China's Taklimakan Desert isn't just dunes – it's also where delicious dishes come from. From grey mullet and grouper to salmon, Australian redclaw crayfish and Pacific white shrimp, a whole menu of marine life is thriving there.

The secret? Researchers engineered the ideal conditions by tweaking the mineral levels and ionic balance of the local saline-alkali water. In this arid landscape, aquaculture is opening up new possibilities for seafood production.