Aquaponic Systems for Sustainable Food Production
Summary
Aquaponic systems integrate recirculating aquaculture and soilless plant cultivation to create a closed-loop environment in which fish waste supplies nutrients for plant growth while plants and biofilters purify water for fish. By combining hydroponic techniques with aquaculture, these systems achieve high resource-use efficiency, reducing water consumption by up to 90% compared with conventional agriculture and minimising synthetic fertiliser inputs. Enhanced nutrient cycling through microbial biofilters supports a balanced ecosystem, allowing production of diverse vegetables, herbs and fish within controlled environments, from urban rooftop farms to rural greenhouses. Advances in system design, automation and real-time monitoring have improved operational stability, while emerging strategies such as system decoupling, algal co-cultivation and integration of Internet of Things sensors are increasing productivity and economic feasibility. Globally, aquaponics offers a promising response to food security, water scarcity and sustainable intensification challenges.
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Aquaponic Systems for Sustainable Food Production publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in aquaponic systems for sustainable food production across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Aquaponics: A soilless farming method combining recirculating aquaculture and hydroponics to form a mutually beneficial nutrient and water cycle.
Hydroponics: A technique for growing plants in nutrient-rich water solutions without soil, allowing precise control of nutrient delivery.
Recirculating aquaculture system (RAS): An intensive fish culture approach in which water is continuously filtered and reused, reducing water requirements and waste discharge.
Biofilter: A microbial medium in which nitrifying bacteria convert fish waste ammonia into plant-available nitrates, sustaining the aquaponic nutrient cycle.
Decoupled aquaponic system (DAPS): A configuration that separates aquaculture and hydroponic loops to optimise conditions independently for fish and plants.
References
- Influencing factors for the plant growth patterns in hydroponic and aquaponic environments: A subgroup analysis for sustainable agricultural production. Green Technologies and Sustainability (2024).
- Recent Advances in Aquaponic Systems: A Critical Review. Reviews in Aquaculture (2025).
- Characterizing Nutrient Composition and Concentration in Tomato-, Basil-, and Lettuce-Based Aquaponic and Hydroponic Systems. Water (2020).
- Navigating towards Decoupled Aquaponic Systems: A System Dynamics Design Approach. Water (2016).
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