Abstract
The rapid development of aquaculture has sustained aquatic food production but has also led to a host of environmental problems, ranging from eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems to global acidification. China has become the world’s largest producer and consumer of aquaculture products. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient in aquaculture ecosystems, and the quantitative environmental fate and impact of nitrogen during aquaculture processes have notable environmental consequences but have received little attention. Here, we established a nitrogen cycling model for China’s aquaculture ecosystem to investigate the creation and fate of reactive nitrogen over a decadal time scale. A nitrogen balance analysis showed that reactive nitrogen input in the aquaculture ecosystem increased from 9.43 Tg N yr−1 in 1978 to 18.54 Tg N yr−1 in 2015, while aquaculture production increased from 0.034 to 1.33 Tg N yr−1 during the same period. The environmental fate analysis showed that nitrogen emissions, accumulation, sediment deposition, and export into the oceans increased by 9.05-fold, 0.24-fold, 9.04-fold, and 2.56-fold, respectively. Finally, we investigated four scenarios representing different consumption levels of aquatic products and provided policy recommendations (larger aquaculture size, standardized aquaculture production model, nutritional element management and balanced dietary structure, etc.) on improved management practices in aquaculture ecosystems.
Highlights
Rapid population and economic growth will greatly increase the demand for aquatic products[1]
A detailed Nr balance and environmental fate analysis in aquaculture ecosystems of China shows a serious issue arising from Nr being lost to the environment and negatively affecting ecosystems, such as Nr accumulation in water, which leads to eutrophication and loss of biodiversity, NH3 emissions and emissions of N2O
Total fishery production in China grew from 0.14 Tg N yr−1 in 1978 to 1.81 Tg N yr−1 in 2015, an increase of nearly 12-fold (Fig. 2a)
Summary
Rapid population and economic growth will greatly increase the demand for aquatic products[1]. An approach with a detailed, comprehensive perspective and top-down calculation for aquaculture N cycling in China at national scale is still lacking The absence of this component from the study of human alteration of the N cycle is a serious concern, especially given the added pressure of population growth, the increasing demand for aquatic foods and environmental pollution problems. Total aquaculture in developing countries Total aquaculture in China ecosystems has important implications for deepening the N cycle at the national level, which will further influence the understanding of the cascade effect of N environmental impacts and N metabolism on food security. We discuss the policy implications of mitigating the negative effects of Nr and improving aquaculture management efficiency while meeting the national demand for aquatic foods
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