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Cambridge Public Health

 

David is building and supervising a research team focussed on innovation in underexploited and high potential fish and seafood sectors to benefit human health and environmental sustainability as well as thought leadership to guide policy. 

A key component of work is the development of novel ‘breakthrough’ aquaculture production systems. Much of this work focusses on bivalve shellfish – clams, mussels, and oysters – which are rich in protein, omega-3, and essential micronutrients, and have a lower environmental footprint than meat and many terrestrial crops. For example we are investigating the development of a new ‘Naked Clam’ aquaculture sector, involving shell-less clams which feed on wood and grow an order of magnitude faster than other bivalves. The team is also looking at developing ‘Urban Bivalve’ production systems to enable production of bivalves more rapidly, to a higher quality and food safety level, and to enable access in new locations. David collaborates with innovative global food manufacturers on research across the supply chain to help bring bivalve-based foods to the consumer mass market.

David also looks at mechanisms that could be used to drive demand of sustainable nutritious fish and seafood in place of other meat and fish products. Behavioural choice experiments have been run across University Canteens, aiming to find ways to increase consumption of sustainable bivalves and low-trophic fish. Other areas under investigation include the importance of processing to drive mass-market consumption of bivalves, the role of fish and seafood in mother, baby and brain health, and systems to drive consumption of underutilised components and by-products of fish and seafood.

David works extensively on thought leading policy related projects which aim to improve the global sustainability and performance of fishery and aquaculture food systems.  This includes developing new metrics and tools to assess production efficiency and footprint in for example in high-value finfish aquaculture and cephalopod fisheries.  It also includes projects aiming to better define our global marine activities in order to more effectively enforce policy. This work also helps to inform team work on seafood production and demand to ensure that it is highly relevant and makes wise use of resources.

Publications from Elements

Journal articles

2023 (Published online)

  • Willer, DF., Aldridge, DC., Mehrshahi, P., Papadopoulos, KP., Archer, L., Smith, AG., Lancaster, M., Strachan, A. and Shipway, JR., 2023 (Published online). Naked Clams to open a new sector in sustainable nutritious food production npj Sustainable Agriculture, v. 1
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-023-00004-y
  • 2023 (Accepted for publication)

  • Willer, DF. and Aldridge, D., 2023 (Accepted for publication). Enhancing domestic consumption to deliver food security in a volatile world Global Sustainability,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2023.17
  • Willer, DF., Shipway, JR., Aldridge, D., Mehrshahi, P., Smith, A., Strachan, A., Lancaster, M., Archer, L. and Papadopoulos, K., 2023 (Accepted for publication). Naked Clams to open a new sector in sustainable nutritious food production npj Sustainable Agriculture,
  • 2023

  • Willer, DF., 2023. Small-scale octopus fishery operations enable environmentally and socioeconomically sustainable sourcing of nutrients under climate change Nature Food,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00687-5
  • Gawel, JPF., Aldridge, DC. and Willer, DF., 2023. Barriers and drivers to increasing sustainable bivalve seafood consumption in a mass market economy Food Frontiers, v. 4
    Doi: 10.1002/fft2.282
  • 2022 (Published online)

  • Willer, D., Brian, J., Derrick, C., Hicks, M., Pacay, A., McCarthy, A., Benbow, S., Brooks, H., Hazin, C., Mukherjee, N., McOwen, C., Walker, J. and Steadman, D., 2022 (Published online). ‘Destructive fishing’—A ubiquitously used but vague term? Usage and impacts across academic research, media and policy Fish and Fisheries,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12668
  • 2022

  • Campanati, C., Willer, D., Schubert, J. and Aldridge, DC., 2022. Sustainable Intensification of Aquaculture through Nutrient Recycling and Circular Economies: More Fish, Less Waste, Blue Growth Reviews in Fisheries Science and Aquaculture, v. 30
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2021.1897520
  • Willer, D., Robinson, J., Patterson, G. and Luyckx, K., 2022. Maximising sustainable nutrient production from coupled fisheries-aquaculture systems PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, v. 1
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000005
  • 2021

  • Willer, DF., Nicholls, RJ. and Aldridge, DC., 2021. Opportunities and challenges for upscaled global bivalve seafood production. Nat Food, v. 2
    Doi: 10.1038/s43016-021-00423-5
  • 2020 (Accepted for publication)

  • Willer, DF. and Aldridge, DC., 2020 (Accepted for publication). Sustainable bivalve farming can deliver food security in the tropics Nature Food, v. 1
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0116-8
  • Willer, D. and Aldridge, D., 2020 (Accepted for publication). From pest to profit - The potential of shipworms for sustainable aquaculture Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.575416
  • Willer, D. and Aldridge, D., 2020 (Accepted for publication). Vitamin Bullets. Microencapsulated Feeds To Fortify Shellfish And Tackle Human Nutrient Deficiencies Frontiers in Nutrition,
  • Willer, D., Furse, S. and Aldridge, D., 2020 (Accepted for publication). Microencapsulated algal feeds as a sustainable replacement diet for broodstock in commercial bivalve aquaculture Scientific Reports,
  • 2019 (Accepted for publication)

  • Willer, D. and Aldridge, DC., 2019 (Accepted for publication). Microencapsulated diets to improve growth and survivorship in juvenile European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) Aquaculture,
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.02.072
  • Willer, D. and Aldridge, D., 2019 (Accepted for publication). Microencapsulated diets to improve bivalve shellfish aquaculture for global food security Global Food Security, v. 23
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2019.04.007
  • 2019

  • Willer, DF., Smith, K. and Aldridge, DC., 2019. Matches and mismatches between global conservation efforts and global conservation priorities Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, v. 7
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00297
  • 2018 (Accepted for publication)

  • Fitch, A., Orland, C., Willer, D., Emilson, EJS. and Tanentzap, AJ., 2018 (Accepted for publication). Feasting on terrestrial organic matter: dining in a dark lake changes microbial decomposition Global Change Biology,
  • 2017

  • Willer, DF. and Aldridge, D., 2017. Microencapsulated diets to improve bivalve shellfish aquaculture Journal of the Royal Society Open Science, v. 4
    Doi: http://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.171142
  • Theses / dissertations

    2020

  • Willer, D., 2020. Microencapsulated diets to improve the productivity of bivalve shellfish aquaculture for global food security