Water Quality Management in Aquaculture Systems
Summary
Effective water quality management underpins the productivity, welfare and sustainability of aquaculture operations worldwide. Key physicochemical parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, turbidity and nutrient concentrations (particularly ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) must be maintained within narrow tolerances to support optimal growth and minimise stress or disease outbreaks. Different culture systems—including earthen ponds, flow-through raceways and closed recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)—present distinct challenges and opportunities. Pond systems rely on natural exchanges and ecological balances, often enhanced by integrated multi-trophic approaches that harness nutrient recycling among species. Flow-through systems permit controlled water renewal but may generate significant effluent loads. RAS utilise mechanical, biological and chemical treatment units—such as filtration modules, biofilters and oxidation processes—to retain and reuse water, reducing both consumption and discharge. Advanced monitoring technologies, from automated sensors to remote telemetry, enable real-time adjustments to aeration, alkalinity dosing and water exchange rates. Nutrient management strategies aim to optimise feed conversion while curbing waste outputs, and emerging circular-economy models explore utilisation of by-products for bioenergy or fertiliser. Across all systems, integrated approaches that combine mechanical removal of particulates, biological nitrification, chemical oxidation and ecological engineering are essential to achieve high productivity with minimal environmental footprint.
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Water Quality Management in Aquaculture Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in water quality management in aquaculture systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS): A culture system that treats and reuses water through mechanical, biological and chemical units, minimising water exchange and effluent discharge.
Biofilter: A biological treatment unit, often containing media for microbial colonisation, that converts toxic ammonia into less harmful nitrite and nitrate via nitrification.
Nitrification: A two-step aerobic microbial process transforming ammonia (NH₃) to nitrite (NO₂⁻) and then to nitrate (NO₃⁻), essential for nitrogen control in closed systems.
Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR): A biofilter design in which suspended carriers provide surface area for attached-growth microbial communities, enhancing nitrification efficiency.
Particulate Organic Matter (POM): Solid or colloidal materials, deriving from uneaten feed, faeces and microbial biomass, that contribute to turbidity and oxygen demand if not removed.
Ozonation: Chemical oxidation using ozone (O₃) to degrade organic compounds, disinfect water and support improved clarity and microbial control.
References
- Waste production in aquaculture: Sources, components and managements in different culture systems. Aquaculture and Fisheries (2019).
- Sustainable Intensification of Aquaculture through Nutrient Recycling and Circular Economies: More Fish, Less Waste, Blue Growth. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture (2021).
- Ecological engineering in pond aquaculture: a review from the whole‐process perspective in China. Reviews in Aquaculture (2020).
- The effects of ozone and water exchange rates on water quality and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss performance in replicated water recirculating systems. Aquacultural Engineering (2011).
- Effects of alkalinity on ammonia removal, carbon dioxide stripping, and system pH in semi-commercial scale water recirculating aquaculture systems operated with moving bed bioreactors. Aquacultural Engineering (2015).
- Effects of reduced organic matter loading through membrane filtration on the microbial community dynamics in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) with Atlantic salmon parr (Salmo salar). Aquaculture (2020).
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