Only in a state like Florida can underwater agriculture flourish into a multi-million dollar industry. Since the first oyster lease in Florida was granted in Apalachicola Bay in 1881, its semitropical climate, long coastline, and multiple water supplies make the Sunshine State an ideal place for farming underwater. The Florida aquaculture industry is primarily dominated by a diverse collection of many small businesses. Most of the owners, operators, and family members provide the bulk of the farming labor. The average work-week for an underwater farmer ranges from an average of 27 hours per week for clam farmers to nearly 50 hours per week for tropical fish farmers. Today, aquaculture, the cultivation of animals and plant life in a water environment (Chap. 253.67 (1) F.S.), is practiced on nearly 8,000 acres of land and water. Florida is the only state in the nation where large amounts of aquatic plants, fish, and animals are commercially farmed. However, a majority of the crops farmed underwater in Florida are not traditional food species. Specialty items such as tropical fish and ornamental aquatic plants comprise the bulk of the aquaculture industry.

The diversity of crops farmed underwater in Florida has allowed aquaculture to become a growing industry. In 2001, the total sales of all aquaculture products produced in closed gate farms alone was nearly $100 million.

Aquatic plants for restoration	Fish hatchery	Ornamental aquatic plants

For general information about growing watercress, download this UF/IFAS-Extension publication, Watercress - Nasturtium officinale R. Br. by J.M. Stephens.

For links to a number of Extension publications about growing rice, go to this UF/IFAS-EDIS web site.

Seeds in storage	How many plants?	Seeder machine	Very little waste	Finishing the flat

Lots of seed flats	Seedling greenhouse	Seedlings coming up	Older seedlings	Into larger pots

Native canna lilies	Partial shipment	Still larger pots	Potting machine	Weeding the crop

Small grow-out ponds	Large grow-out ponds

Tropical fish farming prevails over all other aquatic crops and generates more than $40 million in revenue in Florida each year. Ornamental fish production started in Miami in the late 1920s. Ornamental fish farming was intensified by returning World War II veterans who brought home an appreciation of colorful Asian tropical fish. A significant number of veterans began experimenting with outdoor culture in the warm climate of south Florida.

By 1960 these aquacultural pioneers had developed a means of air transport for worldwide shipment of Florida raised tropical fish and plants. Today, guppies, mollies, swordtails, variatus, platies, tetras, gouramies, goldfish, cichlids, barbs, and tropical catfish are the primary species cultivated for commercial sale. Production is centered in west central Florida in Hillsborough and Polk counties, with a smaller concentration in Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade counties in the southeast.

For links to a number of Extension publications about fish farming, go to this UF/IFAS-EDIS web site.

The sale of edible animals also contributes to Florida's aquaculture economy. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dr. Winston Menzel of Florida State University pioneered hard clam culture. By 2001, clam farming generated $15 million in state sales. In addition, clam hatcheries provide "seed" clams for growers and seed clam sales exceeded $3 million in 2001. Clam production primarily takes place in the Indian River estuary, the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico in Dixie, Levy, and Taylor counties, the southwest counties of Charlotte and Lee, Volusia, Brevard, and Indian River counties on the east coast.

Alligator farming for hides and meat generated more than $3 million in 2001. Thirteen farmers sold a combined 20,600 hides and 271,400 pounds of meat. In 2002, the combined inventory of 21 alligator farmers was 87,700. Alligators farming primarily takes place in Seminole and Orange counties in central Florida and north and west of Lake Okeechobee.

For links to a number of Extension publications about alligator farming, go to this UF/IFAS-EDIS web site.

Other food crops in Florida aquaculture include catfish, tilapia produced in ponds and tanks, crawfish, eels, snails, turtles, crabs, frogs, and oysters. Sales of game fish and other fish contributed $3.2 million to Florida's economy in 2001. Hybrid striped bass, koi, triploid grass carp, bream, and largemouth bass are farmed for stocking ponds, lakes, and rivers throughout the state.

For information about controlling weeds in aquaculture ponds, download this UF/IFAS-Extension publication, Weed Control in Florida Ponds, by D.D. Thayer, K.A. Langeland, W.T. Haller and J.C. Joyce.

For information about controlling algae in aquaculture ponds, download this UF/IFAS-Extension publication, Use of Copper in Freshwater Aquaculture and Farm Ponds, by C. Watson and R.P.E. Yanong.

Applications for aquaculture certification may be obtained by contacting the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at (850) 488-4033, or by vising this web page: http://www2.doacs.state.fl.us/onestop/aqua/aquacert.html

Florida's statutes and rules affecting aquaculture are listed by IFAS on a table found here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_FA045#TABLE_1

Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Florida aquafarms are meant to assure that they do not negatively impact the environment. The BMPs can be downloaded from here:

www.floridaaquaculture.com/BAD/BAD_BMP.htm