Open research questions in Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies

What the literature leaves open

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the potential of reducing GHG emissions from UK salmon consumption. The research highlights the need to consider food loss and waste in the seafood supply chain.

  Mitigating GHG emissions from UK salmon by reducing losses through frozen as opposed to chilled supply. · 2026 · DOI

• The complexity of glycogen metabolism in shellfish. The limited understanding of the insulin signaling pathway in C. ariakensis. The need for comprehensive transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.

  Transcriptomics and Proteomics Reveals the Glycogen and Lipid Metabolism Regulating Glycogen Level in Mantle of Jinjiang Oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) · 2026 · DOI

• Climate change. Overfishing. Socio-economic marginalization. High initial costs of technological innovations. Technical literacy gaps.

  Technological Innovations in Small-Scale Artisanal Fisheries: A Systematic Literature Review of Opportunities, Barriers, and Future Directions · 2026 · DOI

• Declining conch catches. Lack of accurate statistical data. Increasing pressure on conch fisheries due to rising demand.

  Fisheries Resources Status of the Strawberry Conch (<i>Strombus luhuanus</i>) in the Amami Islands · 2026 · DOI

• Mytilus coruscus is a marine bivalve of significant economic value in East Asian aquaculture, yet the genetic basis of its high condition index-a key trait affecting yield and quality-remains poorly understood.

  Mytilus_coruscus genome · 2026 · DOI

• Proposed measures, ranging from mandatory electronic vessel identification and subsidy reform to artisanal fishery protections and stronger port controls, warrant further research into their implementation and effectiveness.

  Casting light on the workings of illegal fishing markets · 2026 · DOI

• Discussion : Ultimately, the current evidence base is insufficient for a holistic understanding of the implications of European blue food consumption.

  Disentangling global supply chains: A systematic map of research on the biodiversity and social impacts of European blue food consumption · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identified that integrating fecundity, GSI, and maturity metrics provides a framework for evaluating population resilience, but did not validate whether the Lm50 thresholds derived from this study dataset would remain predictive under future climate scenarios (temperature increase, ocean acidification, hypoxia) affecting reproductive physiology in these tropical gastropod species.

  Reproductive Biology of Dog Conch (Strombus spp. Linnaeus, 1758) · 2026 · DOI

• The study demonstrated signs of overfishing through smaller female Lm values relative to males in L. canarium, L. turturella, and S. canarium, but did not conduct age-structure analysis or implement mark-recapture studies to quantify actual population growth rates, recruitment success, or cohort-specific survival under current fishing pressure.

  Reproductive Biology of Dog Conch (Strombus spp. Linnaeus, 1758) · 2026 · DOI

• The study only examined abalone gut microbiota in urchin-barren habitats in South Korea. The research did not investigate the effects of other factors on microbiota variation. The study used a limited number of sampling sites and sampling periods.

  Geochemical factors associated with seasonal shifts in the abalone gut microbiota across urchin-barren habitats · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the relationships between geochemical factors and microbiota in abalone. The impacts of seasonal shifts on abalone gut microbiota are not well understood. The study aims to address this knowledge gap.

  Geochemical factors associated with seasonal shifts in the abalone gut microbiota across urchin-barren habitats · 2026 · DOI

• The molecular mechanisms underlying glycogen storage and metabolism in shellfish are incompletely understood. Research on C. ariakensis is relatively scarce compared to C. gigas.

  Transcriptomics and Proteomics Reveals the Glycogen and Lipid Metabolism Regulating Glycogen Level in Mantle of Jinjiang Oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of seaweed-specific policies and weak biosecurity measures. Regulatory frameworks often rely on customized license conditions rather than sector-specific regulations. There is a need for improved regulatory coordination and stronger biosecurity measures.

  Ecological risks and emergent governance needs in seaweed aquaculture · 2026 · DOI

• This study is limited by its small, localized dataset of 42 fish vendors (N=42) within the specific geographic and economic context of Bantayan Island. While total population sampling ensures local accuracy, the findings primarily reflect a tourism-dependent island economy. They may not generalize to large-scale urban markets or regions with different supply chain infrastructure. Furthermore, the analysis focused on seven specific fish species over a short timeframe, excluding seasonal variations and external costs such as fuel or trade flows. The reliance on self-reported data also introduces potential response bias. Consequently, these results should be interpreted as a localized market analysis; future research should utilize multi-regional longitudinal data to validate these market determinants across diverse geographic scales. This section presents the analysis and interpretation of data collected from fish vendors in the public markets of Bantayan Island, specifically in the municipalities of Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe. The findings are organized into demographic characteristics, price analysis, factors influencing price variation, and the relationship between vendor experience and fish pricing. III.

  A Data-Driven Analysis of Price Variations and Influencing Factors of Fresh Fish Products in Public Markets of Bantayan Island, Cebu · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in knowledge regarding the impacts of warming and salinity stress on the stability of the M. edulis-M. trossulus hybrid zone. Prior studies have investigated the impacts of warming on Arctic coastal biodiversity, but the effects on the hybrid zone stability are not well understood.

  No effect of interspecific thermal tolerance on the stability of a blue mussel, Mytilus sp., hybrid zone · 2026 · DOI

• The development of low-cost, deep-ocean communication sensors. The implementation of equitable subsidy reforms to support small-scale operators. The integration of traditional local knowledge with modern digital tools.

