Environmental Change and Aquaculture: What does the future hold?  

In the Anthropocene, environmental change resulting from human activities is the new normal. Nutrient pollution is driving eutrophication and dead zones, ocean acidification is changing water chemistry, and climate change is influencing our food and water supply. Human populations continue to increase along the world's coastlines, pushing exploitation of natural resources further seaward.

Risk assessments of environmental change on industry sectors typically focus on negative consequences with high uncertainty and identify challenges without solutions. We believe that aquaculture can be viewed differently. Undoubtedly, the aquaculture practices of today will be affected by environmental change; however, there are adaptive strategies that can support development of change-resilient aquaculture. Many of these strategies are not unique to aquaculture, but given the small size and pliability of the present industry, adaptations can be more readily developed and implemented.

Aquaculture can be a mitigation tool for environmental change at local and global scales. For example, solutions can be developed that bridge gaps between predicted fluxes in biodiversity and stabilization, food security can be increased in nations facing wild seafood catch declines, and alternative farming opportunities can be created when less freshwater is available for terrestrial agriculture. Aquaculture is inherently interdisciplinary. Thus, enhancing and broadening our understanding of the complex connections between natural resource management, ecological processes, technological innovation and socio-economic principles will better enable coastal managers to devise governance strategies that safeguard natural resources vital for sustainable human existence in a changing world.

Learn more about our work at www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/scem/marine_aquaculture/