Oyster farming acts as a marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) hotspot for climate change mitigation
Bivalve farming, a vital component of global aquaculture, has been proposed as a potential marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) strategy, yet its role remains contentious. Using field mesocosms, we demonstrate that oyster filter-feeding enhances mCDR by accelerating the formation of particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the water column and promoting organic carbon deposition in sediments. This process shifts the water column toward a more autotrophic and alkaline state, effectively sequestering CO<sub>2</sub> from the atmosphere. Over the full culture period, the net carbon sequestered by oyster-driven organic carbon production is 2.39 times greater than the CO<sub>2</sub> sequestered in oyster shells. These findings position oyster farming as a scalable, nature-based solution for climate change mitigation, offering dual benefits of carbon sequestration and enhanced food security. Our results underscore the potential of oyster farming to address global challenges such as rising food demand and ocean acidification, making it a critical component of sustainable marine resource management.
Authors
- Shuh‐Ji Kao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5054-9099)
- Yi Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2736-8967)
- Yangen Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3454-0761)
- Xintong Chen
- Xuegang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9008-5914)
- Shuangjie Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9704-4118)
- Xiangli Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1629-6403)
- Wei‐Jun Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3606-8325)
- Yun‐Wei Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4550-2322)
- Minghu Pan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1520-209X)
- Yang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8548-0223)
- Li Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0980-1459)
- Xiaonan Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9775-2417)
- Sumei Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0713-8152)
- Changlin Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2449-567X)
- Jingyu Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1163-4557)
- Xuan Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7574-0543)
- Shuanglin Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0320-9136)
- Yue Qiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4714-9745)
- Jihong Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4613-8235)
- Zhou Zhang
Institutions
- Dalian Ocean University (CN)
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
- Hainan University (CN)
- Buchang Pharma (China) (CN)
- Kai Biotech (South Korea) (KR)
- Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (MY)
- Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CN)
- Ocean University of China (CN)
- Hainan Tropical Ocean University (CN)
- University of Delaware (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2025-09-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2504004122
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 12.55
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China