Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2025

Design and Use of an Apparatus for Quantifying Bivalve Suspension Feeding at Sea
Published on: September 5, 2018
Strategic planning could reduce farm-scale mariculture impacts on marine biodiversity while expanding seafood
Deqiang Ma1, Benjamin S Halpern2,3, Briana Abrahms4
1Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. deqiang.ma@uq.net.au.
Abstract:
Mariculture is one of the fastest growing global markets. Although it has potential to improve livelihoods and facilitate economic growth, it can negatively impact marine biodiversity. Here we estimate local cumulative environmental impacts from current and future (2050) mariculture production on marine biodiversity (20,013 marine fauna), while accounting for species range shifts under climate change. With strategic planning, the 1.82-fold increase in finfish and 2.36-fold increase in bivalve production needed to meet expected global mariculture demand in 2050 could be achieved with up to a 30.5% decrease in cumulative impact to global marine biodiversity. This is because all future mariculture farms are strategically placed in sea areas with the lowest cumulative impact. Our results reveal where and how much mariculture impacts could change in the coming decades and identify pathways for countries to minimize risks under expansion of mariculture and climate change through strategic planning.
More Related Videos
09:49Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation
Published on: October 31, 2019
07:43Methods for Image-based Surveys of Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Their Habitat Exemplified by the Drop Camera Survey for the Atlantic Sea Scallop
Published on: July 2, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Sustainable Development
Primary Production
Production Efficiency
Bioremediation
Keystone Species