Abstract
AbstractSurface‐based cages are the dominant production technology for the marine finfish aquaculture industry. However, issues such as extreme weather events, poor environmental conditions, interactions with parasites, and conflicts with other coastal users are problematic for surface‐based aquaculture. Submerged cages may reduce many of these problems and commercial interest in their use has increased. However, a broad synthesis of research into the effects of submerged culture on fish is lacking. Here, we review the current status of submerged fish farming worldwide, outline the biological challenges that fish with fundamentally different buoyancy control physiologies face in submerged culture, and discuss production benefits and problems that might arise from submerged fish farming. Our findings suggest that fish with closed swim bladders, and fish without swim bladders, may be well‐suited to submerged culture. However, for fish with open swim bladders, such as salmonids, submergence is more complex as they require access to surface air to refill their swim bladders and maintain buoyancy. Growth and welfare of open swim bladder fish can be compromised by submergence for long periods due to complications with buoyancy regulation, but the recent addition of underwater air domes to submerged cages can alleviate this issue. Despite this advance, a greater understanding of how to couple advantageous environmental conditions with submerged culture to improve fish growth and welfare over the commercial production cycle is required if submerged cages are to become a viable alternative to surface‐based cage aquaculture.
Highlights
Industrial marine fish farming is a relatively young phenomenon but has grown to be a major industry in many regions of the world, producing some 6.6 million tons of fish per year.[1]
Submerging aquaculture cages hold the promise of providing relief from periods of less than optimal environmental conditions, reducing fish interactions with harmful organisms, and unlocking new production areas devoid of conflict with other coastal users
| 11 not all fish species will be suited to submerged culture, and a suite of key challenges and bottlenecks stand in the way of commercial production of several species
Summary
Industrial marine fish farming is a relatively young phenomenon but has grown to be a major industry in many regions of the world, producing some 6.6 million tons of fish per year.[1] The standard production units, sea-cage fish farms, are variations on a common theme,floating, surface-based structures holding large nets which contain thousands to hundreds of thousands of fish
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