Six for farmed fish
North American aquaculture has its fair share of challenges ranging from complex regulations to worker shortages, rising costs and growing environmental concerns. But it also has serious talent in its corner: young entrepreneurs and innovators who are putting their stamp on the industry. They’re passionate about fish, they have their fingers on the pulse of the market, and they’re always looking for better ways of growing more fish for the planet. Below are six faces to watch in 2018 and beyond. Special Feature on
BY LOU CORPUZ
JENNY WEITZMAN PHD STUDENT, DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY, HALIFAX, CANADA
As a young girl growing up in downtown Ottawa in Canada, Jenny Weitzman looked forward to her family’s annual vacations in Florida, visiting aquariums and the ocean and feasting on seafood. Her love for all things marine eventually brought her to Dalhousie University on Canada’s Atlantic coast, where she is currently focused on developing tools to guide marine resource policymakers as part of her PhD work. A system view is critical when siting a fish farm, Weitzman explains: “We should
look not only into the specific dynamics of water or what’s best for the growth of the species; we should also consider the jobs aquaculture will provide and the social issues it will create. We should recognize that the coastal areas where these fish farms are being placed are increasingly crowded with other, equally important users, and that there are enduring challenges with public trust and social relations.”
Weitzman is a keen advocate of Canadian-grown fish and often volunteers to help promote seafood at public events and aquaculture conferences. “In Canada, we grow some amazing products from aquaculture. We need to recognize that and involve the community so that they know where their food is coming from and how their fish is grown.”
NICOLAS E. MENDOZA FOUNDER AND CEO, ONEFORNEPTUNE, WASHINGTON
Nick Mendoza lights up when people ask him how he came up with the company name. “One for Neptune” references an old sailing tradition
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of pouring a drink onto the ocean to pay homage to the god of the sea. But while the name is steeped in the past, Mendoza’s sights are fixed firmly forward. He dreams of making dried fish a popular snack among Americans as it was for the ancient Vikings and the Roman legions, who all relied on dried cod or tuna jerky to fuel their many voyages.
A marine scientist who trained at Stanford and the University of Stirling in Scotland, Mendoza could easily have pursued a research career but, as he puts it, the prospect of being on the cutting edge of aquaculture was hard to resist.
“The market for alternative jerkies like deer and bison is growing, and the US palate is expanding,” says Mendoza. “At the same time, I was concerned about reducing waste in the supply chain and making use of undervalued species. A high-protein snack food that’s shelf-stable, made from sustainably sourced, traceable seafood, and manufactured close to the source hits home on all these areas.”
Mendoza and his partners are developing new fish jerky flavours and building a facility in Bellingham, WA, with production expected to start in spring 2018.
“I predict that new shelf-stable offerings of farmed and wild seafood will be the next frontier of seafood in North America. Many factors in the market have aligned to create this opportunity for seafood,” says Mendoza.
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Visit www.thefishsite.com/learn or email Dr Neil Hazon, Course Director at nh1@st-andrews.ac.uk
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“Our next product line following the jerky is a kind of bar that that will use farmed seaweed, and we are also working on vegan seaweed-based products that will use 100 percent North American farmed seaweed.”
ARLEN TAYLOR AND RJ TAYLOR CO-OWNERS, CEDAR CREST TROUT FARM, ONTARIO, CANADA
Arlen Taylor and her brother RJ Taylor are second-generation fish farmers who run Cedar Crest, Ontario’s largest trout farm. Their parents started the business in 1995, but it was Arlen who engineered an expansion program in 2013 that catapulted the farm into an Ontario powerhouse with four land-based trout hatcheries that stock net-pen sites in Georgian Bay with more than five million fingerlings every year. Following on that success, the siblings have started introducing value-added products, including smoked trout and a line of pates and dips that they developed themselves. They also recently started a pop-up shop, making the rounds of nearby communities, taking pre-orders and generally talking about fish at local buy, sell or swap meets. Educating people what fish farming means is a cause near to both Taylors’ hearts and the pop-up shops are proving a great way to engage their surrounding communities. “Opening our pop-up shops and our processing facility has given us the opportunity to engage with the average Ontarian. We’re finding how excited people are to get this fish, and how excited they are about farmed seafood in central Canada,” says RJ.
