Aquaculture is the process of breeding, rearing, and harvesting of fish, shellfish, plants, algae, and other organisms in all types of water environments. As per product requirements there are some available water environment options such as fresh, marine, and brackish for aquaculture. At the time of farming, some environmental concerns need to be taken care of such as water flow considerations, parasites, pollution from effluents, handle escapees, and unhealthy culture conditions. Aquatic products especially farmed salmon and shrimps are considered as a high nutritious source of food which consists of proteins, vitamins A, B, D, and niacin, and minerals like iodine, Iron, Phosphorus and Zinc.

Market Dynamics:

Natural fisheries have limitations on how many fish can be caught and are only available during certain months/time of the year. As an alternative, aquaculture market can provide large and consistent quantities of seafood in a monitored and maintained environment.

However, diseases that develop during fish farming are not always of the same strain that is usually seen in the wild. If a specific disease does evolve, wild population of fish and other aquatic creatures could potentially be completely eliminated. Furthermore, environmental concerns related to aquaculture include water flow considerations, pollution from effluents, handling escapees, and unhealthy culture conditions is expected to hamper market growth.

Species Groups:

1. Aquatic Plants - Microalgae, also referred to as phytoplankton, microphytes, or planktonic algae, constitute the majority of cultivated algae. Macroalgae commonly known as seaweed also have many commercial and industrial uses, but due to their size and specific requirements, they are not easily cultivated on a large scale and are most often taken in the wild.

2. Fish - The farming of fish is the most common form of aquaculture. It involves raising fish commercially in tanks, fish ponds, or ocean enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases juvenile fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species' natural numbers is generally referred to as a fish hatchery. Worldwide, the most important fish species used in fish farming are, in order, carp, salmon, tilapia, and catfish.

3. Crustaceans - Shrimp farming has changed from its traditional, small-scale form in Southeast Asia into a global industry. Technological advances have led to ever higher densities per unit area, and broodstock is shipped worldwide. Virtually all farmed shrimp are penaeids (i.e., shrimp of the family Penaeidae), and just two species of shrimp, the Pacific white shrimp and the giant tiger prawn, account for about 80% of all farmed shrimp. 

4. Molluscs - Aquacultured shellfish include various oyster, mussel, and clam species. These bivalves are filter and/or deposit feeders, which rely on ambient primary production rather than inputs of fish or other feed. As such, shellfish aquaculture is generally perceived as benign or even beneficial.

5. Other Groups - Other groups include aquatic reptiles, amphibians, and miscellaneous invertebrates, such as echinoderms and jellyfish. They are separately graphed at the top right of this section, since they do not contribute enough volume to show clearly on the main graph.

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