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Scott Nichols is an American inventor and marketer in the fish farming sustainability space.^[1] He promoted the process of using a yeast rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) as an alternative food source for farmed salmon. Nichols received the SeaWeb Innovation Award in 2012 and the IntraFish Seafood International Marketer of the Year Award in 2015. He co-founded Verlasso and founded Food's Future.^[2] He serves on the board of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.^[3]

Before starting Food's Future,^[4] Nichols was a fish farming businessman and scientist.^[5] Nichols utilized a salmon diet using yeast that did not rely on wild fish to provide the EFAs in farmed salmon diet. By decreasing the ratio between wild fish consumed to salmon produced, yeast rich in EFAs reduced dependency on wild fish.^[6]

Nichols received his doctorate in biochemistry from UCLA. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is on the List of Wharton School Alumni.^[7]

In 2001, Nichols began his career at DuPont as a researcher and new business developer. He holds over 40 patents.^[8]

In 2006, Nichols co-founded Verlasso Harmoniously Raised Fish as part of a project between DuPont and AquaChile to farm salmon sustainably.^[9] During his tenure at Verlasso, Nichols helped bring about the transition to using enriched yeast to break aquaculture's reliance on wild fish to provide omega-3s required for salmon diets.^[10] This development served as one of the reasons Seafood Watch, a program from the Monterey Bay Aquarium that recognizes environmentally responsible fish farming practices, named Verlasso salmon a “good alternative” in 2013.^[11] Verlasso Atlantic Salmon were the first ocean-raised salmon to receive this distinction from Seafood Watch.^[12]

Changing the salmon's diet to include yeast reduced the number of wild fish necessary to raise healthy salmon. The Blue Marine Foundation noted the fish in/fish out ratio decreased from 3:1 to 1:1 when the omega-rich yeast replaced fish oils in salmon diets.^[13] This reduction did not stop discussion over whether the advancement was enough to shift public opinion on fish farming and modified fish food.^[14]

Nichols is an opponent of genetically modified salmon due to his views that the method would damage the environment and fish ecosystems along with the future of food, and the salmon market. During a congressional hearing held on December 15, 2011, Nichols’ beliefs were mentioned during the discussion of benefits and problems caused by genetically engineering fish.^[15]

In 2015, after leaving Verlasso, Nichols started Food's Future, LLC, an aquaculture consultancy for economically and environmentally sustainable ventures. Food's Future is based on Nichols’ belief that the growing population brings new challenges to sustainable aquaculture. Nichols gained the support of the Global Aquaculture Alliance when he said changes in the climate and population demand improvements to fishing farm practices.^[16]

From 2005 to 2011, he served on the board of directors for the JRS Biodiversity Foundation.^[17] In 2016, Nichols was elected to the board of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

• 2015 IntraFish Seafood International Marketer of the Year Award ^[18]