Arlen adds: “Half my job is education in some form. We find that people want to know more about farmed fish, and by engaging with them they support us back by telling people what we do.”
LEE SCOGGIN RAS MANAGER, URBAN ORGANICS, ST PAUL, MINNESOTA
Lee Scoggin, a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s highly rated fisheries program, is a firm believer in aquaponics, so it makes sense that he found his way to Urban Organics just as the company was being started several years ago by founders Dave and Kristen Haider, Fred Haberman and Chris Ames.
Today the company is one of the world’s largest aquaponics operations—supplying about 475,000 lbs of organic greens and 275,000 lbs of Atlantic salmon and Arctic char each year—and Scoggin is relishing his daily responsibilities as its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) manager. He also enjoys giving farm tours to the public, largely because they help dispel some of the misconceptions around fish farms. “Aquaponics systems work so well and have huge potential,” says Scoggin. In his mind, there’s no doubt that the oceans are being overfished. “We import so much seafood into this country so there’s a huge opportunity for land-based RAS to bring food right to the market. And it’s all done indoors with very little impact on the environment.”
LISA VOLLBRECHT RESEARCH MANAGER, KAMPACHI FARMS, LLC, HAWAII
Growing up in the farmlands of rural Ontario, Lisa Vollbrecht always felt a strong connection to nature and food production—a connection that informs her work as research manager for Kampachi Farms, the Kona, Hawaii-based aquaculture startup founded by Neil Anthony Sims. Her job involves organizing resources for Kampachi’s researchers, writing grants and nurturing collaborations and industry partnerships. Kampachi Farms specializes in researching technologies to raise fish in freefloating cages in the open ocean, a unique approach that frees it from mooring restrictions and competition with other users. The company is currently applying for permits to set up an anchored demonstration farm in the Gulf of Mexico to test the feasibility of offshore kampachi culture there, and to provide a platform for education about offshore aquaculture.
“We’re hoping to map the process for attaining commercial-scale farm permits in the Gulf of Mexico so others can follow. This would result in the first finfish farm to be permitted in federal waters in the US,” says Vollbrecht. “We’re also looking into feed alternatives, such as algae-based feed, which are an important part of expanding fish production in a sustainable manner.”
Vollbrecht sees aquaculture as a means of conservation. “My vision of aquaculture is production done in harmony with the environment. Aquaculture has minimal environmental impact if done properly.”
Siblings Arlen and RJ Taylor
Study Aquaculture/Fisheries with us
The Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) provides undergraduate and graduate students with research experience and hands on fish culture experience at facilities on-campus and in the heart of the Idaho aquaculture industry.
A Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries with an Aquaculture minor is offered through the Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences in the College of Natural Resources.
For more information for Aquaculture Programs at UI, go to www.uidaho.edu/aquaculture; or contact director Ronald Hardy, rhardy@uidaho.edu, 208-837-9096, ext. 1105, or associate director Kenneth Cain, kcain@uidaho.edu. 208-885-7608.
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Saltwater cowboys
As important as having the specialized skillset, an aquaculture diver should also have the temperament to get the job done, writes Kelly N. Korol.
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Arguably, one of the most challenging but rewarding jobs on the farm site is the aquaculture diver. Very much like the cowboys on the cattle ranch, the divers are responsible to rig the underwater system, mend the nets, deal with the predators and do their best to ensure the stock is healthy and makes it to market. Just like their cowboy counterparts, the aquaculture diver has a specialized skill set — and temperament — that helps them get the job done.
Divers are found on most all open-water sites—from finfish to oysters to scallops and geoduck (clam) operations and more. Their work focuses mostly on maintaining the underwater hardware including the anchoring systems, net inspections, floatation maintenance and more including occasional work on the underside of the farm vessels. Sometimes the work is routine, such as underwater pressure washing or mortality recovery, and sometimes specialized, such as rigging the cage system.
Divers are also in a unique position to observe the product directly in its environment. Divers can assess behaviors, water conditions, feeding response and overall health of the stock and make recommendations to benefit the stock. The divers’ keen observations can also help the managers and veterinarians make decisions necessary for the health of the herd. Not only stock health but their security is the responsibility of the dive crew. Net checks for holes, damage to the pens or cages or potential wear can save the farm costly repairs and losses.
