Technological innovations are driving precision aquaculture towards a future of transparent, automated, and sustainably efficient production

Precision aquaculture (PA) is a major change in the fish farming industry because it incorporates Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), automated technologies, and real-time solutions to efficiently monitor intensive production and minimize adverse effects in a timely manner. This review presents the current state of PA technologies, their uses, advantages, challenges, and future perspectives based on recent research. Water-quality monitoring using IoT sensor networks, fish-behavior analysis using computer-vision systems, automated feeding systems, and AI-based decision-support systems are the main technological elements of PA. Recent research shows that PA offers considerable improvements in terms of feed efficiency (30% savings), fish survival (33% higher), predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.94), and revenue increases (up to 15.51% in field trials). It also helps reduce labor costs and energy consumption. The return on investment ranges from 1–3 years depending on farm scale (with shorter periods for large-scale farms) and system complexity. However, some challenges remain, including sensor reliability, data standardization, high initial costs, and system integration. Future trends of PA point toward blockchain, digital twins, multimodal sensor fusion, autonomous robotics, explainable AI systems, and energy-harvesting systems, which will further revolutionize aquaculture operations. This revolution will drive the shift from aquaculture 4.0 (technology-driven approach) to aquaculture 5.0 (ecological sustainability and system robustness), and make aquaculture more transparent, automated, and sustainable.