(Photo by Han Jiajun/VCG via Getty Images)
Aquaponics, an integrated system for growing plants from water tanks (hydroponics) that are used to cultivate fish (aquaculture), addresses the intersecting challenges of food demand, resource scarcity, and sustainability. In this ecosystem, fish excreta release nutrients to feed plants, which in turn work as a biofilter to purify the water to cultivate fish. In the photo above, employees at an aquaponic site in Qingdao, Shandong Province of China, assess vegetable and plant growth around a fishing pond.
Last Look is a recurring
photography feature on the final pages of SSIR’s print magazine, featuring
images that inspire from around the world of social innovation. For more from
SSIR’s Summer 2024 issue, go here.
Read more stories by Marcie Bianco.