Ammonium Removal During Laboratory Culture of the Tehuelche Scallop Aequipecten tehuelchus

ABSTRACT Laboratory-scale research involving marine bivalves maintained in recirculating or closed aquaria requires control of seawater quality parameters. Among them, the total dissolved ammonium nitrogen (TAN), NH4+ + ammonia (NH3) nitrogen, concentration is a critical parameter because of its potential toxicity, mainly in closed systems. This study assessed the efficacy of two macroalgal species collected in Golfo Nuevo (Patagonia, Argentina) in removing TAN from the seawater of experimental systems containing the Tehuelche scallop (Aequipecten tehuelchus). The use of the traditional nitrifying bacterial biofilter was also explored. Scallops were collected from the Gulf of San Jose (Patagonia, Argentina) where they support an artisanal fishery of great socioeconomic importance. This resource is currently threatened by declining landings observed in the previous years, and experimental research is needed to explore the best conditions for ex situ cultivation. A 14 day-experiment was conducted in 3-L bea...