Aquaculture of the ocean Mariculture Aquaculture of the ocean

Mariculture The farming of marine organisms

Why mariculture? increase the total world food production instead of hunting marine life, cultivate it

Organisms 140 metric tons farmed a year Over 20% seaweed Less than 2% marine fish Majority are mollusks: clams, oysters, abalone, scallop, mussels

Types open mariculture – natural environments closed mariculture – artificial (controlled) environments

Modern techniques and materials earthen ponds with controlled water inlets and outlets (fish and crustaceans) cages in lakes or the ocean raceways – long, narrow earthen or concrete ponds that receive a continuous flow of water from a nearby well, spring, or stream (fish)

bottom culture – juveniles are spread out over prepared areas (mollusks) off-bottom culture – juveniles are attached to ropes and suspended from floats (mollusks)

Kona Blue Fish Farm

Controvery lack of space for habitat produce lots of waste products Excess nutrients cause harmful algae blooms The food used to feed larger fish exploit another population

Ancient Hawaiian Techniques walled fish ponds using lava rocks and coral called "loko i'a" along the coast Used "makaha", wooden gates which allowed juvenile fish to enter the ponds to feed, but prevented them from leaving once they grew larger. Story of the Fish Ponds