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Review of climate change impacts on marine aquaculture in the UK and Ireland

Review of climate change impacts on marine aquaculture in the UK and Ireland
Review of climate change impacts on marine aquaculture in the UK and Ireland
Marine aquaculture relies on coastal habitats that will be affected by climate change. This review assesses current knowledge of the threats and opportunities of climate change for aquaculture in the UK and Ireland, focusing on the most commonly farmed species, blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

There is sparse evidence to indicate that climate change is affecting aquaculture in the UK and Ireland. Impacts to date have been difficult to discern from natural environmental variability, and the pace of technological development in aquaculture overshadows effects of climatic change. However, this review of broader aquaculture literature and the likely effects of climate change suggests that over the next century, climate change has the potential to directly impact the industry.

Impacts are related to the industry's dependence on the marine environment for suitable biophysical conditions. For instance, changes in the frequency and strength of storms pose a risk to infrastructure, such as salmon cages. Sea-level rise will shift shoreline morphology, reducing the areal extent of some habitats that are suitable for the industry. Changes in rainfall patterns will increase the turbidity and nutrient loading of rivers, potentially triggering harmful algal blooms and negatively affecting bivalve farming. In addition, ocean acidification may disrupt the early developmental stages of shellfish.

Some of the most damaging but least predictable effects of climate change relate to the emergence, translocation and virulence of diseases, parasites and pathogens, although parasites and diseases in finfish aquaculture may be controlled through intervention. The spread of nuisance and non-native species is also potentially damaging.

Rising temperatures may create the opportunity to rear warmer water species in the UK and Ireland. Market forces, rather than technical feasibility, are likely to determine whether existing farmed species are displaced by new ones.
aquaculture, climate change, pollution, water quality, disease, fish, invertebrates, algae, coastal, littoral, estuary, habitat
1052-7613
389-421
Callaway, Ruth
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Shinn, Andrew P.
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Grenfell, Suzanne E.
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Bron, James E.
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Burnell, Gavin
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Cook, Elizabeth J.
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Crumlish, Margaret
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Culloty, Sarah
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Davidson, Keith
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Ellis, Robert P.
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Flynn, Kevin J.
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Fox, Clive
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Green, Darren M.
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Hays, Graeme C.
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Hughes, Adam D.
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Johnston, Erin
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Lowe, Christopher D.
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Lupatsch, Ingrid
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Malham, Shelagh
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Mendzil, Anouska F.
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Nickell, Thom
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Pickerell, Tom
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Rowley, Andrew F.
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Stanley, Michele S.
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Tocher, Douglas R.
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Turnbull, James F.
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Webb, Gemma
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Wootton, Emma
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Shields, Robin J.
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Callaway, Ruth
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Shinn, Andrew P.
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Grenfell, Suzanne E.
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Bron, James E.
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Burnell, Gavin
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Cook, Elizabeth J.
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Crumlish, Margaret
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Culloty, Sarah
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Davidson, Keith
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Ellis, Robert P.
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Flynn, Kevin J.
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Fox, Clive
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Green, Darren M.
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Hays, Graeme C.
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Hughes, Adam D.
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Johnston, Erin
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Lowe, Christopher D.
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Lupatsch, Ingrid
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Malham, Shelagh
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Mendzil, Anouska F.
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Nickell, Thom
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Pickerell, Tom
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Rowley, Andrew F.
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Stanley, Michele S.
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Tocher, Douglas R.
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Turnbull, James F.
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Webb, Gemma
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Wootton, Emma
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Shields, Robin J.
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Callaway, Ruth, Shinn, Andrew P., Grenfell, Suzanne E., Bron, James E., Burnell, Gavin, Cook, Elizabeth J., Crumlish, Margaret, Culloty, Sarah, Davidson, Keith, Ellis, Robert P., Flynn, Kevin J., Fox, Clive, Green, Darren M., Hays, Graeme C., Hughes, Adam D., Johnston, Erin, Lowe, Christopher D., Lupatsch, Ingrid, Malham, Shelagh, Mendzil, Anouska F., Nickell, Thom, Pickerell, Tom, Rowley, Andrew F., Stanley, Michele S., Tocher, Douglas R., Turnbull, James F., Webb, Gemma, Wootton, Emma and Shields, Robin J. (2012) Review of climate change impacts on marine aquaculture in the UK and Ireland. Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 22 (3), 389-421. (doi:10.1002/aqc.2247).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Marine aquaculture relies on coastal habitats that will be affected by climate change. This review assesses current knowledge of the threats and opportunities of climate change for aquaculture in the UK and Ireland, focusing on the most commonly farmed species, blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

There is sparse evidence to indicate that climate change is affecting aquaculture in the UK and Ireland. Impacts to date have been difficult to discern from natural environmental variability, and the pace of technological development in aquaculture overshadows effects of climatic change. However, this review of broader aquaculture literature and the likely effects of climate change suggests that over the next century, climate change has the potential to directly impact the industry.

Impacts are related to the industry's dependence on the marine environment for suitable biophysical conditions. For instance, changes in the frequency and strength of storms pose a risk to infrastructure, such as salmon cages. Sea-level rise will shift shoreline morphology, reducing the areal extent of some habitats that are suitable for the industry. Changes in rainfall patterns will increase the turbidity and nutrient loading of rivers, potentially triggering harmful algal blooms and negatively affecting bivalve farming. In addition, ocean acidification may disrupt the early developmental stages of shellfish.

Some of the most damaging but least predictable effects of climate change relate to the emergence, translocation and virulence of diseases, parasites and pathogens, although parasites and diseases in finfish aquaculture may be controlled through intervention. The spread of nuisance and non-native species is also potentially damaging.

Rising temperatures may create the opportunity to rear warmer water species in the UK and Ireland. Market forces, rather than technical feasibility, are likely to determine whether existing farmed species are displaced by new ones.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 12 May 2012
Keywords: aquaculture, climate change, pollution, water quality, disease, fish, invertebrates, algae, coastal, littoral, estuary, habitat
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 373523
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/373523
ISSN: 1052-7613
PURE UUID: 070272a8-f760-42c5-911e-b77fae7bde16

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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2015 14:18
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 18:53

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Contributors

Author: Ruth Callaway
Author: Andrew P. Shinn
Author: Suzanne E. Grenfell
Author: James E. Bron
Author: Gavin Burnell
Author: Elizabeth J. Cook
Author: Margaret Crumlish
Author: Sarah Culloty
Author: Keith Davidson
Author: Robert P. Ellis
Author: Kevin J. Flynn
Author: Clive Fox
Author: Darren M. Green
Author: Graeme C. Hays
Author: Adam D. Hughes
Author: Erin Johnston
Author: Christopher D. Lowe
Author: Ingrid Lupatsch
Author: Shelagh Malham
Author: Anouska F. Mendzil
Author: Thom Nickell
Author: Tom Pickerell
Author: Andrew F. Rowley
Author: Michele S. Stanley
Author: Douglas R. Tocher
Author: James F. Turnbull
Author: Gemma Webb
Author: Emma Wootton
Author: Robin J. Shields

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