Embargo Period

11-17-2025

Degree Name

MA in Climate Change and Global Sustainability

First Advisor

Dr. Shaun Ogilvie

Second Advisor

Dr. Jonathan Richard Walz

Abstract

This study assessed the feasibility of integrating two pre-existing aquaculture activities in Akaroa Harbour, Aotearoa New Zealand into an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system. The cultivation of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) presents an opportunity to improve the sustainability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) farming by introducing alternative food sources for salmon, which can be used to produce fish feed locally, enhancing the self-sufficiency of the community and boosting the holistic efficiency of the system. Macroinvertebrates residing in giant kelp wrack were collected, identified, and quantified to determine if any of the Macrocystis-associated specimens could serve as an appropriate replacement for fish meal content in salmon feed, and at what scale salmon production could be supported by this alternative feed. The suggested invertebrate for fish meal is the Talitrid amphipod, which feeds on kelp wrack in the supralittoral zone of the coasts of Aotearoa. At an ideal kelp density of 2,500 plants per hectare over the 130 hectares planned for Macrocystis cultivation in the Harbour, 0.29 tonnes of Talitrids could be produced, enough to feed 1.12 tonnes of Chinook salmon at a feed composition of 15% amphipod meal. While this would only be sufficient for 0.001% of Akaroa King Salmon’s annual fish production, it represents the opportunity for a pilot project to determine if Talitrids are a sufficient fish meal replacement to enable local production of fish feed and reduce the level of overseas outsourcing needed for Ōnuku, the hapū of Akaroa. Interviews revealed that IMTA methodologies are aligned with community aspirations and Māori worldviews, with positive implications for potential implementation. Given the capacity to trial Talitrid aquaculture feed at a small-scale within the existing system, this study shows promise for future research and avenues for alternative and sustainable aquaculture systems in Aotearoa.

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Biodiversity | Climate | Natural Resources and Conservation | Place and Environment | Sustainability | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

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