Monitoring of the Ponte Pensa Park, in the Ilha Solteira-SP reservoir, where a large volume net-cage tilapia culture is established

Abstract

Net-cage tilapia production is expanding in São Paulo state, as areas in parks of large reservoirs are being allocated for their culture. Therefore, studies relating water quality and net-cage tilapia culture help to understand the changing dynamics of the environment caused by increasing concentrations of nutrient and sediment in water. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physico-chemical and biological variables, sedimentation rates (suspended material and phosphorus), the phytoplanktonic community and sediment (organic matter, total phosphorus and nitrogen) in the zone of influence of the culture system installed in the reservoir. The study will be conducted in a pisciculture made of two units with 8 net-cage tanks each. Each tank has a 1200 m3 volume (20x20x3 m) located in the area of the Ponte Pensa Park, in the Ilha Solteira Reservoir in Santa Fé do Sul-SP. Water sampling and suspended material samples collection will be conducted monthly; while the sediment material deposited on the bottom will be collected every three months, during two consecutive years at three sampling points: 500 m upstream from the area where the net-cages are located (P1), where the tanks are located (P2) and 500 m downstream (P3). The results obtained will help about resilience capacity of the area, will bring subsidies to evaluate the environmental sustainability and define management techniques for large volume net-cage tanks in the short and long term allowing for the development of the activity in an ordered and environmentally sustainable manner. (AU)