محمد حسین خانجانی

Globally, aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors. In 2030, fish production will increase to 204 million tonnes, according to the FAO's State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report. Due to its potential to feed the world, modern aquaculture is crucial to global food security. A further 10% of the world's population relies on aquaculture for their livelihood. A large percentage of animal food production comes from aquaculture, and it is predicted that aquatic creatures will become the dominant sources of protein in the near future. There are serious challenges facing aquaculture today, including protein shortages, pathogen susceptibility, and quality degradation during cultivation and storage. It is considered that bacterial biomass is an appropriate protein source for feeding aquatic animals, and that the beneficial bacterial species prevent infection or reduce spoilage. As bacteria are usually rich in proteins and easy to mass produce, they can be used as an alternative source of protein in feeds. Most bacteria are considered beneficial or called probiotics that don't harm the host but facilitate host growth by exhibiting some beneficial biological activities. Beneficial bacteria can, therefore, be used as anti-pathogenic reagents in the treatment of specific diseases in host species, or as anti-spoilage agents in products during storage. Aquaculture can therefore benefit from beneficial bacteria with multiple functions. The review discussed how bacteria can be used in aquaculture and possible mechanisms behind their benefits.