Emergy-based Evaluation of the Sustainability of Oyster Aquaculture in Korea

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Longline suspended oyster aquaculture in Korea exhibits very low sustainability and a high environmental burden, relying on external inputs for over 88% of its total emergy rather than renewable natural contributions. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Daeseok Kang

doi:10.7846/jkosmee.2026.29.3.242

August 31, 2026Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy

Emergy-based Evaluation of the Sustainability of Oyster Aquaculture in Korea

View at Publisher

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

Key Points

To evaluate the ecological sustainability and quantify the natural ecosystem contribution of longline suspended oyster aquaculture in Korea using emergy accounting.
Conducted an emergy evaluation across the rearing, harvesting, and shucking phases of longline suspended oyster aquaculture in Korea.
Calculated key emergy indicators, including transformity, emergy yield ratio, environmental loading ratio, and the emergy sustainability index both with and without the shucking process.
Total emergy input was 2.64 × 10¹⁷ sej, with purchased external inputs accounting for 91.9% (88.4% excluding shucking) and renewable emergy contributing only 8.1% (11.6% excluding shucking).
Unit emergy values for shucked oysters were 3.48 × 10⁶ sej/J before shucking and 5.00 × 10⁶ sej/J after shucking, alongside low emergy yield ratios of 1.13 and 1.09, respectively.
High environmental loading ratios (7.62 before shucking; 11.38 after shucking) resulted in very low emergy sustainability indices of 0.15 and 0.10, with natural ecosystem contribution rates of just 11.6% and 8.1%.

Implication

Emergy analysis reveals low ecological sustainability in Korean longline oyster aquaculture, highlighting heavy reliance on external purchased inputs.

Abstract

No abstract yet. The journal hasn't published one we can show.

Discussion

No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.

Cite This Study

Daeseok Kang (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a97e237c562ede874ec63e3 https://doi.org/10.7846/jkosmee.2026.29.3.242

View at Publisher

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

Emergy-based Evaluation of the Sustainability of Oyster Aquaculture in Korea

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Emergy-based Evaluation of the Sustainability of Oyster Aquaculture in Korea

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Keep reading

Keep reading