Environmental and human health problems associated with aquaculture are discussed. Water
courses are conduits for pollutants to reach the oceans. This is illustrated using the Mississippi River
and the Gulf of Mexico as an example. Point sources of pollution are discussed and the recent oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico receives extensive coverage. Chemical and biological pollution of the Great
Lakes are continuing problems. Sources of pollution and their impact on the environment and on human
health are discussed.
Keywords: Aquaculture, overfishing, threatened species, bacterial pollution, chemical pollution, escapees,
gulf dead zone, pH effects, salinity effects, genetically modified salmon, coastal habitats, gulf oil spill,
exxon valdez, dispersant toxicity, great Lakes pollution (biological, chemical), invasive species, human
health.
