Aquatic Science Careers - Areas to specialize in
Aquatic science careers include specializations in both Oceanography and Limnology. What is Limnology you ask? Limnology is the study of the physics, chemistry and biology of rivers, damns and lakes. A person who is pursuing this field is most concerned with inland waters and the organisms that live in them. Oceanography has many different fields of study which relate to it. These fields of study of the sciences include marine biology, chemical and physical oceanography, and coastal engineering.
Why are aquatic science careers important? Because of the rapid population and growth in our country, we are placing increased demands on our freshwater resources. There have been studies conducted which show that if we increase our understanding of the behavior and responses of the ecosystem to stress which is induced by humans and society, such as pollution and exploitation of natural food resources and water, that we can increase conservation and use these limited resources wisely.
What kind of areas can someone specialize in when they are pursuing aquatic science careers? Someone who is looking in to aquatic science careers might choose to study the physical aspects, which include water currents and flow rates, erosion and sedimentation and the temperature and clarity of the water. Another area of aquatic science careers are the chemical studies, which include analysis of the water, cleansing of the water, monitoring pollution, and nutrient availability. The ecological and biological studies are another area of aquatic science careers which study the distribution patterns, the factors which affect the productivity and how food is being utilized, and conservation of living resources and how they are affected by pollution. Management studies include specialization in water storage and supply, allocation of the water resources for irrigation use, and of course, recreation. Finally, the last specialized area in aquatic science careers would be aquaculture studies. This area specializes in growing plants and animals for food along with other ornamental plant and fish culture for use in an aquarium.
There are four different types of jobs that are available in aquatic science careers. Technicians often work with researchers. They usually are responsible for a variety of duties including for routine sampling of water quality and for lab analysis of samples. Researchers conduct or direct their own research programs. They may visit sampling stations and collect and analyze samples for information and perform experiments. They would then report what they find. Aquaculturalists are usually involved in developing aquaculture farms or running the farms themselves. The final job is the administrators. They would develop policies, promote the objectives of the department or business in which they were involved with, coordinate and direct the research activities, manage budgets and attend meetings.