NOAA Researchers both develop and utilize a number of tools to aid in assessing the effects of aquaculture operations. These tools can aid farm operators and managers with site selection and environmental assessments.
Partnering with NOAA Aquaculture Labs
Finfish Genetics and Genomics Tools
Genetics and genomics are powerful biological tools for studying fish and fish populations. Just as genetic techniques are used in agriculture to select for and breed crops or animals with desired traits, these tools can be used in aquaculture. Genetic selection in aquaculture may focus on desirable traits, such as improved growth rate, disease resistance, feed conversion, or product quality. In addition to increasing profitability, farmed fish with these traits can increase resource efficiency and environmental sustainability of aquaculture operations by producing less waste, posing less of a disease risk, and using feed more efficiently. Genomics allows for broader genome-wide studies, better detection capabilities and cost effectiveness.
Learn more about genetics and genomics tools
Fish Health
Farmed and wild fish, like all animals, are susceptible to bacterial, viral and parasitic infections. Healthy farmed fish are advantageous to both aquaculturists and natural resource managers. Fish farmers depend on high survival rates and marketing healthy fish in order to keep businesses operating.
Learn more about aquaculture fish health
Aquaculture Feeds and Nutrition
Fish, both farmed and wild, require a balanced mix of essential nutrients, amino acids, fatty acids and energy. Traditionally, fish feeds have contained a high percentage of fishmeal and fish oil because the balance of nutrients most closely resemble the requirements of fish. However, partial or total replacement of fishmeal and fish oil in feeds is becoming the norm. Feeds eliminating these ingredients have been used experimentally to feed farmed Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Red Sea Bream, Grouper, White Sea Bass, and Cobia. Fish in these studies show similar growth and survival to those fed on feeds containing fish meal and fish oil.
Learn more about aquaculture feeds
Nutrient Impacts of Finfish Aquaculture
Impacts to the environment around finfish farms can occur when nutrient inputs exceed the capacity of the ecosystem to assimilate them. Uneaten feed and fish wastes are the main sources of excess organic nutrients from finfish farms. However, many potential environmental impacts and risks can be avoided with prudent farm siting, proper management, and modern technologies. Modeling interactions between farm production and environmental processes can guide decisions about industry location and practices to prevent exceeding a site’s ecological carrying capacity.
Nutrient Impacts in Finfish Aquaculture
Aquaculture Siting
Good site selection requires consideration of a number of environmental, navigational, social, and economic factors to ensure that a fish farm maintains healthy ecosystems and is economically viable. When farms are well-sited, nutrient impacts are unlikely or undetectable, ocean use conflicts are avoided, and important ecologically sensitive ocean areas and species are maintained. NOAA provides high quality science, guidance, and tools to support aquaculture siting and permitting decisions, and works with partners to ensure this information is applied in management settings.
Learn more about sustainable aquaculture coastal planning and siting tools
Wellfleet Massachusetts Oyster Farm. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Adriane Michaelis
NOAA Administrator, Dr. Richard Spinrad, Dick Jones of Blue Ocean Mariculture, and NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator, Janet Coit, at Seafood Expo North America in March 2022. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Grilled oysters with BBQ chipotle butter. Credit: Hog Island Oyster Co.
A researcher travels to deploy underwater video cameras to assess the ecological role and potential habitat benefits of a shellfish farm in Washington State.