Refining approaches to measuring, monitoring and appraising animal welfare in aquaculture research is key to (i) protecting and optimizing it, (ii) documenting the severity of how and when it deviates, and (iii) ensuring good scientific quality, reliable results and reproducibility, amongst other factors. However, different fish species and life stages can have varying welfare needs and assessing their welfare can be challengi...

As the effects of climate change become more prominent and impacts intensify, the aquaculture sector must make decisions on adaptation strategies and implement actions that will reduce risks and increase resilience. However adaptation is complex, and there can be many consequences of action or inaction. One of the major risks is maladaptation, when an action that is introduced to minimize a negative effect makes the situation...

Marine aquaculture has the potential to increase its contribution to the global food system and provide valuable ecosystem services, but appropriate planning, licensing and regulation systems must be in place to enable sustainable development. At present, approaches vary considerably throughout the world, and several national and regional investigations have highlighted the need for reforms if marine aquaculture is to fulfil i...

Offshore aquaculture has gained momentum in recent years, and the production of an increasing number of marine fish species is being relocated offshore. Initially, predictions of the advantages that offshore aquaculture would present over nearshore farming were made without enough science‐based evidence. Now, with more scientific knowledge, this review revisits past predictions and expectations of offshore aquaculture. We anal...

There are many spatial issues associated with aquaculture which must be understood in order to support sustainable development and mitigate other potential issues. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used for investigation, analysis and modelling of aquaculture and there have been a considerable number of studies since the late 1980s. However, despite the range of applications, GIS is still often underutilized and stakeho...

Veterinary Medicinal Products ( VMP s) are used in intensive aquaculture production to treat a wide range of bacterial and parasitic infestations. Their release into the environment poses concerns regarding their potential ecotoxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems, which need to be evaluated making use of appropriate Environmental Risk Assessment ( ERA ) schemes and models. This study presents an overview of the major aquac...