Biofloc Management Techniques in Sustainable Aquaculture Systems
Summary
Biofloc technology (BFT) harnesses microbial aggregates to convert waste nutrients into biomass, thereby maintaining water quality and supplying supplemental nutrition in intensive aquaculture. Central to effective biofloc management is the control of the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio through addition of carbon sources, which promotes heterotrophic bacterial growth and accelerates assimilation of toxic nitrogen compounds. Aeration and mixing ensure suspended floc formation and oxygen transfer, while solids management—through settling, selective removal or integration with species such as mullet—prevents excessive total suspended solids. Advances in recirculation and integration with multitrophic systems enhance resource efficiency and reduce effluent, embodying circular bioeconomy principles. Effective monitoring of physicochemical parameters (e.g. dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia) coupled with targeted manipulation of microbial consortia can improve growth performance, disease resistance and environmental sustainability in species such as shrimp and tilapia.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Biofloc Management Techniques in Sustainable Aquaculture Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biofloc management techniques in sustainable aquaculture systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biofloc: Aggregates of bacteria, algae and organic matter that form in aquaculture systems and assimilate waste nutrients.
Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio): Proportion of carbon to nitrogen inputs, adjusted to favour heterotrophic bacterial uptake of nitrogenous waste.
Metagenome-assembled genome (MAG): A draft genome reconstructed from environmental sequencing data, representing uncultivated microbial species.
Heterotrophic bacteria: Microorganisms that consume organic carbon for growth, playing a key role in biofloc-mediated nutrient recycling.
References
- Gut bacterial consortium enriched in a biofloc system protects shrimp against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. Microbiome (2023).
- Metagenome sequencing and recovery of 444 metagenome-assembled genomes from the biofloc aquaculture system. Scientific Data (2023).
- Sucrose addition directionally enhances bacterial community convergence and network stability of the shrimp culture system. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2022).
- The future of intensive tilapia production and the circular bioeconomy without effluents: Biofloc technology, recirculation aquaculture systems, bio‐RAS, partitioned aquaculture systems and integrated multitrophic aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture (2023).
- Evidence of total suspended solids control by Mugil liza reared in an integrated system with pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei using biofloc technology. Aquaculture Reports (2020).
- Effects of Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio on Growth, Intestinal Microbiota and Metabolome of Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Frontiers in Microbiology (2020).
- Biofloc Microbiome With Bioremediation and Health Benefits. Frontiers in Microbiology (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.