RIYADH: Oysters, mussels, crabs and other aquatic invertebrates may be making a far greater contribution to global nutrition than previously recognized, according to a new study led by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
The study, published in the journal Nature and featured on the KAUST website, examined 30 nutrients essential to human health and found that current global production of aquatic invertebrates provides enough vitamin B12 and selenium to meet the equivalent annual requirements of more than 5 billion people. It also supplies enough iodine, zinc, copper and omega-3 fatty acids to meet the annual requirements of more than 1 billion people.
The findings challenge the way aquatic food systems are commonly assessed, with production often measured by the amount of food harvested rather than the nutrients it delivers.
“For far too long, we have measured success of aquatic food systems in tons of production, rather than in the nutrients they deliver to people,” said Jessica Zamborain-Mason, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of marine science at KAUST.
The research team said incorporating nutritional value into decisions on fisheries, aquaculture and food systems could help governments pursue healthier diets while ensuring marine resources are managed sustainably.
Researchers compiled nutritional data from hundreds of aquatic invertebrate species and used predictive models to estimate nutrient content for more than 50,000 potentially edible species. The models were based on species-specific environmental, ecological and life-history traits, addressing major gaps in available nutritional data.
The resulting estimates will be incorporated into SeaLifeBase, a major online database of marine species, giving researchers and policymakers broader access to information on the nutritional value of aquatic foods.
The study found that invertebrates can provide disproportionately large amounts of key micronutrients compared with their share of production. In aquaculture, for example, they account for about one-third of production by weight but provide more than half of the supply of nutrients including iodine, vitamin B12, vitamin C and iron, according to the study.
Processing can also affect nutritional value. The researchers found that 100 grams of dried invertebrates often contain higher concentrations of minerals than raw tissue, pointing to potential opportunities to improve nutrition through food processing while reducing waste.
The study is not a call to harvest more aquatic species, the researchers stressed. Instead, it provides evidence for considering nutrition alongside ecological sustainability when managing fisheries and developing aquaculture.
Many aquatic invertebrates remain poorly studied or unassessed for sustainability, Zamborain-Mason said, underscoring the need to better protect, monitor and assess these resources.
The researchers hope the findings will help governments, industry and international organizations incorporate nutrition more fully into fisheries, aquaculture and food policies, while highlighting areas where more research and nutritional data are needed.
As countries seek more resilient food systems, the study argues that measuring how much food is produced is only part of the equation. Understanding the nutrients that food provides may be just as important.