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Courtesy of NAA:

To help inform resource conservation and risk assessment associated with marine aquaculture development, National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) scientists conducted a comprehensive analysis entitled, A global review of protected species interactions with marine aquaculture. The resulting publication summarizes the state of knowledge of protected species interactions with marine fish and shellfish aquaculture farms around the world.

Documented cases of marine mammal, sea turtle, seabird, and shark interactions with aquaculture installations do exist but are challenging to find. The potential impacts of farms including habitat exclusion, entanglement, entrapment, collisions, and behavioral modifications are the primary risks posed to protected species by marine aquaculture facilities and operations. In addition, indirect effects from habitat impacts of farm operations may be of concern in some areas as well as the cumulative impacts of multiple small or large farms in the same general vicinity.

Decades of farm innovations and best management practices have been driven by farmers, production system designers and builders, natural resource managers, conservation organizations, and international conservation agreements. These findings will help advance the science of conservation by providing managers and farming community with insights to protect the most vulnerable species and will serve as a meaningful tool to support planning for offshore aquaculture development, and sustainable growth of the Blue Economy.

This work was funded by NCCOS and the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Office of Aquaculture. NMFS staff across the country also provided manuscript reviews.

Citation: Bath G.E., Price C.A., Riley K.L., Morris J.A. Jr. 2023. A global review of protected species interactions with marine aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture;1‐34. doi:10.1111/raq.12811.