Aquaculture (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Flashcards
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Define aquaculture.
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Define aquaculture.
Aquaculture is the farming of fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants in controlled environments such as ponds, tanks, and coastal enclosures.
What potential does aquaculture have for global food supply?
Aquaculture has the potential to provide a sustainable way to produce seafood, meet global food demands, and reduce pressure on wild fish populations.
True or False?
Aquaculture is only practiced in marine environments.
False.
Aquaculture is practiced in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments, depending on the species being farmed.
Why does aquaculture give more stable food supplies and prices than wild fishing?
Aquaculture has more predictable yields and allows year-round production, unlike seasonal wild fishing, which depends on natural fish migration patterns.
Aquaculture uses less than commercial fishing, reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.
Aquaculture uses less fuel than commercial fishing, reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.
Why does farming fish close to consumer markets benefit the environment?
Farming fish close to consumer markets lowers transportation costs and emissions.
Define integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA).
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) is an aquaculture practice in which farmers cultivate multiple species together to maximize efficiency and profits.
How does aquaculture benefit local economies?
Aquaculture supports local economies, especially in coastal regions, and provides jobs in farming, processing, and distribution.
How can aquaculture wastewater harm marine ecosystems?
Uneaten feed and fish waste release excess nutrients that cause algal blooms, which deplete oxygen and harm marine ecosystems.
How can escaped farmed fish affect wild fish populations?
Escaped farmed fish may compete or interbreed with wild fish, altering natural populations and reducing genetic diversity.
True or False?
Aquaculture always reduces fishing pressure on wild fish stocks.
False.
Some aquaculture operations rely on wild-caught fish for feed, which increases fishing pressure on already stressed fish stocks.
Why are disease outbreaks a major risk in aquaculture farms?
High fish density increases the risk of disease outbreaks, which spread rapidly among confined fish and can spread to wild fish populations.
Using antibiotics and chemicals to control disease in fish farms can lead to antibiotic- bacteria in marine environments.
Using antibiotics and chemicals to control disease in fish farms can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in marine environments.
Which parasite can infest farmed fish and spread to wild fish?
Sea lice can infest farmed fish and spread to wild fish, affecting their health and survival rates.
Why is small-scale aquaculture important for food security in much of the developing world?
Small-scale aquaculture is a major source of affordable protein, and using local labor, ponds, and feed keeps its costs low.
Define recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).
A recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) is a set of closed, above-ground tanks used to farm fish on land, in which the same water is reused continuously.
In a recirculating aquaculture system, waste is removed by mechanical and filters before the water is returned to the tanks.
In a recirculating aquaculture system, waste is removed by mechanical and biological filters before the water is returned to the tanks.
True or False?
Recirculating aquaculture systems discharge large volumes of wastewater.
False.
RAS discharge very little wastewater, which drastically reduces pollution of surrounding waters compared with open-water aquaculture.
Why do recirculating aquaculture systems lower the risk of escapes and disease transfer to wild fish?
RAS tanks can be built far from coasts and rivers, away from wild fish populations.
What are the main disadvantages of recirculating aquaculture systems?
RAS have high upfront construction and energy costs, because pumps, aeration, and filtration run continuously. They are also technically complex, so a pump or filter failure can rapidly kill an entire stock.
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