review · Annals of Animal Science
Recirculating aquaculture systems offer a sustainable method for the intensive production of fish and crustaceans under controlled conditions, recycling purified wastewater to conserve land and freshwater resources. Maintaining crucial water quality parameters, including dissolved oxygen, temperature, and nitrogen compounds, is essential for animal survival and growth. However, stocking density strongly dictates system performance. Operating at stocking densities either above or below optimal levels impairs the behaviour, growth rates, feed utilisation, and immune function of the reared species, ultimately causing substantial production losses. Synthesising evidence across multiple aquatic species, optimal stocking density thresholds and culturing conditions are identified to help maintain water stability, support animal welfare, and ensure efficient, sustainable food production in land-based aquaculture facilities.
Rising global population and climate pressures threaten food security, making land and freshwater conservation critical. Closed aquaculture systems can produce protein intensively with reduced environmental impact, but poor management risks severe animal losses. Establishing optimal stocking parameters protects animal health, reduces disease susceptibility, and prevents economic waste, helping aquaculture systems reliably contribute to sustainable global food supplies.
Fish and crustacean producers operating recirculating aquaculture facilities can directly apply recommended optimal stocking densities to improve growth rates, feed efficiency, and animal survival. Because this work compiles established operational parameters for several species under specific culturing conditions, the guidance is near-market and immediately usable by commercial farm operators and system designers seeking to minimise production losses and maximise facility output.
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Abstract The human population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. This in turn will put more pressure on the limited available resources such as land and freshwater. Combined with the high food demand, highly virulent pathogens, and worsening effects of climate change, cases of chronic hunger and malnutrition are expected to escalate in the future. Therefore, the implementation of sustainable food production systems is crucial in safeguarding food security. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) have gained much attention today for the intensive production of certain aquatic species in controlled conditions. In these systems, wastewater is purified via several water purification steps and recycled back into the system. As such, water quality parameters such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, dissolved carbon dioxide, pH, total ammonia-nitrogen, nitrites, nitrates, and total soluble solutes are maintained within the desirable range required for proper growth and survival of the reared species. However, maintenance of good water quality largely depends on certain factors, most noticeably, the stocking density. Stocking densities below and above the recommended optimal levels negatively impact the behavior, growth performance, and immunity of reared animals. As a consequence, huge production losses are incurred. This review, therefore, aims to discuss the effect of stocking density on behavior, growth performance, feed utilization, and immunity of reared species in RAS. Moreover, optimum stocking densities of several aquatic species reared in RAS under certain culturing conditions are highlighted for sustainable production of food.
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DOI: 10.2478/aoas-2022-0014
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