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When it comes to using water bodies, aquaculture is one of the most exploited areas used to produce food. Aquatic is a farming process of breeding, rearing, and reaping aquatic plants and animals in controlled water bodies such as ponds, streams, rivers, oceans, and lakes.
The primary purpose of having these agriculture jobs includes food production, saving endangered species, restoration of species, enhancing wild stock populations, promoting fish cultures, building aquariums, and restoring damaged habitats. There are different kinds of aquaculture setups, and below are the best six.
1. Mariculture
Mariculture is a process of using seawater to carry out the aquaculture process. This agricultural process is done next to oceans, sanctioned parts of the oceans, or fish ponds filled with seawater. Mariculture is used to rear seawater animals and plants, including mollusks, prawns, seaweed, and all types of shellfish.
Seaweeds make up the Mariculture, and together with the animal species, they are used in manufacturing industries, including jewelry and cosmetics. Collagen, which is subtracted from the seaweed, is used to manufacture body creams, while pearls from mollusks are best used to enhance fashion.
2. Fish Farming
Fish farming is the larger part of aquaculture and involves choosing the best fish for selective breeding, which can be done in seawater or freshwater. Its intended purpose is to produce healthy food for human consumption. This popular aquatic method is practiced worldwide, and it provides a cheap protein source in many households.
As compared to other setups, fish farming is easy and cheaper to implement since you only need the right fish food and the right temperatures. The process is also not land-intensive, and one can construct a structure like a fish pond, which can help carry out this kind of farming. The types of fish that can be reared through this process include tilapia, tuna, cod, halibut, and trout.
3. Algaculture
Just like the name alga, algaculture involves the farming of algae. Algae are living things known as microbial organisms which portray both animal and plant characteristics. They can be motile, just like the microbes, but they have chloroplasts, making them green in color, thus undergo photosynthesis as plants.
To enable them to perform better and for economic feasibility, algae need to be grown and harvested through this Algaculture process. They have several uses, with some technological companies using them as a source of energy. To venture into this business, you only need the structures constructed before developing your algae agribusiness.
4. Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture – IMTA
IMTA is a sophisticated aquaculture process that involves farming different trophic levels in one system. All organisms and plants depend on each other for nutrients and survival. According to agricultural experts, this is the most efficient system since it naturally incorporates the much needed ecological system.
The method uses the intertropical resource transfer method, where the waste of larger organisms is used as food by the smaller creatures. With this farming method, all nutrients are recycled and used, meaning it prohibits waste and produces more products.
5. Inland Pond Culture
Inland pond culture uses inland constructed ponds to help in fish and other organisms farming. These artificial ponds usually measure about 20 acres and vary from 6ft to 8ft deep. They also have aeration systems that regulate air into the pond to sustain the living organisms.
Other than supplying air, these aeration systems prevent ice formation on these artificial ponds, especially during winter. This inland pond culture is best utilized in China, where at least 75% of freshwater fish is produced. The United States is also using this method to farm catfish in large volumes.
6. Recirculating systems
Recirculating systems are an aquaculture method where fish are reared in closed chambers. One chamber keeps the fish, while the other regulates the water. It involves using electricity, where pumps help regulate the water from the treatment tank to the fish tank.
The pumps also help in removing particulate matter and bad air from the system. It is a controlled system where salinity, oxygen, temperatures, and other conditions are controlled to avoid harming the fish. It is an efficient aquaculture system since less water is used, and the matter gets turned into several uses.
There are several benefits to adopting any of the aquaculture systems. Some of these include providing an alternative food source, alternative fuel source, increased job markets, increased seafood, and maintaining the environment. You can get any of the systems constructed by experts in the field.
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Source: https://www.sociallykeeda.com/aquaculture-setup/