ABSTRACT
The gamut of contemporary aquaculture operations runs from stick and bag culture, used in Roman times, to those that use the best of twentieth century technology. Aquaculture has been viewed as a means to promote world peace by providing low-cost animal protein to an exploding third world population. The American public viewed aquaculture with a mixture of curiosity and outright fantasy, the latter viewpoint often encouraged by the industry. The great majority of aquatic animals are still hunted and gathered, just as they were in prehistoric times. While the merits and detriments of such beliefs are better discussed elsewhere, the huge gains made in many areas of biology, chemistry, and aquatic sciences in the post-war era have without question transformed the aquaculture industry. These discoveries have made the husbandry of aquatic crops more certain, more productive and efficient, and more lucrative. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
