Aquaponics has ancient roots, although there is some debate on its first occurrence: - wikipedia 
A commercial aquaponics system diagram for a 5 metric ton per year Tilapia yield - wikimedia
- wikimedia
*Aztec cultivated agricultural islands known as ''chinampas'' in a system considered by some to be the first form of aquaponics for agricultural useAztecs' aquaponics revamped How does aquaponics work? where plants were raised on stationary (and sometime movable) islands in lake shallows and waste materials dredged from the Chinampa canals and surrounding cities were used to manually irrigate the plants.<ref name=Boutwelluc/>Sub-irrigation in wetland agriculture
*South China, Thailand, and Indonesia who cultivated and farmed rice in paddy fields in combination with fish are cited as examples of early aquaponics systems.[ ] These polycultural (polyculture) farming systems existed in many Far Eastern countries and raised fish such as the oriental loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) (泥鳅, ドジョウ),[ Space agriculture for habitation on mars and sustainable civilization on earth] swamp eel (Monopterus albus) (黄鳝, 田鰻), common carp (鯉魚, コイ) and crucian carp (鯽魚) Carassius carassius as well as pond snail (Viviparidae)s (田螺) in the paddies.Aqua-Vegeculture Systems Introduction to Fish Culture in Rice Paddies
Floating aquaponics systems on polycultural fish ponds were installed in China in more recent years on a large scale growing rice, wheat and canna lily and other crops, with some installations exceeding 2.5acresm2.
A commercial aquaponics system diagram for a 5 metric ton per year Tilapia yield - wikimedia
Diagram of the University of the Virgin Islands commercial aquaponics system designed to yield 5 metric tons of right (thumb (Tilapia ([[Image:UVIAquaponicSystem.jpg))) per year.<ref name="UVI1" />]]
The development of modern aquaponics is often attributed to the various works of the New Alchemy Institute and the works of Dr. Mark McMurtry et al. at the North Carolina State University.Construction of Automatic Bell Siphons for Backyard Aquaponic Systems
Inspired by the successes of the New Alchemy Institute, and the reciprocating aquaponics techniques developed by Dr. Mark McMurtry et al., other institutes soon followed suit. Starting in 1997, Dr. James Rakocy and his colleagues at the University of the Virgin Islands researched and developed the use of deep water culture hydroponic grow beds in a large-scale aquaponics system.
The first aquaponics research in Canada was a small system added onto existing aquaculture research at a research station in Lethbridge, Alberta. Canada saw a rise in aquaponics setups throughout the ’90s, predominantly as commercial installations raising high-value crops such as trout and lettuce. A setup based on the deep water system developed at the University of Virgin Islands was built in a greenhouse at Brooks, Alberta where Dr. Nick Savidov and colleagues researched aquaponics from a background of plant science. The team made findings on rapid root growth in aquaponics systems and on closing the solid-waste loop, and found that owing to certain advantages in the system over traditional aquaculture, the system can run well at a low pH level, which is favoured by plants but not fish.