'aquaculture-related' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'aquaculture' and the adjective 'related'. 'aquaculture' itself originates from Latin elements 'aqua' (meaning 'water') + 'cultura' (meaning 'cultivation'); 'related' comes from the verb 'relate' (from Latin roots via Old French), meaning 'to show connection'.

'aquaculture' was formed in Modern English by joining Latin-derived elements 'aqua' + 'culture' to denote 'water cultivation' and became established in 20th-century usage for the farming of aquatic organisms. 'related' evolved from Latin through Old French 'relater' into English 'relate' and the adjective 'related'. The compound 'aquaculture-related' is a recent English formation combining these elements.

Initially the components denoted 'water' and 'cultivation' and the notion of 'bringing back/relating'; over time they combined into the specialised modern sense of 'connected with the commercial or scientific practice of farming aquatic organisms'.