Aqua Culture or Mariculture Discussion...

[Degener8]

Well when I was writing an article on Stocking your aquarium I started thinking more and more about the sustain ability of our hobby with ornamental fish and coral. I would like everyones input and resources on both aquaculture and mariculture facilities/policies/laws etc. Listings of any profit or non profit organizations etc. would also be welcome. The article got me thinking about all sorts of long term effects both good and bad and peeked my interest to find out more.

I found this article particularly interesting even tough it is several years old. Anything you can dig up would be great and even listing your own opinions on the matter would be awesome as well.

Personally I think both aquaculture facilities and mariculture have a valuable place in the future of ornamental aquariums on the broad spectrum. I just hope that the right balance can be found before it is to late for some of the wild species that are already threatened.

 

[ironworker]

i have been inerested in the same for awhile. im also concerned of the impact this hobby could have in the future. i meet more and more people getting in the hobby.

 

[Ike]

One thing that most people don't realize is that the collection if fish usually far more damaging to the marine environment than the collection of corals. This probably goes even moreso for certain types of fish such as angelfish which tend to hide in coral heads and are in higher demand. Aquaculture and mariculture facilities certainly help lower the impact, but coral collection wasn't the big problem as far as actual coral reef damage goes.

Also, by definition, mariculture is just a type of aquaculture where marine organisms are involved and are almost synonymous. This differentiation between the two in the hobby appears to have been created by retailers and adopted by unknowing hobbyists. If you try to speak to someone with a more technical background about the differences between mariculture and aquaculture that we've created in the hobby, they will look at you like you're insane.

 

[Degener8]

Actually from the research I have done so far mariculture is the growth of marine organisms in the ocean I.e.coral farms.. aquaculturr is the growth or aquatic organisms in land. That is the difference in the two classifications.

I will do more research and try to post something more significant than my memory of the articles.,

 

[Ike]

Mariculture nor aquaculture refer to a specic culture method or location. In situ and ex situ would typically be used to refer to the location of the aquaculture or mariculture. In vitro could also be used to refer to cative cultures. Culture method has it's own terminology as well, such as extensive culture, which would refer to having no control over growth and would be like many of the "maricultured" corals grown out in the ocean.