Biofloc‐based aquaculture: From monoculture to integrated systems

Abstract

The demand for high‐quality protein has been growing in recent years, led by population growth. The development of aquaculture has been considered one of the solutions to ensure food security worldwide. New farming technologies have been promoted to increase productivity and, at the same time, minimize environmental impacts. During the past decades, biofloc technology (BFT) has emerged as a sustainable and cost‐efficient culture method. In terms of its optimization, BFT can be integrated with other aquaculture systems, such as integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and aquaponics, which is called FLOCponics. Biological compatibility among different cultivated organisms poses a key challenge for the integration of species. The proper combination of species with different trophic levels can control dissolved nutrients and organic matter that often build up in BFT. Recent studies revealed that macroalgae and marine fish can promote better water quality when integrated with shrimp produced in BFT. In addition, the microbial and nutrient‐rich content of biofloc effluents enables water reuse over multiple culture cycles or nutrient uptake by plants in FLOCponics. These different approaches are aligned with principles of circular economy and promote better input utilization and efficiency. This review investigates biofloc as the basis of IMTA and FLOCponics, presents key literature related to biofloc‐based integrated systems, and discusses current bottlenecks and future perspectives.