Manila Clam and Mediterranean Mussel Aquaculture is Sustainable and a Net Carbon Sink
Aquaculture is a globally expanding industry that contributed to feeding an increasing global population. Shellfish cultivation is one of the largest sectors of aquaculture and one of the few food productions that have the potential capacity of acting as carbon sink. In fact, more than 90% of bivalves’ shells are calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), synthetized during biocalcification process, which incorporates a molecule of CO 2 . Manila clam and Mediterranean mussel are two of the major groups of cultivated shellfish. Our aim was to assess the potential role of those two bivalves’ species in the overall marine carbon balance using an ecosystem approach, and to evaluate if they can be definitely regarded as carbon sink. The contribution to CO 2 emissions (as CO 2 eq./kg of fresh products) due to farming has been also calculated as carbon-source term by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is the most shared and accepted tool for evaluating the environmental impacts of aquaculture productions. As a case study, the Sacca di Goro coastal lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) has been considered, because it is the first site in Europe for clam farming, and one of the most important for mussels. Our study has shown that for each kilogram of harvested and packaged clams and mussels, shell formation throughout the mollusk’s growth allows to permanently capture 254 and 146 g of CO 2 , in the face of 22 and 55 g CO 2 eq. emitted for farming, respectively. As a result, clams and mussel’s aquaculture could be considered as a carbon sink, with a net carbon capture capacity of 233 and 91 g CO 2 /kg of fresh product, respectively. In a wider context, bivalves’ aquaculture could be included in the carbon trading system and played a role towards the carbon-neutral economy
Year of publication: |
[2022]
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Authors: | Tamburini, Elena ; Turolla, Edoardo ; Lanzoni, Mattia ; Castaldelli, Giuseppe |
Publisher: |
[S.l.] : SSRN |
Subject: | Aquakultur | Aquaculture | Nachhaltige Entwicklung | Sustainable development | Mittelmeerraum | Mediterranean region | Treibhausgas-Emissionen | Greenhouse gas emissions | Klimawandel | Climate change |
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