Benthic Community

The effects on the benthic community from marine farms are well understood and can be summarised as: ¹⁶⁹¹

• Enrichment of the organic content of the seabed in the immediate area beneath the farm
• Smothering of benthic organisms
• Debris changing the composition of the benthic community
• Biofouling drop-off
• Shading of the seabed which may impact on algal production

These potential impacts are described in more detail in the sections below addressing specific farmed species.

Last updated at 1:31PM on February 25, 2015