The term aquaculture broadly refers to the cultivation of aquatic organisms in controlled aquatic environments for any commercial, recreational or public purpose.

The breeding, rearing and harvesting of plants and animals takes place in all types of water environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, the ocean and man-made “closed” systems on land.As the demand for seafood has increased, technology has made it possible to grow food in coastal marine waters and the open ocean. Aquaculture is a method used to produce food and other commercial products, restore habitat and replenish wild stocks, and rebuild populations of threatened and endangered species.

There are many ways to farm marine shellfish, including “seeding” small shellfish on the seafloor or by growing them in bottom or floating cages. Marine fish farming is typically done in net pens in the water or in tanks on land.Freshwater aquaculture primarily takes place in ponds or other manmade systems.