Evaluation of the Effect of Floating Treatment Wetlands Planted with Sesuvium portulacastrum on the Dynamics of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen, CO2, and N2O in Grouper Aquaculture Systems

Aquaculture expansion to meet global protein demand has intensified concerns over nutrient pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are proven for water quality improvement, their potential to mitigate GHG emissions in marine aquaculture remains poorly understood. This study quantitatively evaluated the dual capacity of Sesuvium portulacastrum FTWs to (a) regulate dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and (b) reduce CO2/N2O emissions in grouper aquaculture systems. DIN speciation (NH4+, NO2−, NO3−) and CO2/N2O fluxes of six controlled ponds (three FTW and three control) were monitored for 44 days. DIN in the FTW group was approximately 90 μmol/L lower than that in the control group, and the water in the plant group was more “oxidative” than that in the control group. The former groups were dominated by NO3−, with lower dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and N2O concentrations, whereas the latter were dominated by NH4+ during the first 20 days of the experiment and by NO2− at the end of the experiment, with higher DIC and N2O concentrations on average. Higher primary production may be the reason that the DIC concentration was lower in the plant group than in the control group, whereas efficient nitrification and uptake by plants reduced the availability of NH4+ in the plant group, thereby reducing the production of N2O. A comparison of the CO2 and N2O flux potentials in the plant group and control group revealed that, in the presence of FTWs, the CO2 and N2O emissions decreased by 14% and 36%, respectively. This showed that S. portulacastrum FTWs effectively couple DIN removal with GHG mitigation, offering a nature-based solution for sustainable aquaculture. Their low biomass requirement enhances practical scalability.