Enhancing Water Quality in Intensive Asian Seabass (Lates calcarifer) Aquaculture Using Green Mussels (Perna viridis): A Biomass‒Normalized Apparent Reduction
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Integrated multi‒trophic aquaculture (IMTA) is a promising strategy to mitigate water quality deterioration in intensive marine aquaculture, although continuous water renewal may obscure the role of extractive species. This study evaluated green mussel (Perna viridis) integration with Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) under simulated marine IMTA conditions. A 60-day experiment with four mussel biomass treatments was conducted at constant seabass density, with routine water exchange (50% every three days). Key water quality parameters, including dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, power of hydrogen (pH), salinity, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite‒nitrogen (NO2-‒N), nitrate‒nitrogen (NO3⁻–N), alkalinity (ALK), total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity, were monitored throughout the experiment. Asian seabass growth performance, survival, and biomass production were also assessed. Mussel‒integrated treatments showed significantly lower concentrations of ALK, TAN, TSS, and turbidity, along with higher NO3⁻–N, compared with the control (p<0.05), whereas DO, temperature, pH, NO2-‒N, and salinity did not differ significantly among treatments. Despite identical water‒exchange regimes, the presence of mussels contributed to improved water quality stability. Fish growth, survival, and biomass production were enhanced in mussel‒integrated systems, particularly at intermediate to high mussel biomass. These results demonstrate that green mussels can enhance water quality and production performance in intensive Asian seabass culture beyond the effects of routine water exchange alone, supporting the application of biomass‒based IMTA as a practical approach for sustainable marine aquaculture.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
American Public Health Association (APHA). 2017. Standard Methods for The Examination of Water and Wastewater, 23rd ed. American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C., USA. 1545 pp.
Anh, N.T.N., A.K. Murungu, L.V. Khanh and T.N. Hai. 2022. Polyculture of sea grape (Caulerpa lentillifera) with different stocking densities of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei): Effects on water quality, shrimp performance and sea grape proximate composition. Algal Research 67: 102845. DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2022.102845.
Argente, F.A.T. 2024. Physiological responses of the Asian green mussel (Perna viridis) in highly turbid waters. Environmental and Experimental Biology 22: 129–133.
Batır, E., İ. Aydın, J.A. Theodorou and A. Rakaj. 2025. Mytilus galloprovincialis’s role in Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA): A comprehensive review. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 56(2): e70013. DOI: 10.1111/jwas.70013.
Beyer, J., N.W. Green, S. Brooks, I.J. Allan, A. Ruus, T. Gomes, I.L.N. Bråte and M. Schøyen. 2017. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis spp.) as sentinel organisms in coastal pollution monitoring: A review. Marine Environmental Research 130: 338–365. DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.07.024.
Boyd, C.E. and C.S. Tucker. 1998. Pond Aquaculture Water Quality Management. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, USA. 698 pp.
Bruesewitz, D.A., J.L. Tank and M.J. Bernot. 2008. Delineating the effects of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on N transformation rates using laboratory mesocosms. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 27: 236–251.
Buck, B.H., M.F. Troell, G. Krause, D.L. Angel, B. Grote and T. Chopin. 2018. State of the art and challenges for offshore integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). Frontiers in Marine Science 5: 165. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00165.
Chaitanawisuti, N. and P. Menasveta. 1987. Experimental suspended culture of green mussel, Perna viridis (Linn.), using spat transplanted from a distant settlement ground in Thailand. Aquaculture 66: 97–107.
Chen, D., C. Tian, H. Yuan, W. Zhai and Z. Chang. 2024. Nitrogen removal performance and microbial community structure of IMTA ponds (Apostichopus japonicus–Penaeus japonicus–Ulva). Microbial Ecology 87: 82. DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02378-z.
Chopin, T., S.M.C. Robinson, M. Troell, A. Neori, A.H. Bushmann and J. Fang. 2008. Multitrophic integration for sustainable marine aquaculture. In: Encyclopedia of Ecology, Vol. 3 (eds. S.E. Jørgensen and B.D. Fath), pp. 2463–2475. Elsevier, Oxford, UK. DOI: 10.1016/B978-008045405-4.00065-3.
Cotou, E., H. Miliou, E. Chatzoglou, et al. 2024. Growth performance and environmental quality indices and biomarkers in a co-culture of the European seabass with filter and deposit feeders: A case study of an IMTA system. Fishes 9: 69. DOI: 10.3390/fishes9020069.
Domingos, J.A., J.A. Goldsbury, G.B. Gomes, B.G. Smith, C. Tomlinson, T. Bade, C. Sander, J. Forrester and D.R. Jerry. 2021. Genotype by environment interactions of harvest growth traits for barramundi (Lates calcarifer) commercially farmed in marine vs. freshwater conditions. Aquaculture 532: 735989. DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2020.735989.
Hughes, A.D. and K.D. Black. 2016. Going beyond the search for solutions: Understanding trade-offs in European integrated multi-trophic aquaculture development. Aquaculture Environment Interactions 8: 191–199. DOI: 10.3354/aei00174.
Is-haak, N., M.S. Azra, M.H. Othman, N.A. Mohd Nordin and A. Nuruddin. 2022. Effects of temperature and total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) on oxygen consumption rate of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer). Aquaculture Reports 23: 101053. DOI: 10.1016/j.aqrep.2022.101053.
