This presentation provides an integrated overview of the key technological and operational components required for successful marine fish aquaculture, encompassing species and site selection; broodstock capture, transport, handling, sampling, prophylaxis, quarantine, feeding, and spawning; hatchery design and operations; larval husbandry techniques; weaning and nursery protocols; shipping and stocking of eggs, larvae, and fingerlings; advanced growout systems and operational practices; environmental assessment and monitoring; disease prevention and proactive health-management strategies; feeds and feeding supported by fundamentals of nutrition; and, finally, market considerations alongside comprehensive business and production planning. The growout operations are focused on offshore or open ocean aquaculture (OOA).
Basic culture methods from hatchery to harvest that were developed and have been perfected during the last forty years are presented, It also includes advanced technologies for producing several commercially important species from the science and R&D stages to commercialization.
Hatcheries are now capable of producing juveniles of commercially importat species such as cobia (Rachycentron canadum), Seriola spp, pompanos (Trachinotus carolinus), snappers (Lutjanus guttatus, L. peru and L. campechanus), yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus), totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis), olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) – among others. For some species, technology is ahead of the industry. Steady supply of high-quality juveniles is unlikely to be a bottleneck for industry expansion.
Although optimizing genetics, nutrition, and disease prevention and control remain persistent challenges, commercial marine fish aquaculture in the Americas has become a tangible reality. The foremost hurdle continues to be achieving consistent economic viability and long-term profitability.