| Offshore mussel farms exhibit lower environmental impacts and higher growth potential compared to traditional inshore farms, positioning them as a sustainable solution that enhances the seafood industry and provides economic resilience. Offshore low-trophic farming can provide food security and restore degraded seabed, contributing to ecosystem services and marine recovery as a Biodiversity Net Gain industry.
The University of Plymouth has monitored the UK’s first offshore long-line mussel farm in Lyme Bay since 2013, using ecological and oceanographic methods to document improvements in biodiversity across pelagic, epi-benthic, and infaunal communities by creating structure and excluding the damaging effects of bottom-towed fishing. However, further studies were needed to fully assess the farm’s impact on fish habitat, commercial stocks, its spillover effects and wider ecosystem connectivity.
The Ropes to Reefs FISP project employed a multi-trophic level approach combining advanced non-destructive remote sampling techniques, such as echosounders, acoustic telemetry, multi-beam and underwater cameras. This methodology aimed to study and map the restoration of essential fish habitat (EFH), impacts to fish stocks, spillover to adjacent fishing grounds, and connectivity to a nearby marine protected area (MPA). The project used the world’s first multi-farm aquaculture telemetry network, linking mussel, scallop, and seaweed farms with a nearby MPA. The findings supported offshore low-trophic aquaculture as a nature-based solution (NbS) for sustainable fisheries management.
Collaborating with government, regulators, stakeholders, and industry, the project delivered evidence that supports Fisheries Management Plans and Sustainable Development Goals. This project integrated ecosystem service analysis and ecosystem-based approach to understand the interactions between offshore low-trophic aquaculture, fisheries, and marine conservation and evaluate its role in balancing marine conservation with the Blue Economy. These results provided regulators with data to inform ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) and guide sustainable offshore aquaculture development delivering evidence-based solutions that informs policy and supports innovative science-driven, ecosystem-focused advice.
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