Andrea Alfaro

Professor Alfaro began research in marine ecology in the USA during her BSc studies at the University of California, Davis, and her MSc research at California State University, Northridge. She then conducted doctoral studies at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, College of William and Mary and completed her PhD at the University of Auckland where she investigated the New Zealand green-lipped mussel. Since her arrival at AUT University in 2002, she has been researching the complex interactions between marine organisms and their environments, in both natural (field ecology) and controlled (aquaculture) settings. She leads the Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group at AUT, which is pioneering aquaculture research using innovative bioanalytical tools and approaches that provide direct production benefits to industries in New Zealand and overseas.

The oceans make up 70% of the Earth's surface, but our knowledge about what lives in there is limited. However, our dependence on marine products continues to expand, as seafood consumption becomes more important in peoples' diets every day. While fisheries cannot sustain this growth in seafood demand, aquaculture is now the fastest-growing food production sector in the world.

Intensive aquaculture production of a number of popular species such as mussels, oysters, clams, abalone and a wide range of fish and seaweed species are cultivated throughout the world. In many developing countries, indigenous people have strong traditions of managing wild stocks and artisanal cultivation practices. However, they are not necessarily the beneficiaries of a seafood-based economy. Furthermore, many large-scale aquaculture practices are not environmentally friendly and may result in additional socio-economic burdens for these struggling communities. Highlights from around the world showcase common threads in indigenous innovation around marine resources and coastal ecosystems, and a glimpse about potential sustainability opportunities.