Advances in Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture

Dear Colleagues,

In the next 30 years, global aquatic food demand is expected to grow by 30% and meet nearly all increased global demand. To successfully expand aquaculture production, farmers must continually try to meet high sustainability standards expected by the public. In monoculture systems, waste produced from feed species (e.g., fish, shrimp, crabs, abalone, and sea urchins) can also be removed by a combination of assimilatory and dissimilatory processes, mediated by phototrophic and heterotrophic organisms. This modern form of polyculture is called integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), in which phototrophic organisms (e.g., microalgae and macroalgae) and heterotrophic organisms (e.g., filter feeders, detritivores, and bacteria) are intentionally used to remove waste from the system, while concurrently diversifying production. IMTAs can be simple systems that only integrate two organisms or they can be complex systems that integrate three or more multi-trophic-level species including filter feeders and detritivores, in addition to fed species and phototrophic organisms. Sea-based and land-based studies demonstrated that IMTA systems can have great efficiencies in waste reuse and diversified production. Interest in this topic is growing rapidly, and more research publications should be forthcoming.

This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality research on innovative IMTAs developed in marine or inland waters, including IMTA engineering and modeling, recirculating IMTA systems, the performance (e.g., growth and productivity) of all trophic levels in IMTA systems, the production and remediation efficiencies of IMTA systems, and the biology and farming of low-trophic species suitable for incorporation into IMTA systems (e.g., seaweed, shellfish, and echinoderms). We welcome the submission of original research articles or short communications and reviews.

Dr. Yuanzi Huo
Dr. Michael Chambers
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA)
• nitrogen bioextraction
• seaweed
• shellfish
• echinoderms
• low-trophic aquaculture
• bioremediation
• aquaculture environment
• IMTA engineering and modeling
• blue carbon