Aquaculture Biologist

Aquaculture is the practice of capturing, breeding, and rearing aquatic plants or animals. Its overall goal is to produce more of these living things, either for release into the wild or for human consumption. Aquaculture Biologists do their part in attaining this goal by studying aquatic animals and plants. An Aquaculture Biologist strives to better understand what the prime conditions are for their health and reproduction, and how they respond to disease.

As the benefits of aquaculture continue to multiply, the number of areas where you can use your knowledge as an Aquaculture Biologist multiplies with them. You might move from one natural environment to another, such as rivers, lakes, and streams. Or you might choose to work exclusively at a fishery or farm.

You might work with saltwater or freshwater animals. Common aquaculture animals include shrimp, fish, eels, shellfish, turtles, oysters, crustaceans, and algae.

Aquaculture provides a unique environment to the animals and a unique opportunity for you, the Biologist. Because the animals are contained in a controlled environment, there’s potential to breed diseases that are not present in a purely natural environment. So you frequently evaluate the health of the animals, perform tests, look into symptoms as they arise, and seek out solutions to problems.

When a population produces a less-than-average number of offspring, you evaluate whether it is caused by overcrowding in the tank, improper temperature, or insufficient diet. This requires keen attention to detail, good communication skills, and a desire to produce accurate results.