What term means the farming of fish and other aquatic organisms?

The term for farming fish and other aquatic organisms is aquaculture.

Aquaculture is the controlled breeding, growing, and harvesting of aquatic life. It includes fish, shellfish such as oysters and shrimp, algae, and some aquatic plants. Farms may operate in ponds, tanks, raceways, coastal pens, or offshore cages, using freshwater, seawater, or brackish water.

The word is broader than fish farming. Fish farming, or pisciculture, is one branch of aquaculture, while mariculture refers specifically to cultivation in marine or saltwater environments. Aquaponics is different: it combines aquaculture with hydroponic plant growing, using nutrient-rich water from fish systems to support plants. Hydroponics alone grows plants without soil and does not require animals.

Aquaculture has ancient roots, including traditional carp cultivation in China, but modern systems use monitoring, formulated feeds, selective breeding, vaccination, and water-quality controls. It supplies food and can support restoration projects, although poorly managed farms may contribute to pollution, disease transmission, or pressure on wild fish used in feed.