Nutritional Dynamics in Aquaculture Systems

Aquaculture now supplies over half of global seafood consumption, making the optimisation of nutrient delivery within recirculating, pond and cage systems a critical focus. Nutritional dynamics encompass the formulation, digestion and metabolic utilisation of feeds, as well as the fate of unused nutrients in effluents. Central themes include the replacement of finite marine ingredients with alternative proteins and lipids, the matching of dietary nutrient profiles to species-specific requirements and the minimisation of environmental impacts through improved feed conversion and waste reduction. Advances in feed ingredients—from insect meals and single cell proteins to microalgal oils—are driving both biological performance and sustainability. At the same time, precision formulation techniques and the use of exogenous enzymes support efficient nutrient uptake, while life cycle assessment frameworks quantify greenhouse gas, energy and nutrient footprints. These integrated approaches underpin efforts to enhance fish health, product quality and ecosystem stewardship across diverse production systems worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Analyses of farmed salmon demonstrate a marked decline in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) over the past decade, attributed to the substitution of marine oils with terrestrial lipids. This reduction has implications for human dietary intake and has prompted exploration of microalgal and genetically modified crop sources to restore nutritional value. In parallel, studies in northern snakehead have shown that high levels of soybean meal replacement alter the intestinal microbiota composition, reduce mucosal fold height and up-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings highlight the need to balance growth performance with gut health when incorporating plant proteins, and suggest that microbiota profiling can guide diet formulation for optimal intestinal function.

Nutritional Dynamics in Aquaculture Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional dynamics in aquaculture systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Aquafeed: A formulated diet providing essential protein, lipids, carbohydrates and micronutrients tailored to the nutritional requirements of cultured aquatic species.

Essential fatty acids: Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA, that must be supplied through the diet because they are not synthesised in sufficient amounts by the animal.

Life cycle assessment (LCA): A cradle-to-gate methodology that quantifies environmental impacts—including global warming potential and energy use—associated with feed ingredients and production systems.

Bioavailable phosphorus: The fraction of dietary phosphorus that is digestible and absorbable by the fish, often increased through the addition of phytase to plant-based feeds.

Phytase: An exogenous enzyme that hydrolyses phytate in plant ingredients, releasing phosphorus and improving mineral availability while reducing nutrient discharge.

Single cell protein (SCP): Protein biomass produced from microbial (bacterial, yeast or fungal) or algal cultures, offering a sustainable alternative to fish meal and plant-based protein sources.

References

1. Towards circularity in aquaculture systems: Environmental impact of Hermetia illucens meal inclusion in diets for rainbow trout reared in aquaponics. Journal of Cleaner Production (2024).
2. Reducing phosphorus emissions from net cage fish farming by diet manipulation. Journal of Environmental Management (2023).
3. Recent advances in single cell protein use as a feed ingredient in aquaculture. Current Opinion in Biotechnology (2020).
4. Impact of sustainable feeds on omega-3 long-chain fatty acid levels in farmed Atlantic salmon, 2006–2015. Scientific Reports (2016).
5. Dietary soybean meal affects intestinal homoeostasis by altering the microbiota, morphology and inflammatory cytokine gene expression in northern snakehead. Scientific Reports (2018).