aquaculture

IPA/ˈækwəkʌltʃə(r)/
KK[ˈækwəkˌʌltʃɚ]IPA/ˈɑːkwəkʌltʃər/

aquaculture — noun

1. the business of breeding fish, shellfish, or seaweed in tanks, ponds, or section

1.nounC1
Definition

the business of breeding fish, shellfish, or seaweed in tanks, ponds, or sections of the sea, usually so that people can eat them.

Example

Many coastal villages in Vietnam now depend on aquaculture rather than fishing at sea.

depend on aquaculture (typical context: replacing wild fishing)

Mei studied aquaculture at university and now runs a small shrimp farm in Tainan.

study + aquaculture (academic field collocation)

Common collocations
  • salmon aquaculture
  • shrimp aquaculture
  • coastal aquaculture
  • sustainable aquaculture
  • the aquaculture industry
Synonyms
  • fish farming

    everyday term, narrower (mostly fish, not plants or shellfish)

  • mariculture

    aquaculture done specifically in seawater

  • fish culture

    technical, refers to raising fish only

Antonyms
  • wild capture

    catching fish from natural waters rather than raising them

Grammar Patterns

[uncountable noun]

Usage Note

Uncountable; takes no plural and no article when referring to the industry as a whole ('aquaculture is growing'), but allows premodifiers naming the species or location ('salmon aquaculture', 'coastal aquaculture').

Common Mistakes

My uncle works at an aquaculture in Pingtung.
My uncle works at an aquaculture farm in Pingtung.
'aquaculture' names the activity or industry, not a single farm; use 'aquaculture farm' or 'fish farm' for the place.
The aquacultures in this region are profitable.
Aquaculture in this region is profitable.
uncountable; no plural form.

Word family

  • aquaculturist
    nounC2
  • aquacultural
    adjectiveC2
  • aquatic
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three describe raising water creatures or plants for food, but they differ in scope and register. 'Aquaculture' is the broadest and most formal term, used in academic, government, and business contexts; it covers fish, shellfish, and edible plants in any kind of water — fresh, brackish, or salt. 'Fish farming' is the everyday English equivalent, narrower because it usually means just fish, and it sounds more concrete: a learner can picture ponds and nets. 'Mariculture' is a technical subtype that refers only to operations in the sea or ocean — a salmon pen off the coast of Norway is mariculture, but a freshwater tilapia pond in Yunlin is not. So you would say 'Taiwan's aquaculture industry exports widely', 'my grandfather did fish farming for forty years', and 'mariculture is expanding into deeper offshore waters'.

aquaculture ↗fish farmingmariculture ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • aquaculture industry
  • aquaculture farm
  • aquaculture production
  • aquaculture sector

Phrases

  • sustainable aquaculture
  • commercial aquaculture
  • intensive aquaculture

Prepositions

  • in aquaculture
  • from aquaculture

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Built from the Latin root 'aqua' meaning 'water' joined to 'culture' (from Latin 'cultura', the act of tending or growing something, the same root behind 'agriculture'). The English word appeared in the late 1800s as scientists and farmers borrowed the agriculture pattern to describe growing food in water rather than on land. Its use spread quickly during the late 20th century as commercial fish farming became a major global industry.