Efficiency of different collectors for spat settlement of Mediterranean mussel ( <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> ) in the southeastern Marmara Sea, Türkiye

Mediterranean mussel have spread almost throughout Turkish seas. The objective of this study was to set up longline systems to determine spat efficiency by two different systems (buoy and pipe) consisting of three different materials, new rope, used rope and used net, in Erdek Bay. The second objective was to identify whether waste materials could be used in mussel culture. Sea water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, total suspended, inorganic and organic matter were measured at monthly intervals. Results revealed that the highest settlement (4196 spat) was observed in the collectors made of used nets in the pipe system (October 2016). In contrast, the lowest value (2 spat) was recorded from the collectors made of new ropes in the buoy system (August 2016). Waste materials presented relatively better results on settlement than the new ropes. The optimum production was observed in the mussel farm with 1239 spat in the buoy and 1607 spat in the pipe systems, which were commissioned in April 2016. It is concluded that the spat performance was affected by collectors and materials. Therefore, we propose the use of used ropes and used nets, which will allow more effective attachment surfaces to achieve higher spacing settlement.