The first of these waves was the invention of agriculture. This made possible permanent settlements and provided the opportunity for humans to control their food source, rather than accepting the risks of a hunter-gatherer life. When it comes to our exploitation of aquatic resources, we still primarily rely on hunting and gathering rather than the agricultural model. In the recent past, pollution, overfishing, and the importation of exotic pests into critical habitats like the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay have highlighted just how risky that reliance has become. Aquaculture is the way to break out of our dependency on wild stocks and take control of the production of aquatic plants and animals which have become commercially important to human society.
Aquaculture is divided into a number of specialties, some of which overlap.
Shellfish Culture refers to the cultivation of clams, oysters, or related mollusks. Ornamental Aquaculture is used to describe the raising of any living organisms for the aquarium trade. It includes freshwater, saltwater, fish, invertebrates, plants, and even micro-organisms. Crustacean Aquaculture includes lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, and related animals. Mariculture is a specific term used to describe the aquaculture of saltwater organisms as opposed to freshwater.