Modeling impact of blue mussel mitigation farms in coastal ecosystems. Skive Fjord, Denmark, an example

Mussels are an important component of many coastal ecosystems and estuaries and mussel beds can mediate the benthic-pelagic coupling via among others filter-feeding activities. In recent years, mussel aquaculture productions for human consumption have been increasing in Denmark. In addition, it has been proposed that mussel aquacultures can serve as a tool to mitigate eutrophication effects by removing nutrients from the system through mussel harvesting. To evaluate the effects of blue mussel mitigation cultures on the water quality in Skive Fjord and neighboring water bodies, an individual-level mechanistic model for blue mussel growth was scaled to farm-level and implemented in a coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical coastal model setup for the estuary Limfjord. This presentation provides model results on the effects of blue mussel mitigation cultures on water quality and the light environment, both at a farm and basin scale. The validity and certainty of the model results are discussed and compared to previous model and observational studies, with a focus on their relevance for management and policy analysis.