The aquaculture diver has a unique set of trade skills. Not only is the diver an expert in the physics, physiology and equipment of diving, but they also have to be masters of knots, rigging, mechanical advantage, and mechanics. Divers are puzzle and problem solvers and enjoy the challenge of finding solutions for the underwater portion of the farm system. As well, divers know if they take care of
the stock, the stock will take care of them, so they are often self-taught biologists learning animal husbandry and techniques for caring of their product.
So it begs the question, where do these divers come from? Some are existing farm staff who want to be able to expand their use and skills on the site. Some are trained commercial divers who find employment in the aquaculture industry and discover the rewards of the lifestyle and pay. And still others are men and women who want to get into a career that is interesting, demanding and something that not everyone can do.
To become an aquaculture diver, you have to begin at a proper commercial dive school and become certified in the skills, and academics of a commercial scuba diver or surface supply diver. This certification enables the diver to safely work in the underwater environment, be self-sufficient underwater and to develop a huge set of skills from knot tying to compressor maintenance, to underwater rigging techniques and tool use. But it doesn’t end there. The most accomplished divers also get vessel operator and marine radio operator certifications, advanced first aid skills, underwater video and imaging skills in addition to many other marine related skills.
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DiveSafe International student Rob Field
Special Feature on Training and Education AQUACULTURE EDUCATION IN ACTION
As for safety, there is no doubt that diving is one of the riskier activities on the farm but over the years regulation and procedures have made diving as safe as most other jobs on the site. I’m often asked if divers will ever be replaced with technology (Remote Operated Vehicles, automated net washers, etc). Although there is room for technology on the farm site, nothing will ever be able to replace a set of keen eyes, dexterous hands, and the real time, problem solving brain on the underwater worksite. Overall, aquaculture divers perform a valuable and essential role on the open-water site and they draw on a very specialized skill set that enables
them to have a challenging and rewarding career on the aquaculture site.
Kelly N. Korol is an aquaculture Diver Training Specialist and the Director of Training/Owner of DIVESAFE International
Educational videos: How to hook your audience
YouTube videos come in handy for professional development or for anyone simply interested about learning more about fish farming
You want this person to listen to you. But you know that if he would, he might only give you very short time and, even then, there are other people lining up to talk to him as well.
This could very well be the same case whenever you upload an extension video on sharing sites such as YouTube.
So how do you seize the moment?
“Make sure that you have a quality opening and get into the meat of the material quickly,” Dr David Cline, an extension aquaculturist at Auburn University in Alabama, told Aquaculture North America (ANA).
Cline is behind Aquaculture Education and More channel on YouTube, which he started in 2013. His most popular video is on in-pond raceways, which has been viewed 120,000 times. Educational videos on YouTube have an average of 4,872 views.
“A good opening sequence is okay as long as it is visually compelling and high quality,” he continued. “Use good visuals early.” Interesting photos, an interview, good graphics always help.
Thirty seconds is all it takes for viewers to decide if a video suits their needs. And even less if there are other videos available online on the topic. “I have seen topics that in some videos are covered in one minute and the same topic in another takes five minutes or more. Which would you rather watch?,” he asked.
Pace is another important element. “Don’t stay on the same picture or scene for more than 10 to 15 seconds,” he said. “Try to think like a director. The next
Thirty seconds is all it takes for viewers to decide if a video suits their needs, says Dr David Cline, an extension aquaculturist at Auburn University
time you watch a TV show start counting each time the shot changes. You will be surprised how few times you get to 10.”
On top of the education component, the video must also be entertaining. Otherwise, viewers would most likely move on to something else. “A video is sort of an exchange. I give you my time to watch the video and I want something in return,” he said. “If the content is not what I want or is boring I feel like the video has stolen my time from me.”
Selecting topics depend on your passion, a topic you are currently working on, or a story that you want to tell. It could also be about a question you have been asked several times before or just simply taking advantage of an opportunity. Examples, he says, are the harvest of a big pond, or a feeding frenzy. “It something that is interesting but is not necessarily a full-blown idea or story.”
- Ruby Gonzalez
Maine Aquaculture Business Incubators
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We provide entrepreneurs and business startups professional support and excellent facilities to develop their aquaculture ideas.
