Marketing

Demography

Engineering

Provisioning

Ecology

Service (business)

Biology

Fish <Actinopterygii>

Fishery

Telecommunications

Economics

Market economy

Certification

Business

Environmental planning

Goods and services

Ecosystem-based management

Management

Geography

Marine ecosystem

Environmental resource management

Mariculture

Population

Sociology

Environmental science

Aquaculture

Natural resource economics

Biodiversity

Ecosystem services

Ecosystem

BioScience

As the world's population continues to grow, the way in which ocean industries interact with ecosystems will be key to supporting the longevity of food and social securities. Aquaculture is crucial to the future supply of seafood, but challenges associated with negative impacts could impede increased production, especially production that is efficient and safe for the environment. Using the typology established by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Initiative, we describe how marine aquaculture could be influential in supporting ecosystem services beyond solely the production of goods, through provisioning services, regulating services, habitat or supporting services, and cultural services. The provision of these services will vary, depending on functional traits of culture species, biotic and abiotic characteristics of the surrounding environment, farm design, and operational standards. Increasing recognition, understanding, and accounting of ecosystem service provision by mariculture through innovative policies, financing, and certification schemes may incentivize active delivery of benefits and may enable effects at a greater scale.

The Ecosystem Services of Marine Aquaculture: Valuing Benefits to People and Nature