Season’s greetings! I hope you’re all enjoying this time as we prepare to close the chapter on 2023 and begin anew in 2024.

The Power of AI
Several trends continued pushing the worlds of aquaculture and fisheries to evolve in 2023. One which really drew my attention was artificial intelligence (AI), which is leaving its digital mark by streamlining processes and improving efficiencies. In the UK, new scientific approaches are being used alongside AI to test for toxic algae that can result in severe and fatal sickness in humans. They can help to predict harmful algal blooms in marine populations at least four weeks earlier than microscope-based methods, and could greatly change the way in which the UK monitors biohazards, not just in the marine sector but also in others such as health care.

One of my first articles of 2024 will focus on AI, this time in fisheries, where AI-based tools are being used in the Netherlands to recognise the size and species of different fish, facilitating their handling and the recording of catches on board vessels. The tool also provides valuable data for fisheries management, stock estimates, research and fisheries policy, and improves the processing of catches on board, reduces crew workload and lessens administrative burden. With this kind of increased transparency, hopes are high that more fisheries will have improved data, improved stock assessments and ultimately become even better.

I’ve been particularly impressed by how quickly AI has taken root in fisheries and aquaculture and how relevant it’s become, bringing both sectors closer to meeting their production and sustainability aspirations.

Tourism and aquaculture
Tourism and aquaculture was another fascinating subject to explore, and in June this year I saw for myself how these sectors are coming together on the Greek island of Rhodes. Tourism there is a huge industry, while 65 percent of fisheries production in Greece is from aquaculture. With the demand for seafood increasing worldwide, along with awareness of the importance of sustainable businesses, innovation and unique initiatives are crucial for solid economic performance and to safeguard the natural environment. Visits to offshore pens containing sea bass and sea bream are opportunities for tourists in Rhodes to learn about farming practices, the importance of aquaculture in Europe and the relationship between aquaculture and the environment. Tours like this are also a way for fish farms to diversify and become more stable financially while continuing to work on the water. 

Blue Carbon
But by far the highlight of 2023 for me was blue carbon, the carbon that is captured and stored in marine and coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass and seaweed. With studies showing that these can store up to 10 times more carbon per unit area than terrestrial forests, blue carbon is gaining huge attention as a way of mitigating the effects of climate change. For aquaculture — in particular seaweed farming — this is extremely significant. The benefits of farming seaweed are already clear, and if farms can have economic incentives associated with proof of climate change mitigation, this may be key to improving farmers’ income and supporting more seaweed production in future. 

It’s also exciting to see the increasing number of companies that are buying blue carbon credits* from carbon offset projects, with sales revenue going towards the conservation and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems. This increased focus on blue carbon highlights a stronger awareness towards the need for investment in the conservation and restoration of ecosystems like seagrass and seaweed, which is huge, and it’s great to see a lot of companies, particularly in Japan, recognising the appeal and potential of blue carbon and wanting to be a part of something that delivers social, economic and biodiversity benefits. 

*When an ecosystem like seagrass is protected or restored, it can capture CO2. IF this carbon capture is quantified and verified, it generates blue carbon credits that are tradable on carbon markets for companies that want to offset their GHG emissions.

As we go into 2024, I’m looking forward to seeing how things will develop in the blue carbon space and what the future holds for seaweed farming. No doubt there will also be other innovations from AI and feed to disease prevention and animal welfare, keeping aquaculture and fisheries strong and resilient amidst the world’s ongoing need for responsibly produced seafood. 

This month’s blog entry is an article for the Inside Seaweed newsletter by Fed DeGobbi, host of the Inside Seaweed podcast. Click here to listen to the ideas and insights of key players in the seaweed industry.

An ingredient that is nutrient-rich, requires zero input to grow and tastes delicious might sound too good to be true, but kelp is the real deal. Whether consumed dried or fresh, it may be one of the most versatile ingredients in our kitchens. 

