Prospects of Low Trophic Marine Aquaculture Contributing to Food Security in a Net Zero-Carbon World

Abstract

To limit compromising the integrity of the planet, a shift is needed towards food production with low environmental impacts and low carbon footprint. How to put such transformative change towards sustainable food production whilst ensuring food security into practice remains a challenge and will require transdisciplinary approaches. Combining expertise from natural- and social sciences as well as industry perspectives, an alternative vision for the future in the marine realm is proposed. This vision includes moving towards aquaculture mainly of low trophic marine (LTM) species. Such shift may enable a blue transformation that can support a sustainable blue economy. It includes a whole new perspective and proactive development of policy-making which considers, among others, the context-specific nature of allocation of marine space and societal acceptance of new developments, over and above the decarbonization of food production, vis á vis reducing regulatory barriers for the industry for LTM whilst acknowledging the complexities of upscaling and outscaling. This needs to be supported by transdisciplinary research co-produced with consumers and wider public, as a blue transformation towards accelerating LTM aquaculture opportunities in a net zero-carbon world can only occur by considering the demands of society.

Assessing seafood nutritional diversity together with climate impacts informs more comprehensive dietary advice

“…There are big knowledge gaps related to the content and bioavailability of nutrients from seaweeds, as well as about their content of undesirable substances, but research is ongoing on these topics. Species from unfed, low-trophic aquaculture have been identified to have a large potential as future foods 10,29,40 .…”

Making the UN Ocean Decade work? The potential for, and challenges of, transdisciplinary research and real‐world laboratories for building towards ocean solutions

“…While certain marine system knowledge is acquired, neither jointly negotiated target knowledge (where to go), nor transformation knowledge (how to reach the new stage) exists to a sufficient degree (Pohl & Hirsch Hadorn, 2007;Wittmer et al, 2021). Moreover, transregional learning from each other's 'solutions'-to assure 'local fit' and applicability-needs to be further understood and fostered (Hornidge et al, 2020;Krause et al, 2022).…”

“…Value chains need to transform themselves to contribute to a circular economy, net-zero carbon emission, zero pollution, coastal resilience and sustainable food systems (Krause et al, 2022). This attends particularly to the 'Decade Challenges' of 'developing a sustainable and equitable ocean economy' and 'changing humanity's relationship with the ocean' (UNESCO-IOC, 2021).…”

“…For this shift to happen, economic activities in coastal and marine areas, that have largely increased in the last decades and which are planned to be expanded even further, need to reduce their cumulative impacts on the marine environment. Value chains need to transform themselves to contribute to a circular economy, net‐zero carbon emission, zero pollution, coastal resilience and sustainable food systems (Krause et al, 2022). This attends particularly to the ‘Decade Challenges’ of ‘developing a sustainable and equitable ocean economy’ and ‘changing humanity's relationship with the ocean’ (UNESCO‐IOC, 2021).…”

A System for Autonomous Seaweed Farm Inspection with an Underwater Robot

“…Our oceans are home to a large number of resources that are currently marginally exploited and that may improve food security and wellbeing for humans. To sustainably unlock the potential of our oceans to support society with healthy and lowcarbon food, focus is needed on the aquaculture and mariculture of low-trophic species [3], such as microalgae, macroalgae (seaweeds) and shellfish, which could result in a 50 to 100 fold increase in productivity in comparison with today's cultivation of carnivorous fish such as salmon [4]. When taking a life cycle perspective on the environmental burdens of production of low-trophic species, studies have also shown the use of nutrients, carbon emissions, and freshwater to be low, even more notably when compared to other blue foods [5] and animal-based sources of protein [6].…”