Mariculture refers to the cultivation of marine organisms in seawater, usually in sheltered coastal or offshore waters. The farming of marine fish is an example of mariculture, and also is the farming of marine crustaceans (such as shrimp), molluscs (such as oysters), and seaweed.
Types of mariculture:
Seawater ponds (Prawns; Fish; Eels; Crayfish)
In seawater ponds, marine species are grown in ponds which get water from the sea. This has the benefit that plankton present in the seawater can be used as a food source.
Tank farming (Prawn brood stock tanks; Prawn culture tanks; Barramundi)
Some species grow well in tanks which are aerated and have a continuous exchange of water to keep the dissolved oxygen levels high and remove wastes.
Algaculture is the type of aquaculture that cultivates algae. Most algae harvested is either microalgae (phytoplankton, microphytes or planktonic algae) or macroalgae (seaweed) which can be hard to grow. Microalgae are easier to harvest on a large scale.
Sea Cage farming (Salmon; Tuna; Snapper; Mulloway; Barramundi)
At the age of one young salmon are transferred to cages in the sea. The salmon are fed an artificial diet, specially prepared to maximise growth. Adults are harvested after two years wwighing approximately 3 to 4 kg.
Long Line farming (Pearl oysters, Mussels)
This method is used for offshore culture. It uses a series of styrofoam floats arranged in a row. The long-line is secured at each end with two anchors. One long-line is 100 m long and consists of about 51 floats connected by a polyurethane rope 15 mm in diameter.
Raceway farming (Abalone; Oysters; Algae; Barramundi)
Raceways are usually large concrete tanks, generally 30 m long, 3 to 10 m wide and 1 m deep and usually have higher flow rates than pounds.
Fish hatcheries are used to breed a large number of fish in an enclosed protected environment. Such an environment greatly increases the chances of survival of the fish fry.
Integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) is a more advanced system of aquaculture. , different species with various nutritional needs are combined into one system.
