Examines the environmental interactions of aquaculture: nutrient and organic loading, benthic impact, disease and parasite transfer, escapees and genetic interaction with wild populations, and feed sourcing.
Carrying capacity is treated as the central analytical question, in its production, ecological and social senses. The three give different answers for the same site, and a siting decision that addresses only the first is the standard route to a conflict.
Certification schemes are examined critically. They are the principal mechanism through which sustainability claims reach a market, they vary substantially in evidentiary standard, and students compare schemes against the environmental evidence the course has covered.
Integrated multi-trophic systems are covered, with attention to the gap between demonstration and commercial operation.