Forage fish.
Credit: [M. Siple]

Wild fisheries are essential to global food security but are facing immense pressure from overfishing to climate change. Aquaculture is now a major form of seafood production globally, but has thus far largely supplemented fisheries. In theory, aquaculture could be used to reduce pressures on wild-caught stocks by replacing some catch, reducing its reliance on wild aquatic feed, and optimizing wild seed sources. However, little effort has been given to reconcile fisheries sustainability with aquaculture expansion and food security. The Froehlich Lab is exploring the theoretical and practical potential of actively incorporating aquaculture into fisheries management for more sustainable seafood production.

 

Relevant Papers

Halpern, B.S., M. Frazier, J. Verstaen, P. Rayner, G. Clawson, J.L. Blanchard, R.S. Cottrell, H.E. Froehlich, J.A. Gephart, N. Sand Jacobsen, C.D. Kuempel, P.B. McIntyre, M. Metian, D. Moran, K.L. Nash, J. Többen, D.R. Williams. 2022. The cumulative environmental footprint of global food production. Nature Sustainability. 10.1038/s41893-022-00965-x

Froehlich, H.E., R. Gentry, S.E. Lester, R.S. Cottrell, G. Fay, T.A. Branch, J.A. Gephart, E.R. White and J.K. Baum. 2021. Securing a sustainable future for US seafood in the wake of a global crisis. Marine Policyhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.104328

Kuempel, C.D., H.E. Froehlich, B.S. Halpernω. 2021. An informed thought experiment exploring the potential for a paradigm shift in aquatic food production. Ocean and Coastal Management. 206: 105574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105574

Cottrell, R.S., D.M. Ferraro, G.D. Blasco, B.S. Halpern, and H.E. Froehlich. 2021. The Search for Blue Transitions in Aquaculture-Dominant Countries. Fish and Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12566

Cottrell, R.S., M. Metian, H.E. Froehlich, J.L. Blanchard, N. Sand Jacobsen, P.B. McIntyre, K.L. Nash, D.R. Williams, L. Bouman, J.A. Gephart, C.D. Kuempel, Daniel D. Moran, M. Troell, B.S. Halpern. 2021. Time to rethink trophic levels in aquaculture policy. Reviews in Aquaculturehttps://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12535 *selected as the editorial Sena De Silva paper of the year

Cottrell, Richard S., J.L. Blanchard, B.S. Halpern, M. Metian, and H.E. Froehlich. 2020. Global Adoption of Novel Aquaculture Feeds Could Substantially Reduce Forage Fish Demand by 2030. Nature Food 1(5): 301–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0078-x.

Froehlich, H.E., N. Sand Jacobsen, T.E. Essington, T. Clavelle, B.S. Halpern. 2018. Avoiding the Ecological Limits of Forage Fish for Fed Aquaculture. Nature Sustainability. 10.1038/s41893-018-0077-1

Clavelle, T., S.E. Lester, R.R. Gentry, H.E. Froehlich. 2019. Interactions and management for the future of marine aquaculture and capture fisheries. Fish Fish. 10.1111/faf.12351

Affiliated Researchers

Assistant Professor
Studying the sustainability of seafood and marine ecosystems under climate change at different scales.
IGPMS PhD Student

Claire Gonzales was born and raised in Northern California, where she developed her passion for understanding and explo