aquaculture

noun

aqua·​cul·​ture ˈä-kwə-ˌkəl-chər How to pronounce aquaculture (audio)
ˈa-
variants or less commonly aquiculture
: the cultivation of aquatic organisms (such as fish or shellfish) especially for food
aquacultural adjective
aquaculture transitive verb
aquaculturist noun

Did you know?

For most of the modern history of aquaculture, only costly fish and shellfish like salmon and shrimp were harvested. But new technologies are allowing cheaper and more efficient cultivation of fish for food, and such common fish as cod are now being farmed. Seaweeds and other algae are also being grown--for food (mostly in Asia), cattle feed, fertilizer, and experimentally as a source of energy. Aquaculture is now the world's fastest-growing form of food production.

Examples of aquaculture in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So fisheries sell and ship the fish to aquaculture buyers in China, who raise the eels to maturity over about a two-year period in tanks. Anne Field, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 They are harvested from rivers and streams in Maine, sold to aquaculture companies and raised to maturity, then resold as food. Patrick Whittle, Quartz, 5 Feb. 2024 These shifts have resulted in a regional loss of $94 billion a year for tourism, aquaculture and fisheries, according to a study published in 2021 in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, a scholarly journal. Arielle Paul, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 The bottom-feeding carp were imported to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s to help rid southern aquaculture farms of algae, weeds and parasites. John Myers, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2024 In all, the bacterium causes substantial economic losses to aquaculture worldwide. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 1 Sep. 2023 The growth of aquaculture has more than halved the U.S. shrimp fleet since the 1990s. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2024 Salmon is a hot commodity: its aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production system in the world. Dasha Afanasieva, Fortune Europe, 21 Jan. 2024 Sergeeva is well-traveled and known widely for her aquaculture expertise. Elettra Pauletto, Harper's Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aquaculture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin aqua + English -culture (as in agriculture)

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aquaculture was in 1864

Dictionary Entries Near aquaculture

Cite this Entry

“Aquaculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aquaculture. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aquaculture

noun
aqua·​cul·​ture ˈak-wə-ˌkəl-ˌchər How to pronounce aquaculture (audio)
äk-
: the cultivation of living things (as fish or shellfish) naturally occurring in water
aquaculturist noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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