2022 Volume 78 Issue 2 Pages I_637-I_642
Cigu Lagoon is a famous oyster farming lagoon located in the southwest of Taiwan. This study aims to investigate the environmental factors that affect dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the Cigu Lagoon and understand the impact of oyster farming on DIC. First, structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was conducted to determine the contributions of environmental factors on DIC. The results showed that DIC increased with the increase in inflow, decreased due to phytoplankton photosynthesis, and increased by the oyster biological reaction. Based on the SEM analysis results, a conceptual DIC model was developed to estimate the annual carbon budget of Cigu Lagoon. As a result, oyster cultivation contributes to the increase of carbon in the lagoon, but its effect is small, and the main factor affecting DIC is the carbon sequestration effect of phytoplankton.
