Taking a participatory systems-approach to understanding the ecology of ocean farming

Earth will soon harbor 9 billion people. All of them are hungry; many of them for seafood. By 2030 most seafood consumed will be farmed, much of that in the ocean. Ocean farms are open systems; i.e. “stuff” is capable of moving through the system to or from ecosystems or the human food system with differences from terrestrial farms in their ecosystem impacts, interactions, and the way in which they link back to the human socio-ecological system. A participatory, systems-approach to understanding the ecological and social-ecological impacts of ocean farming is needed as ocean farming continues to increase in prevalence.