  Technological Innovations in Small-Scale Artisanal Fisheries: A Systematic Literature Review of Opportunities, Barriers, and Future Directions · 2026 · DOI

• Accurate statistical data are lacking because conchs are often sold directly to brokers and consumers. The data period from some islands is too short to determine a clear trend.

  Fisheries Resources Status of the Strawberry Conch (<i>Strombus luhuanus</i>) in the Amami Islands · 2026 · DOI

• Limited research efforts hinder the development of aquatic domestication, - The unique characteristics of aquatic environments explain why domestication in aquaculture is more recent compared to terrestrial animal domestication

  Critical Review of Fish Domestication in Aquaculture: Determinants, Processes, and Impacts · 2026 · DOI

• The ecological dynamics and biological uptake of microfibres in tropical lagoons remain poorly characterised. There is a lack of research on microfibre contamination in fish from Ghanaian coastal lagoons. The study aims to address this knowledge gap.

  Anthropogenic and seasonal signatures of microfibre contamination in fish from two Ghanaian coastal lagoons · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of information on the economic viability of industrial shrimp fisheries on the Amazon Continental Shelf. Prior studies have focused on biological parameters, with limited consideration of economic information.

  How do government subsidies affect the economic viability of industrial shrimp fisheries on the Amazon Continental Shelf? · 2026 · DOI

• Conventional visual inspection has limitations, including subjectivity and variability. The need for an objective and efficient method for quality control and export suitability assessment.

  A Comparative Study of CNN Models for Determining Complete Visceral Removal in Cooked Scallops for Export · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should focus on developing effective occupational health and safety interventions for the seafood industry, particularly in the Global South. Studies should investigate the impact of precarious employment and 'production pressure' on the psychosocial health of workers in the industry. Research should also explore the development of proactive and inclusive safety management systems for the industry.

  Occupational health and safety risks in the global seafood and aquaculture industry: a systematic review of physical, biological, and psychosocial hazards · 2026 · DOI

• The review identifies a gap in the literature regarding the occupational health and safety risks faced by workers in the seafood industry, particularly in the Global South. The study highlights the need for more research on the psychosocial risks faced by workers in the industry, including the impact of precarious employment and 'production pressure'.

  Occupational health and safety risks in the global seafood and aquaculture industry: a systematic review of physical, biological, and psychosocial hazards · 2026 · DOI

• The amounts of shellfish relayed annually has varied widely since 1977, ranging between 7 and 322 metric tonnes, with an average of 98 metric tonnes per year.

  A review of shellfish restoration and management projects in Rhode Island · 2000

• The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the economic and ecological effects of territoriality in the Maine lobster industry. The research aims to fill this gap by studying the impact of territoriality on the fishing effort and the industry's sustainability.

  The lobster fiefs: Economic and ecological effects of territoriality in the maine lobster industry · 1975 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies

• A review of global oyster aquaculture production and consumption · Marine Policy · 2020 · 303 citations
• Climate-Friendly Seafood: The Potential for Emissions Reduction and Carbon Capture in Marine Aquaculture · BioScience · 2021 · 143 citations
• Shellfish, Gender, and Status on the Northwest Coast: Reconciling Archeological, Ethnographic, and Ethnohistorical Records of the Tlingit · American Anthropologist · 1993 · 133 citations
• Recognize fish as food in policy discourse and development funding · AMBIO · 2021 · 131 citations
• From Blue Economy to Blue Communities: reorienting aquaculture expansion for community wellbeing · Marine Policy · 2020 · 81 citations
• Assessment of the economic performance of the seabream and seabass aquaculture industry in the European Union · Marine Policy · 2020 · 75 citations
• The oyster fishery in China: Trend, concerns and solutions · Marine Policy · 2021 · 72 citations
• Ghost fishing gear and their effect on ecosystem services – Identification and knowledge gaps · Marine Policy · 2023 · 68 citations
• Metapopulation dynamics guide marine reserve design: importance of connectivity, demographics, and stock enhancement · Ecosphere · 2016 · 60 citations
• Aquaculture policy: Designing licenses for environmental regulation · Marine Policy · 2022 · 53 citations

Most recent work

• Ecological risks and emergent governance needs in seaweed aquaculture · Journal of Applied Phycology · 2026
• Global diversity and dispersal routes of the Ostreid herpesvirus type 1 infecting Magallana gigas · bioRxiv · 2026
• Reproductive Biology of Dog Conch (Strombus spp. Linnaeus, 1758) · Advances in Biology & Earth Sciences · 2026
• Geochemical factors associated with seasonal shifts in the abalone gut microbiota across urchin-barren habitats · Frontiers in Microbiology · 2026
• Temperature effects on mariculture output in China: Evidence from causal forest analysis · Israeli Journal of Aquaculture - Bamidgeh · 2026
• First Report on the Growth Dynamics of Mytilus galloprovincialis Fouling Communities from a Finfish farm in the Bay of Souahlia, Algeria · Journal of Shellfish Research · 2026
• Limited effects of non-native Japanese eelgrass on Manila clams in Puget Sound, WA · Marine Ecology Progress Series · 2026
• Gonad Development and Larvae Distribution of the Manila Clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) in the Laizhou Bay Nature Reserve · Animals · 2026
• Exploring the scales and drivers of blue transitions of marine wild-capture fisheries to mariculture in California, U.S.A. · Environmental Research: Food Systems · 2026
• Field evidence of nylon fishing-net macroplastic embedded in the tissue of a wild pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata): A histological case observation · Marine Pollution Bulletin · 2026

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