Page 18 - IAV Digital Magazine #437

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Oyster Flatulence Worries Climate Scientists
By Sam Morgan
Plans to expand aquatic farming could have a seri- ous knock-on effect on climate change, climate experts have warned after new research revealed that underwater shellfish farts pro- duce 10% of the global-warming gases released by the Baltic Sea.
A study published in the Scientific Reports journal shows that clams, mussels and oys- ters produce one- tenth of methane and nitrous oxide gases in the Baltic Sea as a result of digestion. Therefore, researchers have warned that shell- fish “may play an important but over- looked role in reg- ulating green- house gas produc- tion”.
Methane and nitrous oxide gases have a far greater warming potential than car- bon dioxide so bodies of water without or with fewer shellfish record lower methane release rates.
Increased synthet- ic fertilizer use and agricultural activi- ties are known to have caused extensive nutrient enrichment in coastal waters and the study highlight- ed how this has been recognised as “the principal driver for the enhanced GHG flux from aquatic environments”.
Shellfish in these ecosystems process the nutri- ents and release the gases as part of their regular bio- logical processes. Farming of these organisms has
been touted as a solution to nutrient pollution in bodies of water.
Recent figures estimate that around 10% of nitrous oxide emis- sions could come from shallow aquatic systems, while anything up to 40% of methane could come from shallow sediment, although there is no clear consen- sus on this aspect, due to huge vari- ability.
The study authors insisted that although these creatures have
been releasing greenhouse gases for millions of years without a noticeable impact on the climate, things could change now because of the growing human population, its impact on the
environment and the plans to increase aquatic food production.
Population growth means that options like increasing shellfish in peo- ple’s diets are being considered. If the findings of the study hold
true for other parts of the world as well, it is possible that these plans could lead to increased green- house gas emis- sions.
Shellfish flatulence is not the first bod- ily function to be blamed for having an impact on the climate. EU law- makers in 2015 decided to exempt enteric methane, mostly found in the burps of ruminant animals like cows, from caps on methane and ammonia.
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