Aquaculture Genomics Market (2026-2036)

The growth of this market is mainly driven by the rapid growth of global aquaculture production, the widespread adoption of genomic selection in salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and other species to improve growth and disease resistance, the high economic losses caused by disease in fish and shrimp farming, and the declining cost of genotyping and sequencing. In addition, the commercial introduction of genome-edited fish, the growing use of genomics for sterility, sex control, parentage, and traceability, investment by private equity and strategic investors in aquaculture breeding companies, and the use of environmental DNA and pathogen genomics for farm health monitoring are further supporting the growth of this market.

The Aquaculture Genomics Market, also referred to as the aquaculture genetics and genomics market, aquatic animal genomics market, or fish and shrimp genomics market, comprises the products, services, and software used to analyze and modify the genomes of farmed fish, crustaceans, and molluscs to improve breeding, health, and production. The market includes SNP genotyping arrays and targeted genotyping panels; whole-genome, low-pass, and transcriptome sequencing; genotyping, sequencing, and genomic selection services; genome editing services and technologies; parentage, sex determination, and traceability testing; pathogen and environmental DNA genomics for farm health monitoring; and bioinformatics and breeding software. The market ecosystem extends from genotyping and sequencing technology providers to genomics service laboratories, aquaculture breeding companies, gene editing developers, fish and shrimp farmers, feed and animal health companies, research institutes, and government agencies.

The market is experiencing strong growth as aquaculture becomes the main source of aquatic food. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 report, global aquaculture production reached a record 130.9 million tonnes in 2022, including 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals, and aquaculture surpassed capture fisheries for the first time to account for 51% of aquatic animal production, with Asia producing 70% of aquatic animals. Meeting growing demand for seafood with limited land, water, and feed resources requires farmed species that grow faster, use feed more efficiently, resist disease, and tolerate changing environmental conditions. Selective breeding has been the main tool for improving these traits, and genomics is making breeding faster, more accurate, and more effective.

Genomic selection has transformed breeding in leading aquaculture species. In genomic selection, breeding candidates are genotyped with thousands of SNP markers, and their genetic merit is predicted from genomic data, allowing breeders to select for traits such as disease resistance and fillet quality that cannot be measured directly on the breeding candidates themselves. Salmon breeding companies in Norway, such as AquaGen, Mowi Genetics, and Benchmark Genetics, have used genomic selection for many years, and it is increasingly applied in shrimp, tilapia, sea bream, sea bass, trout, and oysters. In March 2025, Novo Holdings, the investment company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, completed the acquisition of Benchmark Genetics, the salmon and shrimp breeding business of Benchmark Holdings, for up to GBP 260 million, with plans to invest in genetic services, biosecurity, genomics, phenotyping, and reproductive biotechnology and production capacity in Norway, Iceland, and Chile. Hendrix Genetics has also expanded into shrimp breeding, reflecting the growing commercial importance of genetics in shrimp aquaculture.

Disease is one of the largest constraints on aquaculture, and genomics is central to the response. Sea lice and viral and bacterial diseases in salmon, and acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease, white spot syndrome, and other diseases in shrimp, cause large economic losses. Genomic selection for disease resistance, the identification of major-effect resistance loci, and pathogen genomics for diagnosis and surveillance help farmers reduce losses and the use of antibiotics and other treatments.

Gene editing is emerging as a powerful new tool. In Japan, Regional Fish Co. Ltd. received approval to market genome-edited red sea bream and tiger puffer in October and November 2021, the first genome-edited fish sold commercially; the red sea bream, in which the myostatin gene was knocked out, has an edible portion 1.2 to 1.6 times that of conventional fish and about 14% better feed utilization, while the tiger puffer grows 1.9 times heavier over the same farming period. The Center for Aquaculture Technologies operates a Shrimp Genetics Innovation Center in San Diego, which quadrupled its shrimp research capacity and includes a genome editing laboratory, alongside its Finfish Genetics Innovation Center, to develop genome-edited traits that improve efficiency and reduce disease-related mortality. Gene editing can introduce beneficial traits, such as disease resistance, faster growth, and sterility, much faster than conventional breeding, although regulatory approaches and consumer acceptance vary by country.

Technology costs are declining, expanding access to genomics. Lower-cost genotyping arrays, targeted genotyping-by-sequencing panels, and low-pass sequencing with imputation are making genomic selection affordable for species and producers with smaller breeding programs, while technology providers such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina, and LGC Biosearch Technologies supply genotyping solutions for aquaculture. Genomic tools are also used for parentage assignment, sex determination, and traceability of farmed seafood.

At the same time, the market faces challenges related to the fragmented structure of aquaculture, the limited genomic resources for many species, and regulatory and consumer concerns about gene editing. Many aquaculture species, particularly in Asia and Africa, are farmed using unimproved or poorly managed stocks, and small producers often lack access to genetically improved seed. As a result, providers that can deliver affordable genomic tools, integrated breeding services, and improved genetics to producers in emerging markets are expected to capture the largest share of growth over the forecast period.