From green to blue economy: Marine biorefineries for a sustainable ocean-based economy

Abstract

Despite being a vital asset for global sustenance and economy, ocean aquatic ecosystems are in danger due to the effects of incorrect management of their resources, pollution, and climate change. Considering the seafood industry discards half of its fish-product mass in the ocean, a proper valorization of its residues would decrease not only the ocean contamination but also improve the management of marine resources and increase the sector competitiveness. With these goals in mind, ocean-based industries are adopting new sustainable production models, similar to biorefineries, which are effective for waste valorization, namely, converting low-value biomass into commercially relevant by-products. Based on a deeper knowledge of aquatic feedstocks, the development and implementation of a marine biorefinery can be fundamental to consolidate a “greener” socioeconomic development, similar to that observed in green chemistry. However, biorefineries are sophisticated multi-step systems with numerous feedstocks and commodities. Therefore, their implementation requires expertise in all stages of manufacturing, in addition to a clear vision of all raw materials, residues, and products. In this sense, with this perspective, we provide an initial overview of the current state-of-the-art on marine biorefineries and the sources and applications of their by-products. Afterward, we suggest how to integrate green chemistry and blue economy principles into ocean-based industries, aiming to support a more sustainable, profitable, and conscious ocean economy.