"Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lotus)."
The farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants.
Fish biology: The study of the anatomy, physiology, and behavior of fish species used in aquaculture.
Fish nutrition: The process of providing fish with the necessary nutrients to maintain good health, growth, and survival.
Water quality: The physical, chemical, and biological parameters of water that affect fish growth and health.
Aquatic ecology: The study of the interactions between aquatic organisms and their environment, including the biotic and abiotic factors.
Aquatic pathology: The study of the diseases that affect aquatic animals and their prevention and management.
Aquatic genetics: The study of genetic variation in aquatic animals, including breeding and genetic improvement programs.
Hatchery management: The management of fish reproduction and early life stages, including spawning, egg incubation, and larval rearing.
Pond management: The management of fish growth in ponds, including water quality, feeding, and harvesting.
Fish health management: The management of fish diseases, including the use of vaccines, medications, and biosecurity protocols.
Aquatic economics: The study of the economic aspects of aquaculture, including production costs, markets, and trade.
Aquaponics: The practice of integrating fish and plant production in a closed-loop system.
Sustainable aquaculture: The implementation of practices that ensure environmental, social, and economic sustainability in aquaculture.
Aquaculture engineering: The design and construction of aquaculture facilities and equipment.
Food safety and quality assurance: The management of food safety and quality issues in aquaculture, including sanitation and traceability.
Regulations and policy: The understanding of regulatory frameworks and policies that govern aquaculture practices.
Fish farming: This refers to the practice of artificially breeding and raising fish in ponds, tanks, or ocean pens for commercial purposes. Common species include salmon, tilapia, and catfish.
Shellfish farming: This includes the cultivation of mollusks such as oysters, clams, and mussels, as well as crustaceans like shrimp and crabs. These animals are usually grown on ropes, trays, or submerged nets.
Seaweed farming: This involves the cultivation of marine algae, mainly for food, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes. Seaweed can be grown in the ocean, as well as in tanks or raceways.
Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA): IMTA involves combining different species of fish, shellfish, and seaweed in a single system, where they can benefit from each other's waste and nutrients. The aim is to create a more sustainable and efficient aquaculture system.
Aquaponics: This is a type of aquaculture system that combines fish farming with hydroponics (growing plants in water). In an aquaponic system, fish waste provides nutrients for the plants, which in turn purify the water for the fish.
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS): RAS uses filtration and other technological processes to recycle water in closed-loop systems, reducing the need for large bodies of water and minimizing environmental impact.
Cage aquaculture: This involves keeping fish in large, floating cages or nets suspended in a natural or artificial water body like a lake, river or ocean. This method can be used for both freshwater and saltwater fish.
Rice-fish farming: This is a traditional practice in Asian countries of growing fish in rice paddies, which can help to control pests and fertilize the soil. This method is still used in some rural areas for subsistence farming.
Mariculture: This refers to the practice of raising fish, shellfish, and other aquatic animals in the open ocean. Mariculture can be carried out in cages, nets, ropes, or rafts, and requires careful management of both the animals and the surrounding ecosystem.
Ornamental fish farming: This involves breeding and raising fish for the pet trade, including tropical fish and koi. Ornamental fish are typically raised in aquariums rather than outdoor ponds or tanks.
"Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater, brackish water and saltwater populations under controlled or semi-natural conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish."
"Mariculture, commonly known as marine farming, refers specifically to aquaculture practiced in seawater habitats and lagoons, as opposed to freshwater aquaculture."
"Pisciculture is a type of aquaculture that consists of fish farming to obtain fish products as food."
"It is an environmental source of food and commercial product which help to improve healthier habitats and used to reconstruct the population of endangered aquatic species."
"Technology has increased the growth of fish in coastal marine waters and open oceans due to the increased demand for seafood."
"Aquaculture can be conducted in completely artificial facilities built on land (onshore aquaculture), as in the case of fish tanks, ponds, aquaponics or raceways, where the living conditions rely on human control such as water quality (oxygen), feed, temperature."
"Alternatively, they can be conducted on well-sheltered shallow waters nearshore of a body of water (inshore aquaculture), where the cultivated species are subjected to relatively more naturalistic environments, or on fenced/enclosed sections of open water away from the shore (offshore aquaculture), where the species are either cultured in cages, racks or bags, and are exposed to more diverse natural conditions such as water currents, diel vertical migration, and nutrient cycles."
"According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aquaculture "is understood to mean the farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc. Farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated."
"The reported output from global aquaculture operations in 2019 was over 120 million tonnes valued at US$274 billion."
"However, there are issues with the reliability of the reported figures."
"In current aquaculture practice, products from several kilograms of wild fish are used to produce one kilogram of a piscivorous fish like salmon."
"Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, mariculture, pisciculture, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish."
"Particular methods include aquaponics and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and aquatic plant farming."
"The FAO describes aquaculture as one of the industries most directly affected by climate change and its impacts."
"Some forms of aquaculture have negative impacts on the environment, such as through nutrient pollution or disease transfer to wild populations."