AP Environmental Science Flashcards: Aquaculture
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is a potential negative genetic and competitive impact of fish escaping from aquaculture facilities?
Fish that escape from aquaculture facilities may compete with or breed with wild fish populations, impacting the native ecosystem.
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What is a potential negative genetic and competitive impact of fish escaping from aquaculture facilities?
Fish that escape from aquaculture facilities may compete with or breed with wild fish populations, impacting the native ecosystem.
What is the relationship between fish density in aquaculture and the health of wild fish populations?
High fish density in aquaculture can increase disease, which can then be transmitted from the farm to negatively impact the health of wild fish.
Drawbacks of Aquaculture
Key drawbacks include contaminating wastewater, escaped fish competing with or breeding with wild fish, and increased disease incidence that can spread to wild populations.
Benefits of Aquaculture
Key benefits of aquaculture are that it is a highly efficient method of food production, requiring minimal water area and little fuel.
List three factors that have contributed to the expansion of aquaculture.
Aquaculture has expanded because it is highly efficient, requires only small areas of water, and requires little fuel.
Identify one environmental drawback of aquaculture related to water quality.
Aquaculture practices can lead to the contamination of wastewater.
How does the high density of fish in aquaculture operations affect disease?
The high density of fish can lead to an increase in disease incidence within the farmed population.
A disease outbreak occurs in a crowded aquaculture pen. Why is this a concern for the broader marine ecosystem, not just the farm?
This is a concern because the diseases amplified by high-density conditions in the farm can be transmitted to wild fish populations.
A company proposes an aquaculture project, highlighting its low fuel usage. What is an ecological drawback a regulator should consider regarding the farm's waste?
A regulator should consider the potential for the aquaculture facility to contaminate local wastewater.
What is a major benefit of aquaculture regarding resource efficiency?
Aquaculture is highly efficient as it requires only small areas of water and little fuel for operation.