Empirically Linking Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries to Food Security Outcomes

Marine ecosystems and fisheries are vital to global food security, providing essential nutrients and livelihoods to millions of people. Despite increasing recognition of their importance, the empirical connections linking marine ecosystem dynamics to measurable food security outcomes remain poorly understood. Much of the existing evidence treats fish production as a direct proxy for food security, neglecting the complex pathways that mediate availability, access, utilization, and nutritional outcomes. A key limitation is the lack of integrated data on fish flows through value chains, the socioeconomic profiles of end consumers, dietary substitution patterns, the broader food system, and micronutrient dependencies within fish-dependent populations. Moreover, the literatures on fisheries and food security have evolved in relative isolation, resulting in fragmented insights. The challenge is magnified in developing countries—particularly across sub-Saharan Africa and other coastal regions—where fish represents a critical component of protein intake and nutritional security amidst diverse cultural and economic settings. Addressing this gap requires cross-disciplinary research that unites ecological, economic, and nutritional sciences.This Research Topic aims to advance empirical understanding of how marine ecosystems and fisheries contribute to food security and nutrition under varying social and environmental conditions. It seeks to interrogate the assumptions that underpin current models of fisheries-food relationships and to develop innovative, data-driven approaches that better capture the multifaceted linkages between marine resources and human well-being. Contributors are encouraged to employ frameworks that integrate ecosystem dynamics, socio-economic contexts, and human nutritional outcomes, with particular emphasis on the experiences of developing regions where dependence on fish is highest. Key questions include: How do ecosystem changes translate into nutritional and livelihood impacts? What factors shape the resilience of fish-dependent communities to environmental or market disruptions? And how can policy frameworks more effectively align marine resource management with food security goals?To gather further insights into the complex interconnections between marine ecosystems, fisheries, and food security, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Empirical tracing of fish from harvest to consumption and linkage with household or community food security outcomes• Comparative analysis of food security measurement frameworks across fishing-dependent communities in different economic and cultural contexts• Quantification of the nutritional role of wild-caught fish and investigation of dietary substitution patterns when fish access is constrained• Integration of ecological change and ecosystem projections into food security modeling and policy design• Socioeconomic vulnerability and adaptive capacity of fish-dependent populations in developing regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa• Cross-sectoral governance and market interventions supporting sustainable fisheries and nutritional outcomesWe welcome a wide range of article types, including Original Research, Review, Policy and Practice Reviews, and Perspective pieces. Topic editors: Samantha Farquhar, Lida Teneva Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82717/empirically-linking-marine-ecosystems-and-fisheries-to-food-security-outcomes