Doctoral Dissertation Research: The social and environmental dynamics of aquaculture land transformations

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing animal food production sector globally and already accounts for more than half of the fish consumed worldwide. Land-based aquaculture production has increased substantially in recent decades and is expected to expand faster than marine-based production. Recent work suggests that the shift from rice to aquaculture in coastal areas is not motivated simply by profit or policy drivers. Instead, the more frequent large storm surges and salinity related to increasing environmental variability may be catalyzing the shift. There are also indications that the shift to aquaculture is not benign for either the environment or the people. The dynamic relationships between aquaculture land transformations, environmental drivers, and social-environmental consequences, however, have received relatively little empirical attention. This doctoral dissertation research project aims to explain the historical geographical patterns of aquaculture land transitions, the motivations driving these transitions at a household level, and the consequences of these transitions on the people, the environment, and places. The project investigates whether shifts to aquaculture are an adaptative response and whether this human intervention is detrimental for marginalized groups, especially women and landless laborers. An additional objective is to ascertain the extent to which these practices are potentially accelerating sea-level rise outcomes in fragile coastal areas. The project also facilitates the training of an early-career researcher to conduct interdisciplinary research. To understand the patterns, drivers, and consequences of aquaculture land transformation, the research design uses a mixed-methods approach. First, remote sensing methods and causal inferential analysis are employed to understand the relationship between past experiences of storm surges, historical changes in coastal salinity, and temporal land changes to aquaculture. Second, the researchers employ a novel, large-scale social survey to understand the specific hierarchy of factors driving household-level land change decisions. Finally, to understand the consequences of these transitions on people and places, the targeted survey on aquaculture impacts and focus group discussions, particularly with marginalized social groups, are undertaken. The project leverages a natural experiment to collect and study soil and groundwater quality changes that can be attributed to aquaculture practice. In turn, this research shows the extent to which aquaculture practices and management plans can help to balance tradeoffs between social and environmental outcomes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.