Potential use of Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) for Controlling Eutrophication in the Northern Adriatic Sea

Mussels are filter feeders which, in the Adriatic Sea, are farmed in longlines, thus clearing non-living organic particles and phytoplankton from the upper part of the water column. Macronutrients, i.e. organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are used for their metabolism, partially retained and excreted as dissolved compounds, e.g. ammonia, faeces and pseudofaeces. Therefore, they could contribute to lower the phytoplanktonic density, which could be one symptom of eutrophication, and to remove nitrogen from the water column: the latter often limits primary production in marine ecosystems. In this thesis a bioenergetic model will be used for estimating the nitrogen budget of Mytilus galloprovincialis farms located along the Northern Adriatic coastline. These estimatea will be compared with nitrogen loads, in order to quantify the role of mussel culture in offsetting the nitrogen terrestrial input.