Whether in saltwater, brackish water, freshwater, or on land, each environment presents different opportunities and considerations.
A significant aspect of aquaculture is the location of the farms. The following general categories describe where aquaculture can be situated:
Inland aquaculture refers to raising organisms in lakes, rivers, ponds, or fabricated tanks; in other words, not in the ocean.
Near-shore aquaculture (also known as inshore aquaculture) refers to the most common type of open-pen finfish aquaculture, where the pens are located near the shore to facilitate the feeding and harvesting of the fish.
Offshore aquaculture (also known as open water aquaculture or open ocean aquaculture) is a relatively new term that refers to locating fish farms in deeper waters, some distance from the coast.
Within these categories, different methods are utilized depending on the species or type of seafood farmed. Some methods, such as small-scale bivalve farming or pond-based herbivorous fish farming, are considered low-risk and may even be restorative and sustainable. Other types, such as open-net pen carnivorous fish farming, are intensive and designed to maximize production. These intensive types are considered high risk because they raise environmental, economic, and health concerns.
in Aquaculture 101
