Terminology and Related Approaches
"Integrated" refers to intensive and synergistic cultivation, using water-born nutrient and energy transfer. "Multi-trophic" means that the various species occupy different trophic levels, i.e., different (but adjacent) links in the food chain.
IMTA is a specialized form of the age-old practice of aquatic polyculture, which was the co-culture of various species, often without regard to trophic level. In this broader case, the organisms may share biological and chemical processes that are minimally complementary, potentially leading to significant ecosystem shifts/damage. Some traditional systems did culture species that occupied multiple niches within the same pond, but with limited intensity and management.
The more general term "Integrated Aquaculture" is used to describe the integration of monocultures through water transfer. The terms "IMTA" and "integrated aquaculture" differ primarily in their precision and are sometimes interchanged. Aquaponics, fractionated aquaculture, IAAS (integrated agriculture-aquaculture systems), IPUAS (integrated peri-urban-aquaculture systems), and IFAS (integrated fisheries-aquaculture systems) are variations on the IMTA concept.
Read more about this topic: Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture
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