The multidimensional contributions of island aquaculture to blue economy and sustainable development goals

Aquaculture is a critical economic engine for coastal communities, powering blue economy, enhancing human well-being, and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, its multidimensional contributions at local scales remain inadequately assessed. To address this gap, we developed an integrated sustainability framework, linking 28 indicators across social, economic, environmental, and governance dimensions to 11 SDGs. By combining field sampling, data-driven modeling, and questionnaire-based surveys, we systematically evaluate multidimensional contributions of island-based marine aquaculture to local sustainability, using Changdao Island (China) as a case. Our analysis reveals diverse ecological impacts, particularly negative impacts on water and sediment quality alongside positive effects on local biodiversity, with variation across aquaculture types. The results indicate that while contributions to social and governance dimensions are significant, there is substantial untapped potential in the ecological and economic dimensions, particularly in mitigating marine pollution and stimulating economic development. Moreover, aquaculture sectors offer substantial contributions to SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), both scoring above 4.0 (on a 5-point scale). In contrast, contributions for SDG 14 (Life below water) are highly variable across its specific targets. The results also show strong synergistic relationships among the SDGs and their associated targets, suggesting that sustainable mariculture practices can generate cascading positive impacts across multiple dimensions of sustainable development. This study provides an evidence-based framework to guide marine aquaculture practices towards a more synergistic alignment with environmental sustainability goals, blue economy development, and human well-being enhancement.