Summary
We argue that the potential for marine sustainability must be understood within a coupled human–ocean systems framework, where ecological change is tightly linked to political-economic drivers of production and consumption or what we call critical sustainability science. Evidence from global fisheries shows that while aquaculture has rapidly expanded and wild captures have plateaued, this does not necessarily indicate conservation success. Research on the displacement and Jevons paradoxes suggests that aquaculture may add to total seafood supply rather than reduce pressure on wild stocks. At the same time, the global plastics crisis—driven by growth-oriented production systems—demonstrates how material throughput and mismanaged waste are intensifying marine pollution and ecosystem degradation. These patterns reflect what critical sustainability science describes as the “tragedy of the commodity,” in which commodification and growth imperatives can undermine ecological goals even when technological innovations promise efficiency or substitution. Across these cases, a common mechanism emerges: efficiency gains and new supply sources are absorbed by expanding markets rather than translating into reduced pressure on marine ecosystems. We argue that understanding these paradoxes requires looking beyond biological and technological variables to the economic structures shaping production and consumption, and we discuss implications for more effective marine governance.
Brief biography
Stefano B. Longo is Professor of Sociology at Gothenburg University. His research examines the interplay between social and biophysical systems, with an emphasis on political economy, food systems, and sustainable development. A key goal of his work is to integrate sociological approaches and social theory into interdisciplinary sustainability research. He is co-author of The Tragedy of the Commodity: Oceans, Fisheries, and Aquaculture and has published widely on the social drivers of ecological change in marine and terrestrial systems.
Richard York is Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon. His research combines human ecology and political economy to examine how the structural characteristics of societies—including demographic, economic, and technological factors—shape patterns of resource consumption and pollution. Both a theorist and quantitative empirical researcher, he has published extensively on the displacement and Jevons paradoxes, the sociology and philosophy of science, and the connections between animals and societies.