Integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) generates both environmental and economic benefits in China, where it accounts for 40 percent of the country’s mariculture production. IMTA involves farming two or more aquatic species from different trophic levels together to improve efficiency, to reduce wastes and to provide ecosystem services. The key driver for the move to IMTA in China was pollution by aquaculture, agriculture and urban sources in areas like Sanggou Bay. This resulted in high sediment loads, as well as high nitrogen and phosphorous levels, which caused eutrophication and increased the frequency of red tides. The strong market demand for shellfish and seaweeds in China was a secondary driver of the move to IMTA. Farmers practising IMTA in the Sanggou Bay area have benefited from both improved incomes and better environmental conditions.