The project has targeted on the bottlenecks of the sustainable development in the bay scale aquaculture systems. It has taken the lead role in conducting the study on regional carrying capacity estimation, aquaculture management optimization based on ecological principles, specifications on large scale aquaculture technologies, evaluation methodology of contribution and impact of large scale shellfish-seaweed integrated aquaculture to the local ecosystem, the evaluation of the environmental condition and response to large scale aquaculture and etc. The project have achieved several innovative outcomes as follows:
1. The foundation of sustainable aquaculture based on ecological principles has been developed. And the carrying capacity estimation technology has been established. Be the first to advance the multi-parameter based carrying capacity estimation model and the key indices for shellfish-seaweed integrated aquaculture. Systematically conducted the environmental investigation in large scale aquaculture waters, and established the environmental quality evaluation model for shellfish aquaculture waters. It is the first project who explored the contribution of the Chinese coastal shellfish-seaweed aquaculture to the global oceanic carbon cycle.
2. Optimized Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) modes based on ecological principles and the environmental tuning technologies. The project team has proposed and implemented the integrated shellfish-seaweed aquaculture mode. The proposed ecological environment optimization technology of inshore seaweed and the control technology of the barren aquaculture waters have good effects and application prospects in the bay.
3. The sustainable large scale aquaculture and its demonstrations. The project team has proposed and demonstrated the nutrient-efficient culture technology for prawn, oysters attachproof culture technique for bay scallops and the inshore longline and cage culture technology forPortunus trituberculatus.
Domestically, the project outcome has supplied the gap in the frontier of carrying capacity study for aquaculture systems. Internationally, the project team has first aroused the multi parameter based carrying capacity estimation models for seaweed and shellfish, which boosted the progress in corresponding research subjects. The project achievements have provided sufficient and precise support for the predicament in the rapidly developing marine aquaculture. Ever since the promotion and application of the project outcomes, the cumulative new output value was 921.93 million yuan and the profit and tax was 453.47 million yuan. There are 63 published papers at home and abroad journals and 17 students has graduated through the project.