Excerpted from GAO report "Offshore marine aquaculture: multiple administrative and environmental issues need to be addressed in establishing a U.S. regulatory framework", GAO -08-594, dated May 2008.--Preface.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This volume addresses the potential for combining large-scale marine aquaculture of macroalgae, molluscs, crustaceans, and finfish, with offshore structures, primarily those associated with energy production, such as wind turbines and oil-drilling platforms. The volume offers a comprehensive overview and includes chapters on policy, science, engineering, and economic aspects to make this concept a reality. The compilation of chapters authored by internationally recognized researchers across the globe addresses the theoretical and practical aspects of multi-use, and presents case studies of research, development, and demonstration-scale installations in the US and EU.

Aquaculture (AQ) -- the raising of fish and shellfish in captivity -- has been confined to near-shore coastal waters or in other water bodies that fall under state regulation. Recently, there has been interest in expanding AQ to offshore waters, which would involve raising fish and shellfish in the open ocean, and consequently bringing these types of operations under fed. regulation. No comprehensive legislative or regulatory framework to manage such an expansion exists. Instead, multiple federal agencies have authority to regulate different aspects of offshore AQ under a variety of laws. This report identifies key issues that should be addressed in the development of an effective regulatory framework for U.S. offshore AQ. Illus.

With wild stocks declining due to over-fishing, aquaculture will have a more significant role to play in meeting future demand for fresh fish. Developments in research continue to lead to improvements in aquaculture production systems, resulting in increased production efficiency, higher product quality for consumers and a more sustainable industry. New technologies in aquaculture reviews essential advances in these areas.Part one focuses on the genetic improvement of farmed species and control of reproduction, with chapters on genome-based technologies in aquaculture research, selective breeding and the production of single sex and sterile populations, among other topics. Parts two and three review key issues in health, diet and husbandry, such as the control of viral and parasitic diseases, diet and husbandry techniques to improve disease resistance, advances in diets for particular fish species and the impact of harmful algal bloom on shellfisheries aquaculture. Chapters in Parts three and four then examine the design of different aquaculture production systems, including offshore technologies, tank-based recirculating systems and ponds, and key environmental issues, such as the prediction and assessment of the impact of aquaculture. Concluding chapters focus on farming new species.With its well-known editors and distinguished international team of contributors, New technologies in aquaculture is an essential purchase for professionals and researchers in the aquaculture industry. - Reviews recent advances in improvements in aquaculture production - Focuses on the genetic improvement and reproduction of farmed species, including genome-based technologies - Discusses key health issues, including advances in disease diagnosis, vaccine development and other emerging methods to control pathogens in aquaculture

Aquaculture is a rapidly growing, successful approach to improving diets by providing more high quality fish and shellfish protein. It is also an industry with major unresolved issues because of its negative impact on the environment. This book is a pioneering effort in the development of environmentally benign aquaculture methods.

It is also recommended that efforts be increased to farm lower trophic levels species and optimize feeds and feeding in order to minimize ecosystems impacts and ensure long-term sustainability. Similarly, risk assessments and/or environmental impact assessment and monitoring must always be in place before establishing offshore farms, and permanent environmental monitoring must be ensured. All coastal nations should be prepared to engage actively in developing the technological, legal and financial frameworks needed to support the future development of offshore mariculture to meet global food needs. The workshop report highlights the major opportunities and challenges for a sustainable mariculture industry to grow and further expand off the coast.

This book provides a scientific forecast of development in aquaculture with a focus on the environmental, technological, social and economic constraints that need to be resolved to ensure sustainable development of the industry and allow the industry to be able to feed healthy seafood products to future generations. The chapters discuss the most critical bottlenecks of the development. They encompass subjects of understanding the environmental impacts, the current state-of-the-art in monitoring programs and in coastal zone management, the important interactions between wild and cultured organisms including release of non-native species into the wild.