The nutritional value of aquatic invertebrates such as oysters, mussels, and crabs has been significantly overlooked, according to a new study led by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The findings provide one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of the nutritional contribution of aquatic invertebrates, along with new evidence to better understand their role in human nutrition and help inform more sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and food-system planning. 

Published in Nature, the study examined 30 nutrients essential for human health and found that current global production of aquatic invertebrates contains enough vitamin B12 and selenium to meet the equivalent annual requirements of more than five billion people. Current invertebrate production also supplies enough iodine, zinc, copper, and omega-3 fatty acids to meet the annual requirements of more than one billion people, highlighting the important role these foods already play in global nutrition and why we should be paying more attention to their sustainability. 

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