'mariculturist' originates from modern English, specifically from the word 'mariculture' + the agent suffix '-ist', where 'mariculture' is formed from Latin 'mare' meaning 'sea' and Latin 'cultura' (from 'colere') meaning 'cultivation'.

'mariculturist' was coined in English in the 20th century by combining 'mariculture' (a coinage modeled on 'agriculture') with the agentive suffix '-ist', producing the term for a person engaged in marine cultivation.

Initially it meant 'a person engaged in mariculture,' and this core meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.