Kelp production at a shellfish hatchery to mitigate ocean acidification effects and support healthy bivalve development

贝类水产养殖业在很大程度上依赖于孵化场生产幼贝“种子”，然后转移到生长地点。随着海洋变得更加酸性，贝类幼虫难以或无法产生生长和生存所需的贝壳，导致广泛的死亡事件和商业孵化场的巨大经济损失。海带在光合作用过程中吸收海洋中的碳，从而提高海水的溶解氧含量和pH值，从而天然地缓冲海水对海洋酸化的影响。这可能会改善髋臼杯钙化的条件。* 本项目的目标是：1）证明商业贝类孵化场内糖海带（海带）养殖的可行性; 2）评估海带是否显著影响孵化场的海水质量。我们将比较海带和对照池之间的水质（pH值、文石、碱度、温度、盐度、溶解氧、pCO 2）。我们预测海水pH值、文石和溶解氧水平在海带池中会更高。*面对不断变化且往往不可预测的海洋条件，迫切需要采取创新战略，帮助减轻贝类孵化场的海洋酸化。海带不仅是一种对环境负责的缓冲系统，而且本身也是当地厨师和较大市场需求的有价值的水产养殖产品。我们希望证明综合海带养殖对贝类水产养殖业的好处，在可测量的水质方面，这将改善幼虫的发育，从而增加收入。

The shellfish aquaculture industry relies heavily upon hatcheries to produce young shellfish "seed" that is later transferred to grow-out sites. As oceans become more acidic, shellfish larvae are having difficulty or are unable to produce shells necessary for growth and survival, resulting in widespread mortality events and huge financial losses at commercial hatcheries. Kelp naturally buffers seawater against ocean acidification by absorbing carbon from the ocean during photosynthesis, which raises the dissolved oxygen content and pH of seawater. This may lead to improved conditions for shell calcification. ****The goals of this project are 1) to demonstrate the feasibility of sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) culture within a commercial shellfish hatchery and 2) assess whether the kelp significantly affects seawater quality at the hatchery. We will compare water quality (pH, aragonite, alkalinity, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pCO2) between kelp and control tanks. We predict that seawater pH, aragonite and dissolved oxygen levels will be higher in the kelp tanks.****There is an immediate need for innovative strategies to help mitigate ocean acidification at shellfish hatcheries, in the face of changing and often unpredictable ocean conditions. Kelp is not only an environmentally responsible buffering system, but is itself a valued aquaculture product in demand both by local chefs and in larger markets. We hope to demonstrate the benefits of integrated kelp culture to the shellfish aquaculture industry, in terms of measureable water quality that will improve larval development, leading to increased revenue.************