In fact, it’s so popular that it’s the most cultivated species of seaweed. In 2019, it was among five kinds that accounted for over 95% of global seaweed culture production. Seaweed farming is now expanding from countries such as China, South Korea and Japan to the US and Europe, and kelp is also making an impact there. Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) is the most commonly cultivated commercial species in Europe. It’s also farmed in the Gulf of Maine in the US, and for commercial and scientific purposes in the UK. It’s an excellent candidate for aquaculture, growing up to several centimetres per day and reaching over 2m long during a single growth season.

In 2019, 27 different seaweed species, including kelp, were farmed globally. China produces Gracilaria seaweed (Gracilaria spp.) and red seaweed (Pyropia) for agar production and for use in soups and salads, while Indonesia farms the carrageenophytes Eucheuma and Kappaphycus. Japan, meanwhile, is known for farming nori (Porphyra spp.) and wakame (Undaria spp.). Nori is popular as thin sheets wrapped around sushi, while wakame is sold boiled or dried and can be eaten in miso soup or seaweed salads.

Farming seaweed is an opportunity for fish or shellfish farmers to diversify a farming operation or start a new business, and reap large harvests from a small area as seaweed uses the entire water column to grow. Kelp farmers can also gain a steadier income by taking advantage of the winter months as the species can be farmed during the winter. But although kelp is taking off, other seaweed like nori or wakame are not grown in Europe or the US. Why is this, when the techniques for growing seaweeds are well established and relatively simple?

There have been some attempts to grow species other than kelp in areas outside Southeast Asia. In Ireland, the Seaweed Company is growing Atlantic wakame and ulva (sea lettuce) in Irish and Dutch waters, while nori cultivation has been trialled in Scotland but is still at the research and development stage due to its complex lifecycle and expensive hatchery process. The reasons for this slow start appear to lie in various hurdles, such as cost issues, unpredictable production cycles, a lack of investment, a lack of processing infrastructure or simply no previous examples of nori or wakame having been farmed. Governance and market issues also appear to be challenges in Europe. 

But the situation could change. Already there are a number of seaweed farmers, entrepreneurs and farms such as Seaweed Solutions in Norway and Atlantic Sea Farms in the US, so there could be more examples of fresh, locally grown varieties of seaweed in future. However, there is still a lot to do. In his book The Seaweed Revolution, Vincent Doumeizel explains the necessity of cataloguing different types of seaweed on particular coasts and domesticating them while controlling their proliferation to avoid ecosystem disturbances. He also stresses the need to continue improving and deepening phycology knowledge and experience. In this sense, understanding the factors that affect seaweed survival and growth, as well as necessary parameters such as light, water temperature and nutrient availability will be key for farmers. Meanwhile, different growing techniques in one country may not work in another, so farmers will have to assess such techniques and the genomic variation of seaweed on a local scale in order to farm particular varieties in their area.

Photos: Unsplash

Amidst the search for sustainable alternative food sources, aquaculture has expanded greatly, with the proliferation of fish farms in more areas across the world, some of which are popular tourist destinations. Aquaculture can make significant contributions to these destinations, for example by providing tourists with fresh local seafood or supporting local communities, but a major concern is its environmental impact. In addition, unspoilt coastal scenery is important for tourists who are interested in natural and pristine areas, with many choosing particular locations simply because of their attractive settings. Fish cages or mussel rafts typically have large surface structures that can impact the aesthetics of seascapes viewed from the shore, adding to tourists’ concerns. 

However, in Greece, where 65% of domestic production of fishery products comes from aquaculture, the sector is being turned into a touristic asset, rather than a source of concern. 

Greece has everything we might dream of for the perfect vacation: crystal clear water, a warm climate and delicious local food, while aquaculture is also a familiar sight. Now, the the sector is keen to highlight how offshore farms are not a disturbance, but rather a touristic asset, and in June I went to see this for myself on the island of Rhodes. There, I saw just how tourists are learning about aquaculture and how two very different sectors can co-exist. 

