Intensification of the shrimp sector, also referred to as vertical expansion, has been predominately driven by consecutive incidences of global disease outbreaks, which have caused enormous economic loss for the main producer countries. A growing segment of the shrimp farming industry has opted to use production systems with higher density, biosecurity, and operating control to mitigate the risks posed by disease. However, successful super-intensive shrimp production is reliant on an advanced understanding of many important biological and economic parameters in the farming system, coupled with effective monitoring, to maintain optimal production. Compared to traditional extensive or semi-intensive systems, super-intensive systems require higher inputs of feed, energy, labor, and supplements. These systems are highly sensitive to the interactions between these different inputs and require that the biological and economical parameters of farming are carefully balanced to ensure success. Advancing nutritional knowledge and tools to support consistent and efficient production of shrimp in these high-cost super-intensive systems is also necessary. Breeding programs developing breeding-lines selected for these challenging super-intensive environments are critical. Understanding synergies between the key areas of production systems, nutrition, and breeding are crucial for super-intensive farming as all three areas coalesce to influence the health of shrimp and commercial farming success. This article reviews current strategies and innovations being used for Litopenaeus vannamei in production systems, nutrition, and breeding, and discusses the synergies across these areas that can support the production of healthy and high-quality shrimp in super-intensive systems. Finally, we briefly discuss some key issues of social license pertinent to the super-intensive shrimp farming industry.

Aquaculture is a crucial industry that can help meet the increasing demand for aquatic protein products and provide employment opportunities in coastal areas and beyond. If incorrectly manage, traditional aquaculture methods can have negative impacts on the environment and natural resources, including water pollution and overuse of wild fish stocks as aquafeed ingredients. Biofloc technology (BFT) may offer a promising solution to some of these challenges by promoting a cleaner and sustainable production system. BFT converts waste into bioflocs, which serve as a natural food source for fish and shrimp within the culture system, reducing the need for external inputs, such as feed and chemicals. Moreover, BFT has the potential to improve yields and economic performance while promoting efficient resource utilization, such as water and energy. Despite its numerous advantages, BFT presents several challenges, such as high energy demand, high initial/running costs, waste (effluent, suspended solids, and sludge) management, opportunistic pathogens (vibrio) spread, and a lack of understanding of operational/aquatic/microbial dynamics. However, with further training, research, and innovation, these challenges can be overcome, and BFT can become a more widely understood and adopted technique, acting as an effective method for sustainable aquaculture. In summary, BFT offers a cleaner production option that promotes circularity practices while enhancing performance and economic benefits. This technique has the potential to address several challenges faced by the aquaculture industry while ensuring its continued growth and protecting the environment. A more broad BFT adoption can contribute to meeting the increasing demand for aquaculture products while reducing the industry’s negative impact on the environment and natural resources. In this context, this review provides an overview of the advantages and challenges of BFT and highlights key technical, biological, and economic aspects to optimize its application, promote further adoption, and overcome the current challenges.

FLOCponics is an alternative type of aquaponics that integrates biofloc technology (BFT) with soilless plant production. The aims of this paper are to present a detailed overview of the FLOCponics system's designs and performance, discuss their sustainability, highlight the current challenges, and give directions for future research. Data sources include papers containing the keywords bioflocs and hydroponics, aquaponics and/or plant production. In view of the small number of publications and the lack of standardization in experimental design and system setup, it was concluded that FLOCponics is still in its initial research stage. With respect to the animal and plant yields in FLOCponics, inconsistent results were found. Some investigations presented better or similar yield results in this system compared to traditional cultures, while others found the opposite. One of the key challenges of using FLOCponics is the effective control of solids. Refining the system's design was the main recommended improvement. Moreover, this paper highlights that the commercial application of FLOCponics will require extensive research that clarifies its technical and economic aspects, originating from experimental or pilot‐scale setups with characteristics similar to commercial production. This review provides and discusses information that can be useful for the effective development of FLOCponics, guiding further research to make FLOCponics commercially feasible and thus contributing to sustainable aquaculture production.

Aquaculture is a growing industry, but current practices and raw material utilization must be reviewed to ensure a resilient and sustainable development. In this sense, the transition from a linear economy (take, make, dispose) to a circular one (renew, remake) is accelerating. The biofloc technology (BFT) is a relatively new cultivation system that can be adopted to accomplish more sustainable aquaculture and circularity goals. This document discusses BFT and its association with the circular economy (CE), the current aquaculture challenges, and the role of BFT in overcoming those challenges. This manuscript adopts Cramer’s 10 R’s and Muscat et al.’s five P’s frameworks to understand whether a functioning BFT and its key compartments (i.e., feed, environment, water, system, and microbials) align with CE’s core principles. In addition, the present work provides and discusses relevant insights regarding the further (industry and academia) application of CE approaches, especially in a biofloc‐based farming context. According to the findings and connections with Cramer’s 10 R’s and Muscat et al.’s five P’s frameworks, BFT encompasses several transitioning steps into circularity and could play a crucial role toward a more sustainable aquaculture in line with the CE.