Editorial: Nutrition and sustainable development goal 14: life below water

Healthy and nutritious diets are of central importance to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 “Life under water” targets, as basis for the improved conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources. The availability of abundant, nutritious sources is fundamental to high quality nutrition of both aquatic animals and humans and is intricately linked to the reduction of pollution and the effects of climate change. The role of aquatic foods in sustainable healthy diets was recently revised by UN's Nutrition section (1), as a lack of sufficient strategic promotion of their dietary effects was recognized.

A policy brief with recommendations was emitted by UN on basis of the 2021 discussion article (2). Aquatic foods for human nutrition have many essential properties, being some of the best sources of vitamins A, B12, D, bioactive compounds, and numerous minerals (calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, etc.), with high bioavailability (3, 4). Aquatic foods are also significantly different in their composition and properties from most terrestrial foods and are substantial for many coastal communities worldwide.

These considerations have brought to the inclusion of the following three key messages in the published UN policy brief: Encourage diversified consumption of aquatic foods, including low-trophic aquatic foods; Ensure equitable and sustainable supply and production of aquatic foods; Democratize knowledge, data, and technologies. The following Research Topic of scientific publications contributes novel knowledge promoting Sustainable Fisheries, increasing the economic benefits from sustainable use of marine resources, and increasing research and technology for ocean health. It is organized around two main knowledge areas - Aquatic foods as marine resource for human nutrition, and Nutrition in aquaculture.