We will examine the science, the promise, and the reality of modern marine aquaculture in the context of increased demand for food, fuel, and functional ecosystems, with emphasis on how recent scientific advances are enabling aquaculture to move rapidly toward sustainability. Although over 70 percent of the Earth is covered in oceans, marine aquaculture is just emerging as a part of the solution to increasing demand for food and other products. The worldwide aquaculture sector is the fastest growing segment of food production even though few aquatic organisms as yet have undergone significant artificial genetic selection and the basic physiological needs of most are just being worked out. Whereas agriculture evolved over many thousands of years, aquaculture has developed as an important food-producing sector just over the last several decades. While this development has been marked by substantial increases in production, it has also been accompanied by a variety of environmental concerns. However, in the last decade, marine aquaculture has progressed towards sustainable production approaches, largely based on the application of scientific discoveries and principles of sustainable agriculture and fisheries. The presentations included in this symposium cover a range of recent advances in marine aquaculture, differing trophic levels, production technologies, and outputs. Presentations address issues of ecological as well as economic sustainability.