Fishery and aquaculture interdisciplinary integration to improve sustainable seafood production

Fishery and aquaculture production play a crucial role in meeting the global demand for seafood and sustaining economic livelihoods. Fishery production involves capturing wild fish and other aquatic organisms from natural water bodies, while aquaculture production refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of aquatic animals in controlled aquatic environments. Together, these sectors contribute significantly to food security, providing a high-quality source of protein for billions of people worldwide. Advances in technology and sustainable practices have reduced the environmental impacts and improved the efficiency of fisheries traditionally recognized as harmful; though challenges such as overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change continue to impose threats that are exacerbated by natural events. Considering aquaculture and fisheries focus on the production of aquatic animals, share markets, and influence each other, the efforts of both activities should be coordinated and complementary. Integrating responsible management practices and innovative solutions is essential to ensure the long-term viability and productivity of the seafood industry, as well as to ensure product continuity

In this context, the opportunity to compose a compendium of research that brings news and/or discussions about practices that lead to sustainability via continuous improvement is warranted. This research topic aims to stimulate and develop interdisciplinary integration between fishery and aquaculture issues that can lead to improvements in the sustainable production of marine finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, seaweed, and microalgae. Contributions that include socio-economic, ecological, management, and new technology approaches concerning these two sectors are encouraged.

We are searching for studies whose specific objectives are:

1- Assessment of marine resource diversity, distribution, and conservation in a broad approach that allows for more holistic considerations about the functioning of ecosystems;

2- To verify the socio-economic relationship between marine resource dynamics and coastal fishers, farmers, and the seafood industry;

3- The assessment of environmental conditions that impact marine stocks especially those that are already under some degree of threat;

4- To forecast fishery stocks dynamics through modelling studies;

5- To investigate the biology, physiology, and genetics of, marine organisms that contribute to management;

6- To advance studies of the reproduction of marine organisms in captivity, emphasizing their advantages;

7- To improve the feeding and nutrition of farming organisms for sustainable production;

8- How to optimise the early development of commercial marine species in captivity;

9- The development of innovative marine aquaculture production systems and management;

10- To develop new technologies for the treatment of wastewater or the reuse of aquaculture production waste.

Keywords: Fisheries, Aquaculture, Sustainability, Marine Diversity, Marine Resource Dynamics, Environmental Impacts, Aquaculture Production

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.