The trip took me to Lamar S.A, a small-scale farm that produces around 300 tonnes of sea bream, sea bass, meagre and gilted sea bream each year on the west coast of Rhodes. Together with Blutopia Diving Center, which offers local scuba dives, Lamar S.A runs educational marine biology trips and diving excursions to an island called Strongyli. Tourists learn about sustainable farming practices and become familiar with fish farming while encountering dolphins, tuna and seals that aggregate around the farm site. During the tour, we heard about the necessity for aquaculture growth in Europe, the relationship between aquaculture and the marine environment, and the importance of environmental protection. By far the biggest highlight was swimming with sea bream in a designated net pen. Close to Lamar S.A.’s net pens, the sea is a hub of biodiversity. On the day of my first tour, dolphins passed our boat all the time and seals made the occasional appearance, while tuna can also be seen swimming in between the cages. 

While offering these excursions, Lamar S.A. is also looking to diversify by providing services other than fish production. Together with the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, it gathers data on water quality parameters around the farm. These data are incorporated into aquaculture management programmes and shared for free with universities and research institutions. Lamar S.A. is also aiming to turn its farm into a Marine Protected Area (MPA). This can provide ecological benefits and drive the sustainable development of aquaculture and tourism, enabling them to grow together, while MPAs have a huge role in protecting biodiversity and sustaining livelihoods. Anastasios Baltadakis, an aquaculture research and development consultant at Lamar S.A., told me about the need for small-scale fish farms to diversify, and how playing a role in different fields from fish production to marine research makes Lamar S.A. a shining example –or in his words, a lighthouse — of sustainability. 

This type of partnership is a great way to enhance public understanding of aquaculture, and it made me think about what the sector can do to develop innovative ways of telling the public what fish and shellfish farming are all about. In Rhodes, tourists can clearly see aquaculture’s benefits, how sea bream and sea bass are farmed, and the impacts on the surrounding environment. Inviting tourists to fish farms in this way is also beneficial to aquaculture. It can encourage the promotion of best practices for offshore management, the adoption of ecosystem-based approaches and steps to increase the resilience of the ocean. Visitors also learn about broader topics, such as the importance of responsible aquaculture, the conservation of marine biodiversity, and how co-existing and growing with tourism is important for aquaculture’s sustainable development. The Rhodes excursion was an opportunity for me to see up close the type of aquaculture setup that exists on the island, what the technology and feeding systems are like, and taste farmed fish, which we did on a beautiful uninhabited island after the farm tour. It was also a chance for the fish farm staff to interact with the public at large, to meet people who may not know what fish farming is about or who may have concerns, and show them everything that happens on a fish farm.

Public, or consumer, understanding is key to achieving the full benefits of aquaculture and seafood farming. However, research shows that aquaculture literacy among the public is low, for example in the US. That influences how people understand, support, and make decisions about farmed seafood products. Most of them may encounter information that can be out of date, inaccurate or incomplete, which is why a trusted science source or community member that can share accurate information can be pivotal in increasing aquaculture and sustainable seafood literacy. In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a host of initiatives that are aimed at telling people about the science and latest advancements in aquaculture and its multiple benefits. One is the aquaculture literacy initiative. Work happens through the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centres (CELC) Network, a consortium of 25 aquariums and marine science education centres across North America. With millions of people visiting CELC institutions every year, aquariums can provide them with the latest information on sustainable aquaculture while learning about community needs and perceptions. 

Another great US example is the Maine Oyster Trail, where the public can join farm tours, shucking lessons and community events to learn more about Maine’s coast and oyster regions as well as how oysters in the area are farmed. Participants can also use a trip planner to find different experiences along the Maine coast. The goal of the Maine Oyster Trail is to highlight local oyster farms and provide authentic experiences to tourists. It also works closely with oyster farmers to better understand their operations and provide the tools and support that they need to explore new business opportunities through tourism. 

