Data and Code: Continued transitions from fish meal and oil in aquafeeds require close attention to biodiversity trade-offs

This dataset contains all code and selected data to reproduce the results and figures published in Clawson et al. 2025, Continued transitions from fish meal and oil in aquafeeds require close attention to biodiversity trade-offs. All code and results can also be found here: https://github.com/Sustainable-Aquafeeds-Project/feed_biodiv_impact_mapping Science for society Aquaculture is a growing industry crucial to global food security, but its biodiversity impact, particularly from feed production, remains poorly understood. We present a new spatial approach to quantify the biodiversity impacts of animal feeds, using Atlantic salmon aquaculture as a case study. We examine habitat impacts for over 50,000 marine and terrestrial species from producing feeds for global Atlantic salmon production under two feed scenarios. To reduce historical wild fish use in feeds, salmon aquaculture has increased its reliance on agricultural inputs. We show how this shift can disproportionately increase impacts for terrestrial species and highlight how careful decisions about feed sourcing are imperative to curb biodiversity impacts. As global demand for seafood continues to rise, these methods and findings can guide policymakers and industry stakeholders toward more informed decisions to improve aquaculture sustainability. Abstract Feed constitutes a considerable portion of the environmental impact embedded in aquaculture production, making it crucial for enhancing aquaculture sustainability. While previous research has evaluated the environmental pressures of feed production, no spatially explicit global biodiversity assessment of animal feeds exists. Here, we assess biodiversity impacts on 54,628 marine and terrestrial species for two simplified but plausible Atlantic salmon feeds. We find widespread impact on both marine (~89%) and terrestrial (~71%) species, though the average magnitude of impact is small. Despite minimising wild-sourced fishmeal and oil by necessity, increased agricultural dependence for feed provisioning appears to have disproportionately increased impacts on terrestrial taxa. Our results provide key information for sourcing aquafeed to minimise impacts and optimise sustainability. As the aquaculture industry expands to feed billions more, a standardised and integrative approach to assess and potentially forecast the effects of feed on global biodiversity is essential for informed decision-making.