Manman Li¹ , Liping Liu²

1 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China
2 Tropical Marine Fisheries Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 6   
Received: 30 Oct., 2025    Accepted: 16 Dec., 2025    Published: 31 Dec., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

In recent years, with the increase in market demand and the emergence of economic benefits, the tropical sea cucumber farming industry has developed rapidly. Sea cucumbers, as benthic animals, have the functions of biological disturbance and potential ecological purification. However, intensive and large-scale breeding have also brought about many environmental impact problems. This study aims to comprehensively assess the environmental impact of tropical sea cucumber farming practices, with a focus on analyzing the mechanisms and degrees of their effects on sediment conditions, water quality parameters, and ecosystem diversity. It also aims to summarize various farming models and management techniques, explore changes in biodiversity and ecological service functions, and present typical case studies of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the South China Sea. Research has found that sea cucumber farming at moderate density helps improve sediment quality and promote nutrient cycling. However, under poor management conditions, it is prone to cause local water eutrophication, imbalance in microbial community structure and decline in ecosystem stability. Multi-nutrient-level integrated aquaculture (IMTA) demonstrates a strong environmental adaptability. This research helps to deepen the understanding of the environmental impact of tropical sea cucumber farming and provides theoretical basis and practical reference for eco-friendly aquaculture policies and technologies.

Tropical sea cucumber farming; Environmental impact assessment; Sediment ecology; Multi-nutrient-level integrated aquaculture (IMTA); Sustainable aquaculture