Ms.Harini Gopal, a passionate doctoral student shared her research insight on seaweed culture with shrimp-Do read.

Dear all, 

Hope you are doing well!

Today, Ms. Harini Gopal, a doctoral student from ICAR-CIFE shared her research insights on seaweed culture with shrimp, a sustainable approach for today's aquaculture.

Do read her views on this, 

Seaweed Synergy: Revolutionizing eco-friendly Shrimp aquaculture for a Greener Future. 

The expanding population has to be fed in a nutritious, equitable, and sustainable way to secure a healthy future for both people and the earth (UN, 2021). Shrimp farming is a rapidly booming sector of aquaculture. Globally, the dominant species produced in 2022 was the white-leg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), with a production volume of 6.8 million tonnes. India ranks among the top shrimp-producing nations, recording a production of 11.84 lakh tonnes in the year 2022–23. Owing to the high global demand for shrimp, many farms are shifting toward intensive farming systems that aim to maximize yield in limited space. However, this shift brings significant challenges, including the frequent outbreak of diseases, environmental degradation, and socio-economic issues like price fluctuations, which together raise concerns about the long-term sustainability of the industry. Although India’s Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) mandates that shrimp farms should establish Effluent Treatment Ponds (ETPs) to manage wastewater and reduce environmental impact, these are still largely lacking in most farms across the country. Furthermore, existing regulations do not suggest any other eco-friendly or sustainable alternatives to address ecological concerns.

Seaweeds are efficient and cost-effective biofilter which has a high capacity for absorbing N and P compounds (Azis et al., 2020). Seaweed farming is a sector with little input that lessens the adverse effects of climate change by absorbing carbon, lowering greenhouse gas emissions (NAAS, 2022). There are nearly 10,000 seaweed species globally, where 66% account for Rhodophyta, 19% for Phaeophyta, and 15 % for Chlorophyta. Out of this, 221 species have been commercially harvested for use, of which 101 species are used for food and 145 species are utilized for hydrocolloid production. Seaweed has emerged as a promising and sustainable solution, often dubbed a “millennium food” because of its rich nutritional value and environmental advantages. Seaweeds have myriad applications, such as being used as a food source, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and as a source of industrial chemicals like agar and alginates. 

Despite its importance, India’s seaweed production was only 34,000 tonnes in 2021, accounting for a mere 0.01% of global production (FAO, 2021). A total of 23,970 hectares along the Indian coastline have been identified as potential areas for seaweed cultivation, with the majority located in Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay regions. However, these sites remain largely underutilized due to several challenges, including limited awareness among farmers about government schemes, unfavorable monsoon conditions, a shortage of quality seed material, and a lack of naturally sheltered bays. To tap into this underutilized resource, the Indian government has initiated focused support under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), allocating ₹640 crores to strengthen the seaweed sector. The initiative aims to significantly boost production, setting a target of 1.12 million metric tonnes by 2025.

India has significant potential for shrimp farming, with 11.91 lakh hectares of brackish water areas suitable for cultivation. Currently, only 1.28 lakh hectares are utilized, with 1.08 lakh hectares dedicated to Litopenaeus vannamei farming, and 0.58 lakh hectares for P. monodon farming (MPEDA, 2021).  

Hence, integrating seaweed into existing shrimp farms presents a practical solution to overcome challenges like limited site availability and monsoon-related disruptions, and presents a nutrient-rich environment for seaweed cultivation. This approach can not only boost seaweed production in India but also provide farmers with an additional source of income. Additionally, this co-culturing system benefits shrimp farms as well—seaweed absorbs excess nutrients and improves water quality, creating a more sustainable and productive farming environment. 

The shrimp seaweed co-culture system has been identified as a bioremediating strategy for, 

Improving the efficiency of nutrient use, 

Maintaining good water quality, 

Overcoming environmental damage, 

Additional production of a marketable product for little additional input cost

Ensuring the system’s sustainability

There are many research works regarding shrimp-seaweed co-culture and its practical demonstration in parts of India and abroad (Harini et al., 2025; Anh et al., 2021; Sarkar et al., 2019). The co-culture system shows bioremediation efficiency of 98% TAN uptake and 86% phosphorus. Red algae have a high capacity to store nutrient reserves, thus making them figured to be efficient nutrient absorbers. Turbidity was mainly observed to be very high in shrimp monoculture due to phytoplankton and bacterial growth, and in co-culture, seaweed uptakes dissolved nutrients, which prevents the growth of microalgae and bacteria and acts as a substrate for the suspended matters to settle. Several studies have shown that the presence of seaweeds in shrimp culture units maintains good water quality and enhances shrimp growth and survival in the integration system. Seaweed growth will also improve as the uptaken nutrients from the wastewater are stored in thalli, which increases their growth. It also improves the nutritional composition of seaweed as it dwells in nutrient-rich water. Water quality is one of the most critical factors in shrimp farming. Seaweed plays a beneficial role by improving water quality, thereby reducing stress on the shrimp and supporting better physiological health.

Seaweed will act as a better nutrient scrapper in shrimp farming, resulting in the abatement of eutrophication and pollution of the natural ecosystem. Farmers have warmly welcomed this bioremediation method, and it can be successfully implemented in most shrimp farms. Given its effectiveness, this method could be considered for inclusion in shrimp farming guidelines to promote better pond management and environmental safety.

Thank you!!! 

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Article by;

Ms. Harini Gopal

PhD Research scholar

ICAR-CIFE. India. 

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