Aquaponics is an ecological and sustainable method of food production in which fish and vegetables are grown together in a constructed aquatic ecosystem. Waste from the fish is used to fertilize plant crops, while the plants and bacteria in the grow beds filter the water for the fish. Aquaponics is the synthesis of aquaculture (the farming of fish and other marine life) and hydroponics (growing pl
ants without soil). Aquaculture + Hydroponics = Aquaponics
Aquaponics mimics a natural ecosystem and captures value from the natural symbiotic relationships between species. In an aquaponics system, the nutrient-rich effluent from the fish fertilizes the water which is pumped to vegetable grow beds where bacteria convert it into a usable form for the plants. The plants in turn absorb the nutrients from the water, thereby purifying the water which flows back to the fish. The same water continually recirculates within the system (with minimal loss due to evapotranspiration and harvest), which makes aquaponics the world’s most water-efficient method of food production. In fact, aquaponics uses 90-95% less water than conventional agriculture. Aquaponics also requires less labor and energy than conventional agriculture, and can produce more food in a given amount of space. Furthermore, since no soil is required, aquaponics is the ideal method of farming in urban environments where soil is scarce.
