The Profound Impact of an Intensive Traditional Mariculture Model on the Offshore Environment

Mariculture is a crucial source of high-quality protein for people in developing countries and offers substantial employment and economic development opportunities, expanding globally. However, the traditional extensive mariculture model discharges large amounts of pollutants into coastal waters, leading to water quality degradation, which has become a major factor restricting the industry's sustainable development. Current research on the ecological impact of Mariculture mainly focuses on specific pollutants, lacking assessments of the biogeochemical impacts of mariculture discharges. This study examines Xiangshan Bay, a representative intensive mariculture area in China, to explore the impact of mariculture tailwater discharge on the bay's water quality, focusing on dissolved organic matter (DOM) and bacterial communities.