Open farming systems

Brandon Hargraves and Alaeddine Aichouch reflect on the constraints facing temperate seaweed-producing regions and argue that scalable tropical red seaweed will be central to meeting the sector’s growing biomass demands.

Over the course of two decades, Ferme Marine de Mahébourg has managed to establish an expansive red drum farm in the lagoon in Mauritius, proving that aquaculture can thrive alongside tourism.

Drawing on new research into seaweed aquaculture and blue-carbon markets, Dr Ravi has created a regional framework to assess where seaweed farming could one day earn carbon credits and what is still needed to demonstrate net climate benefits in a form carbon m…

In Santa Catarina, a rising red seaweed aquaculture sector is turning fresh coastal biomass into high-value biostimulants, positioning Brazil to develop a domestic alternative to imported products.

Ryan Marchington has played a key role in the development of New Zealand’s seaweed farming sector through his work at Greenwave Aotearoa – working with mussel farmers and Māori communities to help grow a new industry.

By combining ocean intelligence with training and buy-back schemes, MarinElixirs is de-risking cultivation, integrating the value chain and turning fresh seaweed into higher-value biostimulants within hours of harvesting.

Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is an extreme place to make a living, with shellfish growers facing high risks as well as large potential rewards. 

Arapaima have long been touted as a promising genus of fish for farming, but there are still some major research hurdles to be cleared before they can be produced efficiently enough to be economically viable.

Dr Manoj Sharma is not only the pioneer of shrimp farming in Gujarat is but also credited with creating livelihoods for thousands of farmers who had been struggling to grow crops in the state’s salinised land.

Michelle Mbeo, founder of Kenyan tilapia producer Lake View Fisheries, explains her ambitions – both for the company and for the country’s aquaculture sector as a whole.

Dr Judith Brown, director of the Isle of Skye Mussel Company, details the highs and lows of her journey to learn the skills needed to farm mussels on the west coast of Scotland. 

Omega Farm in Fujairah is one of pioneers of fish farming in the UAE, combining innovation, sustainability, and a strong focus on research and development.

Francisco Murillo is perplexed by the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on failing RAS projects, when a fraction of the funding could help proven businesses like Tropo Farms produce tens of thousands more tonnes of tilapia a year.

For a decade Tom Ashton has held a fascination with Scotland's native oyster, and today has made it his mission to make the species a commercial and environmental success.

Tran Van Van swapped a career as a civil engineer for one in aquaculture, founding the Minh Phu International Joint Stock Company, which produces tilapia, catfish and mitten crabs.