Abstract Land‐based Integrated Multi‐Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) offers a sustainable production model, but its economic viability is often limited by seasonal fluctuations in temperature and nutrient loads, which hinder consistent year‐round biomass production. To address this bottleneck, we evaluated the potential for a seasonal species rotation strategy by comparing the physiological performance of three economically important red seaweeds. Pyropia yezoensis , Chondrus ocellatus , and Gracilaria vermiculophylla were cultivated under a factorial matrix of three temperatures (10°C, 15°C, and 20°C) and two nutrient concentrations (HN: 500 μM of nitrogen and 30 μM of phosphorus; LN: 50 μM of nitrogen and 3 μM of phosphorus). Results showed distinct thermal niches: Py. yezoensis performed optimally in colder conditions (10°C–15°C), exhibiting severe stress at 20°C. In contrast, G. vermiculophylla was highly tolerant to warmer temperatures, maintaining high growth and nutrient assimilation at 20°C. C. ocellatus demonstrated an intermediate preference, with peak performance at 15°C but showing signs of bleaching at 20°C. These findings provide the scientific basis for a dynamic operational framework: cultivating Py. yezoensis in winter (≤15°C), transitioning to C. ocellatus in spring/autumn (15°C–20°C), and employing the robust G. vermiculophylla in summer (≥20°C). This proposed rotation strategy offers a practical pathway to enhance the stability, productivity, and environmental sustainability of land‐based IMTA systems.
Shin et al. (Tue,) studied this question.