Abstract
In this paper, the different possibilities and innovations related to sustainable aquaculture in the Mediterranean area are discussed, while different maricultural methods, and the role of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) in supporting the exploitation of the ocean’s resources, are also reviewed. IMTA, and mariculture in general, when carefully planned, can be suitable for environmental restoration and conservation purposes. Aquaculture, especially mariculture, is a sector that is progressively increasing in parallel with the increase in human needs; however, several problems still affect its development, mainly in relation to the choice of suitable sites, fodder production, and the impact on the surrounding environment. A current challenge that requires suitable solutions is the implementation of IMTA. Unfortunately, some criticisms still affect this approach, mostly concerning the commercialization of new products such as invertebrates and seaweeds, notwithstanding their environmentally friendly character. Regarding the location of a suitable site, mariculture plans are currently displaced from inshore to offshore, with the aim of reducing the competition for space with other human activities carried out within coastal waters. Moreover, in open water, waste loading does not appear to be a problem, but high-energy waters increase maintenance costs. Some suggestions are given for developing sustainable mariculture in the Mediterranean area, where IMTA is in its infancy and where the scarce nutrients that characterize offshore waters are not suitable for the farming of both filter feeder invertebrates and macroalgae. From the perspective of coupling mariculture activity with restoration ecology, the practices suggested in this review concern the implementation of inshore IMTA, creating artificially controlled gardens, as well as offshore mussel farming coupled with artificial reefs, while also hypothesizing the possibility of the use of artificially eutrophized areas.
Highlights
The rapid growth of the human population is one of the main causes of the huge global changes that we are facing [1] due to the increasing human activities that are deeply altering the environment, with variable impacts on the world’s oceans [2,3]
We review the possibility of coupling mariculture production with the protection and restoration of marine habitats in the Mediterranean, which rank among the main challenges of the XXI century from the perspective of the sustainable management of the ocean’s resources
The Mediterranean marine ecosystem is characterized by some unique specific environmental features, such as the high temperature of the water column, which fosters the rapid growth of fish with production throughout the year; the microtidal regime, which reduces water renewal in enclosed bays with weak currents; oligotrophic conditions with low primary productivity; low levels of phytoplankton biomass; low quantities of particulate organic matter; and high levels of oxygen, excluding a few exceptions, such as the Adriatic and some areas with riverine inputs
Summary
The rapid growth of the human population is one of the main causes of the huge global changes that we are facing [1] due to the increasing human activities that are deeply altering the environment, with variable impacts on the world’s oceans [2,3]. Several problems affect mariculture, the main ones being the environmental impact, the types of farmed species, fodder production, and the choice of suitable sites [10] Notwithstanding these drawbacks, this sector remains one of the most sustainable for producing animal protein. Aquaculture, which is historically recognized as being responsible for localized environmental impacts, could have a hidden potential to achieve both conservation and the restoration of marine ecosystems, thereby identifying more sustainable ways to exploit the ocean’s resources and to produce food for the growing global population, generating a positive ecological and social impact [11]. We review the possibility of coupling mariculture production with the protection and restoration of marine habitats in the Mediterranean, which rank among the main challenges of the XXI century from the perspective of the sustainable management of the ocean’s resources
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