Aquaculture Essay

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Aquaculture is farming of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic plants, algae, and other aquatic organisms.In California, there are various types of aquaculture such as commercial aquaculture and restoration aquaculture. Commercial aquaculture is the breeding and proliferation of aquatic organisms for commercial uses such as to be sold for consumption.
Restoration aquaculture is the propagation of aquatic organisms in order to increase population levels in wild aquatic organisms (NOAA Fisheries, 2011). In California, Chinook salmon are caught in the wild and produced on aquafarms. On the aquafarms, the salmon eggs are hatched and grown in freshwater sites in northeastern California. When they are hatched they are transferred to coastal tank …show more content…

Once they reach reproductive maturity (usually 3-
7 years), they begin their journey back to their birthing grounds to start reproducing. High water temperatures kill the fish eggs. As the water gets warmer, their metabolism increases, and in turn, it demands more oxygen. Since eggs cannot move, they don’t have a developed respiratory or circulatory system. They “rely on flowing water to supply oxygen and carry away waste products” (Scientists Improve Predictions of How Temperature Affects the Survival of Fish
Embryos, 2016), which is a problem due to global warming. Because of the increase in temperature, there will be less snow on mountains. This will decrease the flowing water and reduce the oxygen supply, making it difficult for the eggs to survive.
III. Major Anticipated Impacts
The most anticipated impact as a result of climate change would be the complete disappearance of the Chinook salmon by the end of the century. Despite being possibly the most prized seafood and commercial item on the West Coast, the species could vanish from California within a hundred years (Bland 2017). This is being brought about by rising water temperatures will reach and even possibly exceed the salmon’s physiological tolerance (Bland

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