What is mariculture?

It is a branch of aquaculture reserved for aquatic organism reared in saltwater.

Mariculture is defined as ‘the cultivation, management and harvesting of marine organisms in their natural habitat or in specially constructed rearing units, e.g. ponds, cages, pens, enclosures or tanks.’

According to FAO, as the total worldwide fisheries yield from exploitation of wild stocks has declined, the production from mariculture has increase.

Under mariculture, finfish, shellfish and algae are raised under favorable conditions that promote their growth until they are large enough to be harvested as food for people.

As in farming endeavor, the intent is to maximize the growth of the animal or plant in the shortest time. 

Examples of marine organism raised by mariculturists include oysters, mussels shrimp, salmon and plaice. 

There is no doubt that mariculture will continue to expand throughout the world in response to increasing demands for more protein for human consumption and to a lesser extent, to supply luxury foods such as salmon and lobster or other commodities.

For a successful mariculture enterprise, expertise in a variety of disciplines, namely engineering, physiology, nutrition, pathology, ecology, feed technology, microbiology and economics are required.

Mariculture also depends on coastal sites, whether cultured species are grown in enclosures in the natural environment or in land based facilities that depend on water pumped from a nearby marine source.

Most successful mariculture operations are found in developing countries where high temperatures give rise to a quick turnover leading to a harvestable crop within a few months.
What is mariculture?