Aquaculture in the United States is a significant agribusiness industry, but it is also a troubled one whose future is clouded by doubt. Many aquaculture practices, such as deliberately introducing exotic species, hatcheries programs, and pen culture in protected waters have come under intense attack from environmentalists. Economic pressures on the industry from the value of coastal land, the unavailability of suitable supplies of water, and the legal costs of regulations have restricted growth. This book looks at the past, present and future of a troubled industry.

Aquaculture is the rearing of aquatic organisms, both freshwater and marine species, under human control. It is often thought of a mainly human food production, but also includes ornamental and bait species, aquatic plants, as well as reptiles and amphibians.

Many thousands of Americans in such cities as Miami, New Orleans, Galveston, and Corpus Christi live near an estuary, one of nature's most intriguing ecosystems. But the same citizens who depend on a neighboring estuary for fresh shrimp or who visit it on a Sunday outing often know little about the physical makeup of estuaries and their contributions to the quality of human life. In this comprehensive study, Robert Stickney examines the physical, chemical, geological, and biological characteristics of estuaries, coastal regions where fresh water and seawater intermingle.
This book, the...