Aquaponics is an ecological and sustainable method of food production in which fish and vegetables are grown together in a constructed aquatic ecosystem. Aquaponics is the synthesis of aquaculture (the farming of fish and other marine life) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil).
Aquaculture + Hydroponics = Aquaponics
Aquaponics mimics a natural, aquatic ecosystem. The nutrient-rich effluent from the fish fertilizes the water which is pumped to vegetable grow beds while bacteria convert the effluent into usable nutrients 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 evapo-transpiration 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 field agriculture. Aquaponics also requires less labor and energy than conventional agriculture, and can produce 10 to 20 times more food in a given amount of space. Furthermore, since no soil is required, aquaponics is the ideal method of farming in and around cities or other environments where soil is scarce.