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Woodcock SH, Troedsson C, Strohmeier T, Balseiro P, Skaar KS, Strand Ø
Combining biochemical methods to trace organic effluent from fish farms
Fish oils and fish meal are routinely substituted with terrestrial components in the diets of fin-fish aquaculture, these terrestrial components offer a unique opportunity to trace organic effluents from fin-fish aquaculture into the marine environment. We compared 3 techniques, the detection of soya DNA, fatty acids and stable isotopes, to trace terrestrial components in fin-fish diets and fecal material from a coastal salmonid farm, into the marine environment along one potential discharge pathway, seston traps, sediment, and into the king scallop. Results show that these 3 techniques offer complementary information on the incorporation of terrestrial components from fin-fish aquaculture into the local environment and provide support for their potential use as regional environment monitors of aquaculture effluents.