With aquaculture getting such a mixed reception, I find that there is still so much misinformation and a lack of knowledge among people, and that if initiatives like excursions to fish farms were more widely available, there could be some significant impacts. When it comes to sustainability, fish welfare, or environmental and social impacts, consumers these days want, or even insist, to know more about what they are eating. But right now, they don’t know how much innovation, knowledge and skill goes into the different aspects of aquaculture from feed to health, genetics and more. 

However, as I discovered in Rhodes, people are interested in hearing the facts. This is really exciting, and aquaculture must access those facts and share them. Excursions to fish farms are an ideal opportunity. There is nothing like being able to see a farm for yourself, from the quantities of fish that are produced, to how the fish are fed, to how smoothly run a fish farm can be. Seeing this really highlights how aquaculture can offer different solutions and be a significant part of the blue economy. 

It would be great to see more thoughtful and productive conversations between consumers and aquaculture stakeholders. These types of conversations are vital for the future of aquaculture but with examples such as the excursions in Rhodes, I think the sector is on the right path. With more people becoming aware of aquaculture’s benefits and importance and, in turn, hopefully more supportive of it, we could see even more opportunities and exciting developments. 

Over the past few years, blue carbon has gone from a niche subject to one of the most popular topics in various circles, including aquaculture. It’s clear that there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to blue carbon, but why is it drawing so much attention?

Blue carbon refers to the carbon that is captured and stored in marine and coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass meadows and salt marshes. These ecosystems act as natural “carbon sinks,” that store up to 10 times more carbon per unit area than their land-based counterparts. This superpower means that blue carbon is gaining attention in the race to mitigate the effects of climate change. According to the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, as much as a fifth of the emissions cuts we need to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C will need to come from the ocean. The panel also says that protecting and restoring seagrass, mangroves and salt marsh ecosystems could help absorb the equivalent of as much as 1.4bn tons of emissions a year by 2050.

But that’s not all — ecosystems like seagrass meadows and salt marshes provide other benefits such as offering protection against extreme weather events and supporting biodiversity. Seagrass can stabilise sediment beneath its roots, limiting erosion, while salt marshes filter pollutants and reduce flooding by absorbing excess water. Now, they are also urgent new areas of conservation. 

Blue carbon is also gaining traction with aquaculture, in particular seaweed farming. The benefits of farming seaweed are already clear. Seaweed doesn’t need feed or additional attention as the plant grows naturally, creating safe, healthy nursery grounds for young fish and crustaceans. Increasing seaweed farming may also open the door to a more efficient form of renewable energy — biomass — while seaweed’s ability to break down environmental pollutants and improve water quality makes its development a significant priority for aquaculture.

But like seagrass meadows, mangroves and salt marshes, seaweed can also sequester carbon. In fact, there are already seaweed farming projects with the goal of capturing carbon from the atmosphere, for example in Norway where technology and farming methods are being developed to capture CO₂ through seaweed cultivation. With seaweed farming facing challenges such as the limited scope for expansion due to the availability of suitable areas and competition for these areas, rearing systems that can cope with rough conditions offshore, and increasing market demand for seaweed products, some say that providing farms with economic incentives associated with proof of climate change mitigation may be instrumental in improving the income of seaweed farmers and supporting increased seaweed production into the future. 

I’ve found it very exciting to see how aquaculture companies are realising the appeal of blue carbon and want to be a part of something that delivers social, economic and biodiversity benefits. In November 2022, kelp restoration and sea urchin aquaculture firm Urchinomics obtained the world’s first voluntary blue carbon credit for kelp bed restoration. By paying divers to remove sea urchins from kelp beds that have been overgrazed by sea urchins, Urchinomics helps the kelp beds to recover while turning the sea urchins into seafood through aquaculture (the sea urchins are grown on indoor raceways and fed pellets made out of kelp-stem byproducts). The Japan Blue Economy Association (JBE), a state-appointed research institute in Japan that establishes blue carbon credit standards for the country, validated Urchinomics’s science and certified the voluntary blue carbon credit. In a press release, Brian Tsuyoshi Takeda, the CEO and Founder of Urchinomics, expressed his hope that “other kelp-supporting countries will look to the Japanese precedent and accelerate their adoption of kelp as a blue carbon opportunity.” He also said “while it is called blue carbon, make no mistake that the true value in restoring kelp forests is about biodiversity. Kelp forests are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on our planet, and meaningful carbon sequestration only happens when biodiversity is championed at the same time.” 

