1. Introduction

China’s large population and status as a major maritime power are complemented by the vital role of marine fisheries in ensuring food security. A national‐level perspective for analyzing, comprehending, and strategically planning ocean development is, therefore, indispensable for bolstering the marine economy and fortifying maritime influence [1]. The global importance of marine ecosystems and the profound impact of human activities upon them are undeniable [2]. Rapid population growth and densely populated coastal zones have intensified reliance on marine resources, which are defined here as marine systems where the ocean depth exceeds 50 m [3]. Marine pasture development holds great potential for conserving aquatic biological resources, improving marine water quality, and rehabilitating ecological environments. This innovative fishery production model is essential for optimizing the sector’s industrial structure and accelerating the transition from traditional methods. Concurrently, establishing national Marine Pasture Demonstration Zones can attract private investment, thereby promoting the rapid development of China’s marine pasture initiatives.

To address environmental degradation and resource constraints within the mariculture sector, China’s Ministry of Agriculture released the National Marine Pasture Demonstration Zone Construction Plan (2017–2025). This plan aims to drive sustainable growth by enhancing the marine ecosystem and promoting a shift towards more sustainable, integrated, and eco‐friendly marine fisheries practices. Subsequent meetings in 2021, which ratified the 14th 5‐year plan and the outline of the 2035 Vision Goals, underscored the urgent need to accelerate the growth of marine pastures and support the sustainable development of mariculture. The scientific and rational management of marine resources necessitates active human intervention within closed marine pastures. However, the marine environment faces increasing sustainability risks due to industrialization, tourism, maritime traffic, and global warming. Such anthropogenic and climatic changes can disrupt critical symbiotic relationships, ultimately affecting the health, physiology, behavior, and ecology of marine organisms [4].

Considering the oceans’ paramount significance to humanity and the mounting pressures they face, it is appropriate to determine and prioritize ocean health, particularly those broadly categorized as “marine pollution” (MP). MP adversely impacts both the environment and human health, causing increasing perturbation of the maritime environment and its biota. Pollutants can induce numerous biological effects, including metabolic dysfunction, genetic damage, and phenological harm. Furthermore, urbanization and industrialization have led to severe groundwater exploitation. This has resulted in declining water tables, large‐scale depression cones, land subsidence, and seawater intrusion, posing severe challenges for future groundwater resources [5]. Epidemic events can be catastrophic for host populations and may pose a threat to the affected species, triggering imbalances in the marine ecosystem.

Antibiotics have long been used to enhance ocean health, but they are now increasingly criticized due to the significant health hazards they pose to both humans and aquatic animals. In view of this, antibiotic use is increasingly being replaced by alternatives such as probiotics and prebiotics. These have gained attention as effective methods for controlling bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections in marine fish and shellfish [6–8]. According to the definition of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), probiotics are “live microorganisms which, when administered in an adequate amount, exert a beneficial effect on the health of a consumer” [9]. Merrifield et al. [10] proposed a revised definition of probiotics in aquaculture, considering the distinct traits of aquatic ecosystems when contrasted with terrestrial environments; thus, probiotics were characterized as either live or dead particles of microbial cells administered through food or rearing water. By fostering a beneficial microbial balance, probiotics enhance the host’s physiological resilience, leading to improved disease resistance, growth performance, feed efficiency, and a more robust response. There are some specific microbes shown to aid in the breaking down of waste or pollutants to enhance water quality, a process referred to as bioaugmentation or bioremediation [11]. Contrarily, prebiotics are indigestible compounds that serve as food for intestinal flora [12]. For substances to meet the criteria for prebiotics, they must promote the growth of beneficial gut flora and resist breakdown or absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) [13]. As a result, modulating endogenous microbial communities through probiotic or prebiotic supplementation can significantly influence the immunoregulatory systems governing gut mucosal tolerance. This review aims to synthesize and analyze the potential benefits of introducing probiotics and prebiotics into marine pasture environments to enhance marine ecosystem health and productivity. Our review has identified a literature gap in evaluating disease management strategies within marine pastures and a shortage of studies on marine pasture policy. Furthermore, research on applying probiotics and prebiotics for direct marine ecological protection and establishing corresponding management systems remains limited. Therefore, this review discusses the relevance of probiotics and prebiotics in the context of China’s marine pasture development mode, construction status, and management measures. It also addresses the challenges associated with the existing development model and proposes potential solutions for future development.