Learn more about this increasingly important industry
The term aquaculture broadly refers to the cultivation of aquatic organisms in controlled aquatic environments for any commercial, recreational or public purpose. The breeding, rearing and harvesting of plants and animals takes place in all types of water environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, the ocean and man-made “closed” systems on land.
![Oyster harvest in Shelton, Washington. (Image credit: NOAA) Oyster harvest in Shelton, Washington.](/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_width_1275/public/legacy/image/2019/Jun/oysterharvestinsheltonwa_1440x600.png?itok=_SkA1A9C)
Oyster harvest in Shelton, Washington. (Image credit: NOAA)