The Ecological Function of Mariculture

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Background

FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization) reported about 90% of the world’s economic marine fishes have been overfished or are on the collapsed verge (maximum production) (FAO, 2020). The continuous increasing consumption of seafood is in contradiction with the seafood supply (especially capture fisheries). Fortunately, the production of aquaculture is increasing every year, which surpassed the production of capture fisheries from 2014 (FAO, 2016). The production of mariculture was 37.5% of the world aquaculture total production in 2018 (FAO, 2020). Mariculture is increasingly seen as an alternative to capture fisheries to provide a growing human population with high-quality protein.
Aquaculture of fed species (e.g., fish in cages) relies on external food supplies and maybe has a negative impact on the environment. Shellfish aquaculture can accelerate the turnover of phytoplankton to reduce eutrophication and play a carbon sink role. Seaweed aquaculture, which can reduce nutrient loadings to the environment from fed species aquaculture, has not been attractive in many countries as algal products typically have a low value. It is well known that combining different species in aquaculture systems or applying proper aquaculture methods and management could provide more profit and have concomitant ecological benefits.
Sustainable aquaculture will be an eternal theme of the development of aquaculture. Mariculture is closely related to coastal ecosystems. The interconnections among mariculture production systems, the surrounding environment and local organisms must be thoroughly understood. As a result, interest in exploring the potential for ecological function of aquaculture in marine ecosystems is growing. The innovations of sustainable mariculture theories, methods, systems, technologies etc., are developing fast. It is identified that mariculture provides high-quality seafood, while at the same time, playing an important ecological function in a proper way.

The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a platform for the researchers who care about ecological and sustainable mariculture. It would be an overview of recent advances in the interactions of mariculture, the surrounding environment and local organisms. The scope of this Research Topic is to cover the recent advances in theories, methods, systems, technologies of sustainable mariculture and the understanding of its environmental and biological implications especially the active aspects. The impacts of aquaculture on organisms are essential contents. We should not only pay attention to individual organisms, but groups and diversity should also be included. Authors are invited to submit both original research articles and reviews related to this Research Topic.

The scientific questions/topics may include but are not limited to:
• Theory, method and technic of ecological mariculture
• Environmental impacts and benefits of mariculture
• Bioelements flow in the polyculture system
• Impacts of mariculture on the ecology of local — biodiversity, animal behaviour, microbes etc.
• Biology of mariculture species relative with ecology
• utilization of mariculture waste
• Climate change and mariculture

Keywords: aquaculture, ecology, environmental impact, biological impact, biodiversity, ocean acidification, bioelement, biota

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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