Activity Six

What would a farmer do on an aquaculture farm?  Discuss some of the needs of aquatic organisms.  For example, a fish farmer will have to feed the fish, ensure the water is clean, make sure the fish don’t get too cold or hot, keep predatory animals (birds, turtles, alligators) away.  The farmer would also have to harvest fish, find a buyer for the product and spawn fish for future crops. 

Discuss producers and consumers.  Give a few examples in traditional farming (e.g., dairy farmers produce cows which give milk and milk drinkers are the consumers of that product).  See if your students can think of examples from aquaculture (e.g., alligator farmers are producers and someone who purchases alligator leather boots is the consumer, catfish farmers are producers and people buying a catfish dinner at a seafood restaurant are consumers).