stratification (freshwater input, nutrient availability, light availability, water temperature). Plankton abundance decreased proportionally with increasing size fraction, aligning with size spectra theory. Within the bay, greater mesozooplankton abundance, and a greater relative abundance of copepods, was observed closest to the aquaculture lease. No significant spatial effect was observed for phytoplankton composition. While the months of August to October showed statistically similar plankton composition and size spectra slopes (i.e., food chain efficiency) and could be used for interannual variability comparisons of plankton composition, sampling for longer periods could capture long-term phenological shifts in plankton abundance and composition related to various processes, including climate change. Conclusions provide guidance on optimal sampling to monitor and assess aquaculture pathways of effects.

Cite this data as: Sharpe H, Lacoursière-Roussel A, Gallardi D (2024). Ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactions. Version 3.2. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Sampling event dataset. https://doi.org/10.25607/2ujdvh

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Delivery Point: 125 Marine Science Drive

City: St. Andrews

Administrative Area: New Brunswick

Postal Code: E5B 0E4

Country: Canada

Electronic Mail Address: Anais.Lacoursiere@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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