After a century of development, marine ranching through the 1.0 stage driven by agro-pastoralism and engineering, the 2.0 stage driven by ecology and information technology, and is moving towards the 3.0 stage driven by digitalization and systematization. From the perspective of aquatic ecology and landscape ecology, aquatic ecological ranching attaches great importance to the connectivity and integrity of ecosystem, which is an essential scene for expanding fishery space and promoting integrated development. In order to achieve healthy and high-quality development of fisheries, ecological and digital economies should jointly promote the model innovation and industrial development of aquatic ecological ranching. This paper reviews the necessity, development concept and response strategy of the construction of aquatic ecological ranching, and demonstrates how digital empowerment promotes the systematic and digital construction of aquatic ecological ranching from three aspects: key technologies, unmanned equipment and intelligent management. In terms of key technologies, we will establish a precise technical system and take a transition to a standardized technical system in all aspects of monitoring and evaluation, site selection and layout, restoration and maintenance, and information management. In terms of unmanned equipment, we will establish a light and simplified equipment system and take a transition to an unmanned technology system, including environmental monitoring equipment, resource detection equipment, ranch construction equipment, information management equipment, industry integration equipment. In terms of intelligent management, we will establish a full-cycle process-oriented management system and take a transition to a full-chain intelligent management system. We also propose the development model of four linked fields, land and sea relay, grazing and breeding interaction, and industry integration, so as to provide a reference for better use of digital technology to build aquatic ecological ranching in a scientific and standardized way.