Comparison of the growth of Saccharina latissima at a cultivated natural area and an aquaculture site in Sørvágsfjørður, Faroe Islands

A BS thesis where the growth of Saccharina latissima at an Salmon farm and at a reference station is compared. In addition to growth rate measurements environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity and currents were compared at the two sites, as well as nutrient availability. Nitrate was readily available at the two sites during the majority of the growth season, and at the fish farming site Ammonium was present in concentrations up to 7 µM. However the added nutrients did not increase the seaweed growth.No differences were detected in the growth rate at the two sites during most of the growth season, but towards the end the seaweed at the fish farming sites was heavily grazed by the snail Lacuna vincta which had major influence on the seaweed biomass at the farming site.