Editorial: Recent advanced techniques for sustainable aquaculture production

integrating complementary advances that enhance resource efficiency, fish health, ecosystem conservation, and economic viability. This Research Topic has attracted considerable international attention, highlighting the growing scientific emphasis on sustainable aquaculture and interdisciplinary collaboration.The primary focus in this collection is the transformation of aquaculture through improved production systems. Technologies including recirculating aquaculture systems, biofloc technology, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, and recirculating biofloc systems demonstrate significant potential to minimize water consumption, improve nutrient recycling, and reduce waste discharge. These techniques provide high-density production while reducing dependence on freshwater and mitigating environmental effects. Recent evaluations emphasize enhanced feeding techniques for these intensive systems, concentrating on optimal nutrient utilization and sustainable development.Similarly, the way we think about fish nutrients has changed. The substitution of conventional fishmeal and fish oil with alternative protein and lipid sources, such as insect meals, microbial proteins, algae-derived components, fermented agricultural by-products, and aquatic macrophytes, facilitates the advancement of circular bioeconomies. Functional feeds, augmented with probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics, immunostimulants, medicinal plant extracts, and bioactive substances, boost disease resistance, gut health, and feed conversion efficiency while reducing reliance on antibiotics. These dietary improvements enhance animal welfare, promote environmental sustainability, and bolster economic resilience.Efficient disease management is essential for sustained aquaculture. Contemporary approaches prioritize preventative health measures over exclusive reliance on chemotherapeutics, encompassing immunization, immune-nutrition, molecular diagnostics, biosafety protocols, selective breeding for disease resistance, and enhancements in water quality. This Research Topic highlights advancements in shellfish immunity, aquatic animal health, and innovative biosafety technology, all of which bolster farm resilience against diseases. Transitioning to preventative healthcare is essential for sustainable aquaculture practices.The integration of molecular biology and genomics is rapidly transforming breeding and conservation initiatives. Techniques such as high-throughput sequencing, genomic selection, transcriptomics, mitochondrial DNA analysis, environmental DNA (eDNA), and marker-assisted breeding provide precise identification of improved broodstock, monitoring of genetic diversity, and conservation of threatened aquatic species. These molecular techniques enhance aquatic efficiency while promoting biodiversity and ensuring long-term ecosystem health. This collection of papers underscores the growing importance of genetic methodologies in commercial aquaculture and conservation biology.Digital aquaculture technologies, including artificial intelligence, IoT sensor networks, machine vision, underwater robotics, cloud computing, digital twins, and real-time environmental monitoring, enable more accurate management. These instruments provide ongoing monitoring of parameters such as dissolved oxygen, temperature, ammonia levels, fish behaviour, feeding efficiency, underwater surveillance, and health, helping farmers make informed decisions while reducing labour and operational expenses. Furthermore, predictive analytics and decision-support systems enhance efficiency by identifying disease risks and environmental challenges at an early stage.Environmental sustainability challenges include climate change, water scarcity, microplastic contamination, eutrophication, and novel pollutants, which increasingly jeopardize aquatic ecosystems. This collection of research tackles these issues via enhanced environmental monitoring, ecological risk assessment, and ecosystem-oriented management.Research on dissolved oxygen, microplastic toxicity, and aquatic ecosystem health provides critical insights for developing resilient aquaculture systems that can adapt to environmental changes. This evidence highlights the necessity of integrating environmental stewardship into aquaculture policies. This Research Topic highlights the growing significance of circular economy ideas.Aquaculture waste is being regarded as a resource instead of just refuse. Fish by-products can be converted into collagen, nutraceuticals, fertilizers, biofertilizers, animal feed, and bioactive chemicals, thereby enhancing resource efficiency and mitigating environmental impacts. Moreover, aquatic vegetation and microbial systems facilitate nutrient reclamation and water filtration, promoting closed-loop systems that enhance sustainability across the entire value chain.Despite substantial technological advances, achieving sustainable aquaculture requires more than innovation. Elements including societal acceptance, economic feasibility, governance, agricultural education, equitable access to technologies, and supportive policies are equally essential. Small-scale producers, particularly in developing countries, encounter significant obstacles like insufficient capital, limited technical expertise, and inadequate infrastructure when implementing new technologies. Sustainable intensification strategies must be tailored to local ecological, economic, and cultural contexts to ensure that the benefits of technological advancements are accessible to producers of all scales. This Research Topic emphasises the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration.Input from nutritionists, veterinarians, geneticists, engineers, environmental scientists, microbiologists, economists, and policymakers indicates that sustainable aquaculture relies on integrated solutions rather than fragmented approaches. This form of collaboration not only accelerates scientific advances but also facilitates the translation of research findings into practical improvements that benefit fish farmers, entrepreneurs, and consumers (Figure 1).In the future, several critical research goals must be addressed. Future endeavors should focus on developing climate-resilient aquaculture systems, reducing dependence on finite marine feed resources, advancing selective breeding through genomic technologies, enhancing the use of artificial intelligence in farm management, prioritizing the welfare of aquatic animals, refining disease surveillance, and facilitating ecosystem restoration through nature-based solutions. Furthermore, harmonized regulations, multinational research partnerships, open data dissemination, and capacity-building initiatives will be essential to accelerating the worldwide adoption of sustainable technologies.The success of this Research Topic underscores the substantial progress achieved by the international aquaculture research community. The published studies illustrate that sustainability and productivity may coexist, propelled by scientific innovation and judicious resource use. Collectively, these studies offer pragmatic solutions that correspond with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing food security, sustainable agriculture, climate action, biodiversity preservation, and poverty alleviation.As Guest Editors, we express our gratitude to the authors for their outstanding scientific contributions, to the reviewers for their meticulous and constructive criticism, and to the Frontiers in Aquaculture editorial team for their professional assistance during the publication process. This collection aims to stimulate interdisciplinary research, foster new collaborations, and accelerate the global transition to resilient, sustainable, and socially inclusive aquaculture systems. By harmonizing scientific advancement with ecological conservation, the aquaculture sector can continue to provide nutritional sustenance, sustainable employment, and healthy aquatic environments for future generations. The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.The author(s) declared that Generative AI was not used in the creation of this manuscript.