The cultivation of fresh-water and marine species (the latter type is often referred to as mariculture). The concept of aquaculture is not new, having begun in China about 4000 years ago, and the practice of fish culture there has been handed down through the generations. China probably has the highest concentration of aquaculture operations in a single country today. Yet the science of aquaculture, as a whole, is far behind that of its terrestrial counterpart, agriculture. Aquaculture, though still partly art, is being transformed into a modern, multidisciplinary technology.