| Aerobe |
Animals or plants that use oxygen for respiration |
| Alga |
Freshwater or marine chlorophyll-bearing plants ranging in size from a few microns to many metres in length (plural ALGAE) |
| Alkali |
These waters contain high levels of alkali metal ions, usually sodium and potassium |
| Ambient |
The environmental conditions surrounding an organism. Usually indicates normal or modified environmental conditions. |
| Batch Culture |
A system for rearing animals or plants involving the total harvest of the container by netting or draining or both, at a certain interval after stocking |
| Biodiversity |
The totality of the world's life forms, ecosystems and ecological processes, which can be characterised at the genetic, taxon and ecosystem levels. |
| Biomass |
The total weight of the organisms contained in as sample or the total weight of organic material present per unit area or volume. |
| Brackish Water |
Any mixture of sea water and fresh water with a salinity of substantially less than 30 parts per thousand (ppt) but greater than 3 ppt. |
| Broodstock |
Sexually mature specimens of both sexes selected for the purpose of controlled reproduction. Includes young specimens destined for the same use. |
| Bunds
|
Walls or sides of ponds or dams |
| Cage culture
|
Rearing of aquatic organisms in enclosures generally constructed of wire or netting as bags supported rigid frames which are floated or suspended in large bodies of water. |
| Canthaxanthin |
A careteniod pigment used to colour the flesh of fish through inclusion in the feed. Also called carophyll red. |
| Carrying Capacity |
The maximum quantity of fish that any particular body of water can support over a long period of time without negative effects to the fish or
environment |
| Closed System
|
A water system used for the culture of aquatic animals in which water is reused. Water is added only to replace losses due to evaporation, seepage and so on. |
| Continuous culture |
A system of rearing animals or plants which involves continuous operation where water and nutrients are provided through an inlet, while culture is harvested continuously through an outlet. The ponds, tanks or containers are not drained for harvesting, nor completely harvested (see Batch culture). |
| Ecology |
The study of the relations of organisms to their environment, including other organisms |
| Ecosystem |
A community of organisms, interacting with each other, plus the environment in which they live and react |
| Endemic |
Confined to a given or particular region |
| Estuary |
A semi enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea and within which seawater is measurably diluted with water derived from land drainage. The low salinity water is called brackish water. |
| Fingerlings |
Small or juvenile fish, not of marketable size |
| Grilse |
Mature salmoniod ready to return to freshwater for spawning after spending one winter at sea. |
| Hatchery |
Place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early stages of life, of animals. |
| Incubation |
In aquaculture, the holding of eggs from fertilisation to hatching. |
| Juveniles |
Young stages of animals, usually between the post-larval stages up to the time they first become sexually mature. They are generally hardy at this stage. |
| Kelt |
Spawned fish, usually refers to salmon |
| Larvae |
Immature animals which differ greatly in appearance and behaviour from adults. |
| Mariculture |
The culture of marine organisms |
| Mixed culture |
The rearing of fish or different age and size, or different species, in the same water body. |
| Monoculture |
The culture of a single species only (opposite of Polyculture) |
| Nursery |
Stage of culture where juveniles are cared for over a few weeks or months before they are released into ponds, cages, etc. |
| Ocean Ranging |
The release of hatchery reared juveniles into the sea for growth to marketable size. |
| Polyculture |
The culture of a number or organisms in the same water body (opposite of Monoculture)
|
| Post Larvae |
Past the larval stage - a stage which resembles the juvenile but is still lacking some characteristics |
| Potable Water |
Drinking water. Water treated in such a way as to render it suitable for consumption. |
| Raft Culture |
Growing of bivalves on some type of substrate suspended from rafts or floats. The term is sometimes used to describe an method of hanging culture. |
| Recirculating |
Being re-used. Usually refers to water moving through a system and after some form of treatment back into the system. |
| Recirculating System |
Aquaculture system in which at least some of the water is recycled one or more times. |
| Redd |
A bed of gravel in which salmonoid lay their eggs |
| Sea Ranching |
The release of juvenile animals to the sea to be captured at the point of release (eg: salmoniods). |
| Semi-closed system |
Closed system in which some amount of water is periodically lost or removed, and then replaced. |
| Silo Culture |
Culture systems employing culture chambers that utilise more vertical than horizontal space. |
| Smolt |
Stage of salmoniod that is ready to migrate to the sea |
| Solar -algae Pond |
Transparent or translucent fibreglass cylinder designed as an above-ground tank to maximise phytoplankton production |
| Spawn |
1. Eggs and sperm.
2. To produce or deposit eggs, sperm or young. Usually, but not always applied to aquatic or marine animals |
| Spawning pond |
A specially designed pond where the adult fish can spawn naturally |
| Stock
|
A population derived from a number of sources that has not evolved enough to be called a strain. |
| String Culture |
The culture of mussels, scallops, oysters, etc., suspended on ropes or wires from buoys, rafts, etc. |
| Stripping
|
Process of
artificially removing the eggs and milt from mature fish. |
| Yearling |
Fish of any age between one and two years from the date of hatching |
