Aquaculture Microbiologist

Aquaculture is the science of raising edible marine animals in aquatic farms. What fisheries do for fish, aquaculture does for shrimp and scallops. The practice has the lofty goal of relieving the strain on the world’s natural resources and helping avoid food shortages. Aquaculture Microbiologists work to make sure that aquaculture facilities are safe, for both the animals and the humans consuming them.

As an Aquaculture Microbiologist, you spend your days shuttling between the tanks and the lab. Each day is a little different depending on the season, stage of animal development, and environment within the tanks. For example, you might grab a water sample and find unusually high levels of bacteria. That leads you to begin testing animals, gathering more samples, and pulling an all-nighter in front of the microscope back at the lab.

No shrimp will grace the table unless it passes your quality control standards. After all, it is your goal as an Aquaculture Microbiologist to ensure a healthy environment for the marine animals, and disease-free food for humans.

In addition to being a Microbiologist monitoring the living environment, you’re also a Conservationist. You study the area around the aquaculture facility and make conclusions about how the farming operations affect other animals, plants, humans, and the ecosystem of the surrounding area. Based on your scientific studies, you recommend ways to improve the production process and better protect the environment.