Jongjaraunsuk, R., K. Khaodon, S. Rermdumri, A. Intarachart and W. Taparhudee. 2025. Nitrogen budget and the effects of sea grape (Caulerpa lentillifera) density on the water quality and growth performance of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) in a polyculture system. Fishes 10(4): 163. DOI: 10.3390/fishes10040163.
Kong, S., Z. Chen, A. Ghonimy, J. Li and F. Zhao. 2023. Bivalves improved water quality by changing bacterial composition in sediment and water in an IMTA system. Aquaculture Research 2023: 1930201. DOI: 10.1155/2023/1930201.
Kumara, R., K. Syamala, P.S.S. Anand, N.K. Chadha, P.B. Sawant, M.S. Prasad, P.L. Doddamani and A.P. Muralidhar. 2023. Effect of bivalves on water quality, microbial load and growth performance of P. vannamei and M. cephalus in halophyte-based integrated multi-trophic aquaculture reared under pond conditions. Indian Journal of Animal Research 57(8): 988–994. DOI: 10.18805/IJAR.B-5123.
Mojjada, S.K., D.N. Divu, P.O. Sudhakaran, et al. 2024. An integrated techno-economic decision-support fiscal forecast model for sea cage mariculture enterprises for Asian seabass production in Indian territorial waters. Aquaculture 580: 740351. DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.740351.
Muangrerk, C., A. Uchuwittayakul and P. Srisapoome. 2024. Identification, expression and antimicrobial functional analysis of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in response to Streptococcus iniae and Flavobacterium covae in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch, 1790). Animal 14: 475. DOI: 10.3390/ani14030475.
Nederlof, M.A.J., M.C.J. Verdegem, A.C. Smaal and H.M. Jansen. 2021. Nutrient retention efficiencies in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture 14(3): 1194–1212. DOI: 10.1111/raq.12645.
Nurfadillah, N., I. Rusydi and H. Hasfiandi. 2023. Study of trophic interactions of green mussels (Perna viridis) as bioremediation of waste for cultivation of windu shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in Gampong Alue Naga, Banda Aceh: application of IMTA system (Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture). IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1221: 012047. DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1221/1/012047.
Økelsrud, A. and R.G. Pearson. 2007. Acute and postexposure effects of ammonia toxicity on juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer [Bloch]). Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 53: 624–631. DOI: 10.1007/s00244-006-0215-z.
Phaksopa, J., R. Sukhsangchan, R. Keawsang, K. Tanapivattanakul, B. Asvakittimakul, T. Thamrongnawasawat and S. Worachananant. 2023. Assessment of microplastics in green mussel (Perna viridis) and surrounding environments around Sri Racha Bay, Thailand. Sustainability 15(1): 9. DOI: 10.3390/su15010009.
Plaipetch, P., J. Kuekaew, M. Tamtin and P. Choncheunchob. 2014. Effects of low dietary fishmeal on growth, nitrogen loading and some physical and chemical indices of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer). Kasetsart Journal (Natural Science) 48: 72–82.
Razzak, Z. Sukhan, M. Alam, M. Al-Amin, M. Sikder, S. Hossen and N. Nahar. 2019. Optimization of stocking density of seabass (Lates calcarifer) in brackish- and freshwater earthen ponds under monoculture in south‒west coastal zone of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Fisheries Research 31: 305–312.
Rong, Y., Y. Tang, L. Ren, W.D. Taylor, V. Razlutskij, L. Naselli-Flores, Z. Liu and X. Zhang. 2021. Effects of the filter-feeding benthic bivalve Corbicula fluminea on plankton community and water quality in aquatic ecosystems: A mesocosm study. Water 13: 1827. DOI: 10.3390/w13131827.
Rusco, G., A. Roncarati, M. Di Iorio, M. Cariglia, C. Longo and N. Laffaldano. 2024. Can IMTA system improve the productivity and quality traits of aquatic organisms produced at different trophic levels? The benefits of IMTA‒Not only for the ecosystem. Biology 13: 946. DOI: 10.3390/biology13110946.
Sukhsangchan, R., J. Phaksopa, A. Uchuwittayakul, C.C. Chou and P. Srisapoome. 2024. Effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on growth, immune responses, and histopathological alterations in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer, Bloch 1790) under low-salinity conditions. Animals 14: 2737. DOI: 10.3390/ani14182737.
Tacon, A.G.J. and M. Metian. 2008. Global overview on the use of fish meal and fish oil in industrially compounded aquafeeds: Trends and future prospects. Aquaculture 285: 146–158. DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.08.015.
van der Schatte Olivier, A., L. Jones, L. Le Vay, M. Christie, J. Wilson and S.K. Malham. 2020. A global review of the ecosystem services provided by bivalve aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture 12: 3–25. DOI: 10.1111/raq.12301.
Yan, Y., J. Zhou, C. Du, Q. Yang, J. Huang, Z. Wang, J. Xu and M. Zhang. 2024. Relationship between nitrogen dynamics and key microbial nitrogen-cycling genes in an intensive freshwater aquaculture pond. Microorganisms 12: 266. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020266.
Yang, S., M. Dong, H. Lu, et al. 2023. Explaining nitrogen turnover in sediments and water through variations in microbial community composition and potential function. Chemosphere 344: 140379. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140379.
