Internship Macroalgae and bivalve aquaculture: How does co-culture alter water chemistry and the growth of organisms?

In 2022, the production of aquaculture animal species (94.4 million tonnes) overtook capture fisheries production (91 million tonnes) for the first time ever. Total aquaculture production in 2022 was 130.9 million tonnes including algal production. The co-culture of extractive species such as macroalgae and shellfish is of interest due to the differences in trophic niches and some similarities in culture methods. This co-culture helps address space constraints in coastal areas, where the social and ecological carrying capacity can be significantly limiting factors. Although it is known that macroalgae may benefit from nutrients released as dissolved inorganic matter from bivalves, other interactions these organisms have on each other are less well understood.