Training Manual on Capture Based Aquaculture Practices

Abstract

Mariculture is defined as the cultivation of marine organisms in their natural environment (Webster’s Dictionary). In other words mariculture is the rearing of the aquatic organisms under controlled or semi-controlled conditions in coastal and offshore waters. The mariculture environment thus includes sea, backwaters, estuaries and coastal lagoons. Marine organisms include both migratory species to estuaries/backwaters and non-migratory species confined only to the sea. Mariculture today includes predominantly migratory marine fishes such as seabass, shrimps,lobsters, cobia, snappers, mullets, pearlspot, milkfish etc. Most of these species are capable of tolerating variations in the environmen