Field Study on Effects of Artificial Reef of Scallop Shell for Sediment Purification

Abstract

The disposal of a large amount of scallop shell becomes a problem in Hokkaido. Authors developed the artificial reef that used the scallop shell as a measure ofwater pollution and sediment contamination in ports and harbors. Experimental reefs were installed at a port, then the species swarming the reefs were identify, counted and analyzed. In this study, the organic removal capacity of detritivorous organisms and their purification rates in the area were estimated. The organic removal capacity per 1-gram biota was found to be 20.0 mg-C/gDW/day for organic carbon and 0.327mg-N/gDW/day for organic nitrogen. It can be explained thatthe reef creates the biotope for the species to the space between the shells andthat it is useful for the removal of organism in the port.