Aquaculture Careers - Are they for you?
Aquaculture careers involve the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans and aquatic plants with a slight intervention to try and enhance production with things such as regular feeding and stocking, protecting them from predators, etc. This type of farming also means that individual or corporate ownership is evident of the stock being cultivated.
For someone who is interested in aquaculture careers, they would generally be farmers who breed and grow shellfish, finfish and other aquatic plants for profit in either controlled or semi-controlled settings. They typically work on ocean pens right off the coast where they grow marine finfish or they can work on inland farms wherever they can cultivate freshwater species in ponds.
Individuals in aquaculture careers might be interested in raising aquatic animals and plans for food production reasons, keeping the public waters stocked or for public or home aquaria.
Generally, someone involved in aquaculture careers would have these tasks on a daily basis: stocking production tanks and ponds, monitoring water quality, harvester of animals and plants, ensuring proper nutrition, checking for any disease and equipment. The next step up in aquaculture careers would be a management position and that type of work would involve planning the production schedules, business planning, supervising employees, purchasing the feed and equipment and planning the harvesting, processing and marketing.
Examples of specific job titles for those in aquaculture careers include: Farm Manager or Owner, Consulting, Fish Farm Technician, Marine Biology, Water quality monitoring, Equipment manufacturing, Biology conservation, Processing, Algologists, Biomedical research, Environmental monitoring, Education and Training, Fisheries conservation, employment at an aquarium and of course, employment at the zoo.
If you are interested in aquaculture careers, you should definitely have an interest in agriculture and an interest in marine sciences. To gain an entry level position, you’ll have to have at least completed second level education which could then be supplemented by further education during your employment. Managers in aquaculture careers have college degrees and have to have excellent understanding of water quality, nutrition and business. Most colleges that offer courses have specific aquamarine courses and more common general science courses such as marine biology, zoology, and environmental sciences which have aquamarine components.
Aquaculture careers can be very exciting. Start your research today for schools that offer the courses and training that are necessary for the specific area that you are interested in. There are opportunities out there waiting for you!