A Weight of Evidence approach to support the assessment of the quality of Manila clam farming sites in a coastal lagoon.

Aquaculture productivity in coastal lagoons is endangered by a complex interplay of anthropogenic and environmental factors, amplified by the effects of climate change in these sensitive areas. To reach a more comprehensive assessment of farming sites quality, a quantitative Weight of Evidence approach (QWoE) is applied for the first time to data collected at four Manila clam (R. philippinarum) farming sites in the Venice lagoon (Italy). This included sediment quality, chemical bioaccumulation, and biological responses. Results revealed a greater hazard for sites closer to the open sea. In these areas, the combination of sediment characteristics and a higher frequency of salinity and temperature stress could explain the alterations measured at a transcriptional and biomarker level. The findings demonstrate that a QWoE approach that integrates multiple sources of evidence should also include physicochemical conditions in order to better understand the impacts of human activities and other stressors on clam aquaculture productivity.