Approximately 30% of people worldwide, regardless of social status, are deficient in one or more key micronutrient, which underpins associated morbidity and mortality rates. This, in conjunction with the global population, set to reach more than 9 billion by the year 2050, is challenging conventional means for ensuring global food security. Sustainable provision of diets high in protein, omega-3 and key micronutrients is crucial and marine bivalve molluscs offer an especially attractive solution for delivering this need. However, high quality marine coastal ecosystems, which are required for bivalve spawning and production, are falling under increasing pressures, which include climate change, over-exploitation and environmental pollution. This thesis builds on a growing interest within the marine fish aquaculture sector by considering whether the development of marine bivalve aquaculture within a controlled urban setting can help to provide a dependable, scalable and cost-effective source of sustainable, nutrient-rich food which negates the requirement for high quality coastal environments. Through a review of current bivalve farming practices and industry I highlight the complete dependency of marine bivalve operations on the oceans and identify the untapped potential of farming in landlocked regions. In this chapter, I also argue that as current food systems grapple with widescale population health challenges, urban bivalve aquaculture offers a novel solution to supply essential micronutrients to currently hard to reach locations. Beyond market expansion, I also argue that farming in controlled systems in urban buildings will mitigate or heavily reduce current health risks associated with bivalve consumption, which include toxicity resulting from bioaccumulation of pesticides, heavy metals, toxic algal bloom products, viruses and bacteria. In my next chapter, I investigate how Pacific oysters, a keystone species for the aquacul- ture industry, will fare under projected climate change-induced stressors. Through this work, I demonstrate that prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures and low pH hinders their growth and metabolic function. With the industry’s sole dependency on offshore farming, the risks posed by climate change on both ecosystems and the wider aquaculture industry only highlight the need for diversified farming methods, such as urban marine bivalve aquaculture. Understanding the short shelf-life that bivalve molluscs have, and that the development of functional urban bivalve farms will take time, I assessed the implementation of novel freezing preservation methods. Comparing gold-standard conventional blast freezing and a novel acoustic freezing method, I demonstrate greater preservation of gross tissues, micronutrients, and lipids, particularly omega-3, compared to conventional freezing methods. Part of this study also included the fortification of the mussels with exogenous vitamin A to support population vitamin A deficiency, fortification which remained stable in vivo following both freezing methodologies. This study therefore demonstrates the promise acoustic freezing car- ries as a technological advancement in the seafood industry, offering improved preservation of the nutritional and functional qualities of blue mussels, which may enhance distribution to wider markets, addressing current food security and transportation challenges. Finally, to understand consumer interest and demand for bivalves, I implemented an intervention study at one of the University of Cambridge Canteens. Beyond understanding consumer interest in mussel meals, the purpose of this study was to assess the levels to which mussel meals may or may not displace less sustainable fish and meat meals. The results of this study revealed that during the intervention period, a period in which mussel meals replaced either fish or meat options, both meat and fish meal consumption significantly increased. However, vegetarian and vegan meal proportions significantly decreased during the same intervention period. Though mussel meals were unable to displace fish and meat meals, the significant displacement of vegetarian and vegan meals is of equal importance. The results highlight a consumer interest of mussel incorporation into daily diets, and a potential for mussels to become a more prominent food choice for a section of the population at higher risks of nutrient deficiencies. The conclusion of this thesis summarizes the main findings of this thesis, and also provides an introduction to the preliminary analysis of the economic and environmental feasibility of operating closed loop marine bivalve aquaculture facilities. Together, the results of this thesis have assessed several key components of bivalve aquaculture and highlight the need for diversification of the industry towards urbanisation as a protective measure that also will enhance nutritious food availability for the growing population, helping to secure global food security.