Aquaculture is the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of aquatic organisms. Familiar foods like shrimp, tilapia, salmon and clams are all products of aquaculture.

Florida has the most product diversity of any state when it comes to aquaculture due to a few key factors, according to University of Florida professor Shirley Baker.

"We have the advantage of having warm waters pretty much year-round. So our products grow quickly. We've got lots of coastlines, so there's lots of area to do aquaculture," Baker said. " What makes Florida aquaculture unique is the diversity of products that we can produce because of those features of our land."

With Florida being a peninsula, many of the state’s industries are centered around water. Baker says the aquaculture industry provides a strong base for Florida’s economy, while supplementing other industries.

"Growers buy gear. There's processing, and there's transportation, restaurants and tourism. They all ripple off from the aquaculture," Baker said. "So, it's a really important form of income for many rural and coastal communities."

But beyond money and delicious fish, our state’s culture comes from the sea. Baker cited Cedar Key’s clam festival and the Floridian spirit that rises above hurricanes.

"It's a coastal heritage. The people who do aquaculture are resilient," Baker said. "They have to deal with hurricanes and all kinds of setbacks, and they just keep going. I think that's part of the Florida identity."

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