A couple of months ago, I heard about Japan/Singapore firm Umitron’s new project to identify blue carbon sinks, and am looking forward to delving into this subject a bit more over the summer. Umitron says that although blue carbon has immense potential, identifying and mapping ecosystems like seagrass meadows, salt marshes and mangroves is a big challenge, involving labour-intensive field surveys that can be time-consuming and costly. Recognising this issue, the Umitron team are using their AI technology and satellite remote sensing capabilities to identify, map and analyse coastal areas, focusing on seagrass beds, mangroves, seaweed and more. The team starts with a limited survey of a particular area, collecting data on the target species, before using AI algorithms to understand growth conditions and train the AI model to identify habitats that would be ideal for the accumulation of blue carbon. The team then leverages satellite images to analyse coastal regions, estimate areas where particular species grow, and identifies existing and potential blue carbon sinks in the process. The project can also estimate the amount of blue carbon that is accumulated in different areas. This can provide valuable insight into the potential of carbon sequestration in a particular site and potentially pick up suitable areas for seaweed farming. 

There is undoubtedly a strong case for blue carbon projects, considering just how much carbon is removed by seagrass meadows, salt marshes and mangroves. However, there are some challenges to consider. For example, the ability of these ecosystems to continue storing excess carbon from the atmosphere could depend on how climate change will impact them. These impacts could be complex, and vary from one marine ecosystem to another, or even from one species to another within the same ecosystem. Blue carbon projects are also specific to the environments that they operate in, which could make it harder for them to be scaled or implemented globally, while restoring ecosystems like salt marshes, mangroves or seagrass meadows for the purpose of carbon sequestration is a major task. Another issue is estimating how much carbon particular ecosystems can soak up, while the science behind blue carbon is still developing, despite being an important part of the complex jigsaw to fight climate change. It’s possible that the focus and hype surrounding blue carbon could result in high expectations and the risk of very different or unexpected outcomes if a project is scaled further or implemented in an environment where it might not be suitable. 

In fact, researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA), the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the OACIS initiative of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation have challenged the view that restoring ecosystems such as seagrass meadows and salt marshes can remove large amounts of CO₂ from the atmosphere. 

In their study, they point to the vulnerability to future climate change and the high variability in carbon storage rates. They also explain that extra habitat will be required for extra carbon removal, but such habitats have already been built on for coastal settlement, tourism and port development. They also say that CO₂ removal through coastal blue carbon restoration has questionable cost-effectiveness when considered only as a climate mitigation action. Comprehensive, long-term monitoring will be required to verify that the intended climate benefits are being achieved. On the whole, however, the study does stress the need for blue carbon habitats to be protected and, where possible, restored, given their benefits for climate adaptation, coastal protection, food provision and biodiversity conservation.

Blue carbon projects are not going to go away, and yet it’s clear that more work needs to be done. These projects will have to be flexible and adaptable to the context in which they operate, while perhaps we need to recognise that blue carbon is just one of many tools, not the full answer that we are looking for. Although blue carbon projects provide significant benefits, they aren’t suitable for every environment and will need to be done in the right one. But if we get it right, we can unlock their potential, and this can lead to more sustainable livelihoods and the preservation of important coastal habitats alongside the carbon benefits.

The increased focus on blue carbon has meant that we are also more aware of the need for investment in the conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems like seagrass meadows, salt marshes, mangroves and seaweed beds, and that’s a huge step forward. As we know, the importance of ecosystems like these extends beyond just carbon storage. While there are still challenges when it comes to blue carbon, and no doubt other setbacks to come, conserving and restoring blue carbon ecosystems is a gold mine in terms of environmental, economical and social benefits.