Farmed salmon vs Algae oil
Salmon do not make EPA and DHA — they accumulate it from algae. Taking algae oil directly removes the feed-fish demand, the sea-lice and escape problems of net pens, and the contaminant load.
Per per source
Greenhouse gaseskg CO₂e / kg
Farmed salmon
11.9
Algae oil
2
Wild fish inputkg feed fish / kg
Farmed salmon
1.2
Algae oil
0
EPA + DHAmg / serving
Farmed salmon
1800
Algae oil
500
Methylmercury riskrelative
Farmed salmon
1
Algae oil
0
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science · Our World in Data · USDA FoodData Central
Verdict
Algae oil is the original source of marine omega-3 without the fish, feed fish or contaminants.
Questions people ask
How much algae oil should I take?
Common guidance is 250–500 mg combined EPA+DHA per day; higher during pregnancy on clinician advice.