A meta-analysis approach to the effects of fish farming on soft bottom polychaeta assemblages in temperate regions

Marine fish farms could cause environmental disturbances on the sediment due to uneaten food and fish faeces that impact the marine benthos. Polychaete assemblages are considered good indicators of environmental perturbations. The present study aimed to establish groups of polychaetes as potential indicators of fish farm pollution. This study was carried out in ten fish farms along the Spanish coast. Changes in polychaete assemblage were analyzed with meta-analysis and multivariate techniques. Abundance, richness and diversity showed significant decreases under fish farm conditions. Distribution patterns of polychaetes responded to combinations of physicochemical variables. The main ones are sulfide concentration, silt and clays percentage, and stable nitrogen isotope ratio. The results showed that some families are tolerant, Capitellidae, Dorvilleidae, Glyceridae, Nereididae, Oweniidae and Spionidae; while others are sensitive to fish farm pollution, Magelonidae, Maldanidae, Nephtyidae, Onuphidae, Paralacydoniidae, Paraonide, Sabellidae and also Cirratulidae in spite of being reported as a tolerant family.