Settlement and recruitment of fish in mussel farms

. Fish are thought to settle and recruit shellfish seaweed farms; however, there is little published evidence support this assumption. Shellfish farms increase structural complexity epibiota productivity, which may attract settling fish larvae. In study, settlement recruitment patterns into 2 aquaculture habitats, mussel-kelp co-culture mussel farm monoculture, were compared adjacent natural soft-sediment seafloor rocky reef, within a season. Standard monitoring units for the of (SMURFs) used, as they common reliable method measuring temporal spatial variability in among habitat types. The communities species recruiting both sets habitats equivalent. This was most likely due artificial 3D structure functioning similar manner reef habitat. Further, indication that at least abundant species, Fosterygion lapillum , sufficient quality growth from juvenile size classes (i.e. monoculture 65% newly settled December, 86% class by February). Overall, these findings provide foundational quantitative interactions have with increases understanding restorative opportunities operations.