Standard Presentation 2024 Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting combined with NZMSS

Unmasking the Culprits Behind New Zealand's Greenshell (Perna canaliculus) Mussel Farm Feast (#142)

Rebecca Stobart 1 , Andrew Jeffs 1 2 , Jenny Hillman 1 , Bradley Skelton 1
  1. Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Mussel farms in the Firth of Thames region of New Zealand have emerged as important habitats for various coastal fish species. The addition of aquaculture structures and cultured bivalves provide both shelter and feeding opportunities. However, increased fish abundance in mussel farms results in increased predation of farmed mussels, with crop losses of up to 100% reported in New Zealand’s mussel aquaculture industry. In this study, remote underwater video (RUV) was used for 6 months to observe fish activity at four different stages of production in mussel farms in the Firth of Thames, New Zealand. The RUV enabled the identification of the fish species inhabiting mussel farms, including the two most commonly observed species that were also responsible for consuming cultured mussels, confirming the effectiveness of RUV methods for this research application.