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For more information, contact: Chris Davis, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center 193 Clarks Cove Road, Walpole, ME 04573 Phone: (207) 832-1075, cdavis@midcoast.com
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ONTARIO COLLEGE GRADUATE CERTIFICATE START DATE SEPTEMBER
The Aquaculture Co-op program at Fleming College’s School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences is the only such program available at the postgraduate level in Ontario. You will learn about cold, cool and warm water aquaculture for food production, and for fisheries recreation and conservation. Offered in a compressed format, full-time from September to July, the program combines:
•Extensive fish husbandry experience in our on-campus salmonid and muskellunge hatcheries
•Field trips practicing commercial trout farming and fisheries restoration
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•A final semester, 8-week paid co-op, at an aquaculture enterprise specific to your career interest
The Aquaculture Program is located at Frost Campus in Lindsay, Ontario.
FIND OUT MORE AT: flemingcollege.ca/programs/aquaculture
Contact: Jon Carter | jon.carter@flemingcollege.ca
1.866.353.6464 ext. 3215
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DiveSafe students Darcy, Spencer, Michael, Dylan and Grayson training to work in the aquaculture industry
Credit: Adobe Stock
PEI hosts symposium on aquatic animal health
The maritime province of Prince Edward Island, Canada is hosting this year’s International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health (ISAAH), marking only the second time the symposium has been hosted in the country since the inaugural conference in Vancouver, BC, in 1988.
It will be held at the PEI Convention Centre from September 2–6, 2018, in Charlottetown, PEI.
Choosing PEI to host the 8th edition of the symposium was an easily accomplished task for organizers — the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) and the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance — and their co-host, the American Fisheries Society-Fish Health Section. PEI is home not only to AVC, which at the time it started in 1985 had the largest fish-focused program, but also to giant aqua health specialist Elanco Aqua.
Local chair of this year’s symposium Dr David Groman (third from left) with Dr Greg Keefe, dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College and Rory Francis, exec director of the PEI BioAlliance. Groman says PEI, host of the symposium, has the world’s highest number of aquatic animal health professionals per capita
Chair in Aquatic Epidemiology and Canada Research Chairs in Integrated Health Research for Sustainable Aquaculture and Epi-informatics at AVC, provide support and innovative solutions for the industry,” he said.
“It’s a little-known fact that PEI has the highest number of aquatic animal health professionals per capita and per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. Everything built on the arrival of those two aquaculture institutions in the mid80s,” said Dr David Groman, local chair of the 2018 ISAAH. “This is an excellent networking opportunity for people studying aquatic animal health as well as those working in the field.”
PEI BioAlliance official Rory Francis agreed that PEI is an ideal location for the symposium. “PEI is home to more than 30 entities involved in aquaculture production, health and nutrition product development, and contract services. Researchers, including the Canada Excellence Research
Held every four years, this year’s edition will discuss R &D, trends and outlook for the aquatic animal health industry. The symposium’s theme is “Integrating Biotechnology in the Advancement of Aquatic Animal Health.”
Students and post-doctoral fellows studying aquatic animal health are welcome to participate. Pre-conference workshop topics include Diagnostic Test Evaluations, Publication of Scientific Papers, Phlebotomy & Blood Analysis for Fish and Shellfish, Shellfish Necropsy & Disease Detection, and Uses of Virtual Microscopy.
Early bird registration for the conference ends on July 13. For more information, visit https://isaah2018.com/
Multimillion-dollar training facility in the works
orth Island College (NIC) in Campbell River, BC is building a 42,000-square-foot, $17.6-million new trades training facility that will house the school’s trades and technical program, including aquaculture.
The expansion is the largest project undertaken by NIC since it opened its campus doors in Campbell River in 1997.
“It’s an interesting time for Campbell River,” Cheryl O’Connell, dean of trades and technical programs at NIC, told ConstructConnect
“Students, who have not been able to benefit from the day-to-day resources available at the main campus, now will have easy access,” she says.
Credit: North Island College
I Wisconsin university mulls making Aquaculture and Aquaponics a major program
n a sign of the times, Aquaculture and Aquaponics will likely soon be offered as a major program at the University of WisconsinStevens Point (UWSP).
