Global ecosystem typology

Alternative site for the Global ecosystem typology with additional information for ecosystem profiles and indicative maps.

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M4.2 Marine aquafarms

Biome: M4. Anthropogenic marine biome

Contributors:
(texts)

High-productivity marine aquafarms are enclosed areas for the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of marine plants and animals, including finfish like salmon, molluscs, crustaceans, and algae. These low-diversity communities are dominated by the harvested species, maintained at a high densities. Non-harvested species may be controlled as pests, using antibiotics, herbicides, or culling. Aquafarms in coastal or open ocean waters are exposed to associated physical processes, but on land they are in environmentally controlled tanks and ponds.

Key Features

High density, productive, enclosed systems with variable permeability, for breeding and harvesting marine species. Allochthonous nutrients from human sources is common..

Overview of distribution

Largely coastal or shore-based, some open-ocean facilities.

Profile versions

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

  • Beveridge M (2008) Cage Aquaculture Wiley, Oxford DOI:10.1002/9780470995761

  • Froehlich HE, Smith A, Gentry RR, Halpern BS (2017) Offshore aquaculture: I know it when I see it Frontiers in Marine Science 4, 154.

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of M4.2 Marine aquafarms. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

There are 2 alternative versions of the indicative map for this functional group, please compare description and sources below.

M4.2.IM.orig_v1.0

Datasets

  • GSFM-2014
  • MEOW-2008
  • Marine-aquaculture-list

Map references

  • Harris PT, Macmillan-Lawler M, Rupp J, Baker EK (2014) Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology 352: 4-24. 10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.011

  • Spalding MD, Fox HE, Allen GR, Davidson N, Ferdaña ZA, Finlayson M, Halpern BS, Jorge MA, Lombana A, Lourie SA, Martin KD, McManus E, Molnar J, Recchia CA, Robertson J (2007) Marine ecoregions of the world: a bioregionalization of coastal and shelf areas. Bioscience 57: 573–583. DOI:10.1641/B570707

  • Gentry RR, Froehlich HE, Grimm D, Kareiva P, Parke M, Rust M, Gaines SD, Halpern BS (2017) Mapping the global potential for marine aquaculture Nature Ecology & Evolution 1: 1317–1324 DOI:10.1038/s41559-017-0257-9

M4.2.web.orig_v1.0

Marine ecoregions (Spalding et al. 2008) containing marine aquafarms were identified by consulting global and regional reviews, suitability maps (Gentry et al. 2017) and expertise of authors, proofed by specialist reviewers. These were clipped to the extent of the marine ‘shelf’ base layer as mapped by Harris et al. (2014b) and converted to 30 arc second spatial resolution. Occurrences were aggregated to half degree spatial resolution. Open image full size.

Datasets

  • GSFM-2014
  • MEOW-2008
  • Marine-aquaculture-list

Map references

  • Harris PT, Macmillan-Lawler M, Rupp J, Baker EK (2014) Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology 352: 4-24. 10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.011

  • Spalding MD, Fox HE, Allen GR, Davidson N, Ferdaña ZA, Finlayson M, Halpern BS, Jorge MA, Lombana A, Lourie SA, Martin KD, McManus E, Molnar J, Recchia CA, Robertson J (2007) Marine ecoregions of the world: a bioregionalization of coastal and shelf areas. Bioscience 57: 573–583. DOI:10.1641/B570707

  • Gentry RR, Froehlich HE, Grimm D, Kareiva P, Parke M, Rust M, Gaines SD, Halpern BS (2017) Mapping the global potential for marine aquaculture Nature Ecology & Evolution 1: 1317–1324 DOI:10.1038/s41559-017-0257-9

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