Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture: A Laboratory and Hands-on Experimental Activity to Promote Environmental Sustainability Awareness and Value of Aquaculture Products

Abstract

Aquaculture is among the industries growing at the fastest rate in the world. This industry has been recognized to play a critical role in food production for a continuously expanding world population. However, despite various technological innovations and improvements in production techniques, this sector is still associated with misperceptions and negative opinions hampering its implementation and wide consumption of its products. The integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) concept was developed as a way to increase the sustainability of intensive aquaculture systems, using an ecosystem-based approach. In this study, following this sustainable aquaculture concept, a closed recirculation IMTA system, at laboratorial scale, was developed and tested with the simultaneous production of fish, sea urchin and seaweed for 70 days. Based on this proof of concept, a hands-on experimental activity was developed to teach and communicate recent scientific advances in environmental sustainability and value of aquaculture products to young students and the general public. This experimental activity was tested and evaluated with students (n = 60) of basic and high-school (secondary) learning cycles. A quantitative assessment was carried out through a short questionnaire provided to the students before and after the experimental activity. After the experimental activity, a qualitative assessment was also performed through questions expressed without preconceived categories or hypotheses. Results indicated that the overall frequency of students who consider the ocean to be "very important" and "extremely important" increased from 68 to 81% after performing the experimental activity. Moreover, the percentages of correct answers to the questions related to IMTA concepts also increased significantly after the experimental activity. In the discussion of the experimental activity results, the students stated that they appreciated the opportunity to develop a hands-on experimental activity, which allowed them to increase their knowledge and obtain information on aquaculture and the quality of its products.

RETRACTED: Advantage of Species Diversification to Facilitate Sustainable Development of Aquaculture Sector

“…The organic waste of one farming system serves as a feed source for another subsystem with enhanced ecological integrity, thereby increasing the performance of the aquaculture systems [48]. At the end of the 20th century, applying integrated aquaculture practices contributed to the improvement of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) [88] and integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) [57,89].…”

“…It can provide additional environmental benefits if safer bio-waste products are used and transformed into valuable fresh food products. IMTA systems established using an ecosystem-based approach can achieve sustainability through alternative means, particularly in intensive aquaculture systems [88]. A closed circulatory IMTA system has been reported as an appropriate model to ensure sustainable aquaculture practices because it successfully produces sea urchins, seaweed, and fish simultaneously.…”

“…However, it is essential to determine the significance of the IMTA system, usually involving the implementation of diverse approaches [46,93], which can be established in terrestrial settings, seaside marine locations, and offshore settings, as well as in the Mediterranean area [94]. IMTA is a recently developed aquaculture system; therefore, several efforts are currently being made to introduce additional features into the system [59] to ensure that it is environmentally benign, ecologically efficient, profitable, and product-diversified [95], in addition to increasing food production [88] and eventually achieving commercial food production [96]. However, implementation of the IMTA system at a commercial scale has rarely been attempted; further evaluation is required to explore…”

Cumulative climatic stressors strangles marine aquaculture: Ancillary effects of COVID 19 on Spanish mariculture

“…Also, IMTA allows for a better capitalization of natural resources, creates new sustainable products, value chains and markets in support of coastal communities while enhancing resilience to climate changes (FAO, 2009). Using local resources, IMTA creates new economic niches, increasing the opportunities for local investment and employment, supporting rural development and counteracting the fading of coastal communities (Correia et al, 2020). Therefore, within the sustainable development of aquaculture enterprises, there is therefore the option of simultaneously producing different species for a better use of resources by reducing the possible excess of organic matter generated in aquaculture organic matter generated in aquaculture culture, mainly through the incorporation of secondary cultures (Chopin et al, 2012), and therefore secondary crops, and therefore providing an improvement in the environment, with the diversification of species, and a business of species, and a business economic benefit being more resilient to additional impact such as the COVID-19.…”

Saved by seaweeds: phyconomic contributions in times of crises

“…One possible solution to the problem of farming more fish is via so-called integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). IMTA involves selected seaweeds (mostly kelps for a part of the season) in an ecosystem with fish and filter feeders such as shellfish (Chopin 2013 ; Correia et al 2020 ), i.e. the uneaten feed and dissolved wastes of one trophic level (generally carnivorous fish) are regained and used as feed, fertilizers and energy for multiple species in lower trophic orders.…”