Bivalve Aquaculture in Coastal Ecosystems
Summary
Bivalve aquaculture underpins a rapidly expanding sector of coastal food production, combining economic value with tangible ecosystem benefits. Mussels, oysters, clams and scallops are cultivated in suspension or bottom culture systems that require no external feed, relying instead on natural plankton and detritus. Through their filter-feeding activity, farmed bivalves concentrate particulate organic matter and remove dissolved nutrients, thereby enhancing water clarity, reducing eutrophication and supporting benthic habitat recovery. The industry has grown in Asia, Europe and North America, with technological innovations in farm design, selective breeding and environmental monitoring promoting yield optimisation and sustainable practices. Key challenges include the management of biofouling, disease outbreaks and site selection to minimise conflicts with other coastal uses. By integrating ecosystem service valuation and adaptive management, bivalve aquaculture is emerging as a model for low-impact seafood production that aligns with blue-economy objectives, climate resilience and nutrient-neutral goals in coastal zones worldwide.
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Bivalve Aquaculture in Coastal Ecosystems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bivalve aquaculture in coastal ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biofouling: Accumulation of unwanted organisms on submerged surfaces that impairs farm operations and productivity.
Particulate organic matter (POM): Organic particles suspended in water, originating from plankton, detritus or farmed organisms, which influence nutrient and oxygen dynamics.
Bioextraction: Removal of dissolved or particulate nutrients from aquatic systems through cultivation and subsequent harvest of filter-feeding organisms.
Longline cultivation: Aquaculture technique that suspends ropes or loops of substrate in the water column to support bivalve growth.
Mitigation culture: Purpose-designed aquaculture practice focused on maximising nutrient extraction services rather than solely biomass production.
References
- Dual benefits of biofouling reduction in non-fed aquaculture: On-site heat treatment enhances oyster production and mitigates local environmental impacts. Journal of Cleaner Production (2024).
- Production Characteristics and Optimization of Mitigation Mussel Culture. Frontiers in Marine Science (2019).
- Bioextractive Removal of Nitrogen by Oysters in Great Bay Piscataqua River Estuary, New Hampshire, USA. Estuaries and Coasts (2019).
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