Aquaculture Backwash Helps Grow Native Plants for Restoration

A project at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is documenting how water removed from aquaculture can benefit the growth of native plants being used in wildfire restoration efforts. Scientists at the University partnered with Pie Ranch, an educational farm in Pescadero, and Amah Mutsun Land Trust to produce the native plants and plant them in burned areas as hedgerows or to restore riparian areas. Lead researcher Anne Kapuscinski explains, “At a farm like this, you could easily grow the fish and grow the crops, and never the twain shall meet. BuI think the idea of integrating these systems makes a lot more sense, if you’re trying to build climate resilience.”
Related ATTRA publication: Aquaponics – Multitrophic Systems for Sustainable Food Production