The impact of Chinese mitten crab culture on water quality, sediment and the pelagic and macrobenthic community in the reclamation area of Guchenghu Lake

The effects of crab aquaculture on the water and sediment quality and the pelagic and macrobenthic community of the adjacent reclamation area of Guchenghu Lake, Jiangsu Province were evaluated over two consecutive crop cycles from April 2010 to November 2011. The results indicated that most of the nutrient concentrations in both the water column and the sediment varied temporally and showed significant spatial differences. The peak values of most of the physico-chemical parameters measured were obtained during the summer or autumn, whereas the opposite result was observed for suspended solids. A higher zooplankton density and lower phytoplankton biomass were observed in ponds than in other sampling sites, whereas Cyanophyta (80 %), with Planktothrix rubescens as the dominant taxon, was predominant in the canal closest to the ponds. The benthic community was dominated by Bellamya aeruginosa in the ponds. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri was the predominant species in the canal. Comparative analysis of the impact of crab culture showed that it produced a relatively low level of disturbance but introduced large quantities of nutrients and organic matter into the canal around the farming ponds. The introduction of these substances increased the risk that Guchenghu Lake would be affected by pollution.