The potential use of mangrove forests as nitrogen sinks of shrimp aquaculture pond effluents: The role of denitrification

A generalized nitrogen budget was constructed to evaluate the potential role of mangrove sediments as a sink for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in shrimp pond effluents, DIN concentrations were measured in pond effluents front three semi-intensive shrimp ponds along the Caribbean coast of Colombia between 1994-1995. Mean NH4+ concentrations in the discharge water for all farms were significantly higher (67 +/- 12 mu g/L) than in the adjacent estuaries (33 +/- 8 mu g/L), Average NH4+ concentrations in the pond discharge over all growout cycles were similar, representing an approximate doubling in relation to estuarine water concentrations. In contrast, NO2 + NO3 concentrations were similar in both pond effluent and estuarine waters, Dissolved inorganic nitrogen loading of the ponds was similar, The estimated reduction of DIN in pond effluents by preliminary diversion of outflow to mangrove wetlands rather than directly to estuarine waters would be greater than or equal to 190 mg N/m(2) per d. Based on this nitrogen loss and depending upon the enrichment rate, between 0.04 to 0.12 ha of mangrove forest is required to completely remove the DIN load from effluents produced by a 1-ha pond.