Enhanced production of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus in integrated open-water cultivation with Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

摘要

Survivorship and performance was investigated for two size classes of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus grown adjacent to open-water Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) cultivation on the north-west coast of Scotland. Juvenile P. lividus were maintained for 12 months at 0 m, 50 m and 2.5 km from the mariculture activity. The sea urchins at the 0 m station showed higher survivorship than at the 50 m and 2.5 km stations and had significantly greater test diameter than at the 50 m station. Only urchins at 0 m developed gonads and, although small, these were of acceptable or excellent colouration in terms of their marketability. Adult P. lividus were maintained for 3 months at 0 m and 15 m from the mariculture activity, either with or without additional macroalgae Laminaria spp. Sea urchins at the 0 m station and fed additional macroalgae showed higher gonadal growth than sea urchins at the 15 m station held without additional food. Gonad colouration in the adult urchins, irrespective of the treatment, was acceptable or excellent. The 0 m station also received significantly greater quantities of particulate organic matter (POM) than the other stations in both the juvenile and adult experiments. At the 0 m station, the presence of the fatty acid 22:1n-11 and elevated levels of the long chain n-3 fatty acid DHA 22:6n-3 in the gonadal tissue of the urchins confirmed the consumption of fish farm derived POM and highlighted the potential human health benefits from consuming sea urchin roe.