Aquaculture is currently the fastest growing food production system in the world. Although the global aquaculture industry is increasing in size and production, the industry is lacking in educated and experienced individuals to support that growth.
The Aquaculture and Aquaponics is one of the eight new majors that the university is considering to add after factoring in the number of enrolees. “The Midwest US consumes over 1 billion lbs of seafood products per year but less than 4 percent comes from aquaculture operations in the region. Student interest in aquaculture and aquaponics at the UWSP continues to rise based on concerns and support for food security, the local food movement, and healthy food choices. We have seen a 50-percent increase in students enrolling in our aquaculture minor and aquaponics certificate program over the past two years,” says UWSP Professor Chris Hartleb, director of UWSP’s Aquaponics Innovation Center.
He continued: “Most of those students plan to open their own aquaculture or aquaponics farm upon
graduation. Accordingly, we’ve seen a rise in the number of students completing summer internship programs in aquaculture and aquaponics so that they gain valuable production and business experience. This has led to a 90-percent job placement rate for our graduates.”
In a letter to Stevens Point’s The Times, Ola Lisowski, an education policy analyst at the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, lauded the university’s tough decision to realign the programs it offers in response to declining enrolment (it eliminated in 13 majors) and a growing deficit. “UWSP made a choice: stay in the past, or turn towards the future,” Lisowski wrote.
She said the addition of Aquaculture and Aquaponics as a major program will make Stevens Point unique. “UWSP will be the very first UW campus to offer a major program in Aquaculture and Aquaponics. It will become one of the first UW campuses with an on-campus masters program in Natural Resources. Many of the other natural resources-focused programs being added are simply not available anywhere else in the state. This will make Stevens Point stand up and stand out,” she wrote.
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Photo by Emily Moothart
UWSP graduate, Jim Miazga holds an Atlantic salmon broodstock at UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. UWSP is considering to offer Aquaculture and Aquaponics as a major program
Baltimore students get a foretaste of aquaculture
More than just a venue to grow vegetables and fish, the aquaponics lab inspires some students to pursue careers in aquaculture
Students at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (BPI) have been receiving an education in aquaculture and aquaponics through the school’s aquaponics lab. The program was established three years ago out of a desire to develop a project that would involve both science and engineering departments.
The lab has given the students practical experience growing leafy greens and tilapia and has already inspired a few students to consider a career in the industry.
“The students designed it and built it,” says Jeff Reeser, a science teacher and the school’s aquaponics advisor. “It would have been built a lot sooner if we had done it, but we let the students do it.”
With the students designing the system themselves, there were many setbacks — flooding was a regular issue during construction — but each challenge became a chance to learn and to persevere.
“We have an airline system that provides air with a centralized pump through PVC pipes,” says Reeser. “We had them build it and turned it on and they all started to blow. I asked ‘did you glue the pipes?’ and they said ‘we have to glue them?’ We knew it was going to happen – they plugged it in and it went pop pop pop! But they learn from that.”
Reeser says that two students who have worked in the lab are now at the University of Maryland studying aquaponics, aquaculture and agriculture. One student
had been interested in journalism, but after taking Reeser’s AP Environmental Science class and working in the aquaponics program, he switched to environmental journalism and law.
“I think it pushed him towards this career path of doing sustainable agriculture which is a big thing we teach in our AP class – how to feed the world without damaging the environment, and aquaponics lets you grow a lot of food in a small space.”
BPI students also developed their own electronic monitoring system, which is now being used by other schools with similar aquaponics or aquaculture programs. The lab is currently looking at more sustainable food sources for their tilapia – they are growing duck weed, and through a grant, some students have been working at Johns Hopkins University to research the best algae to feed the fish and increase their nutritional value.
— Matt Jones
Special Feature on Training and Education
University of Florida offers aquaculture fellowships
University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is offering eight veterinary fellowships for a two-year training program in aquatic animal health and aquaculture production medicine.
The UF IFAS fellowship is one of 13 programs that received a total of $2.35 million from the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture last November. The grants are awarded to support rural veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortages in rural America.
“Commercial aquaculture in the United States needs more production animal veterinarians willing to work in rural communities where agriculture, including aquaculture, exists. Success of these private, rural veterinary practices often requires a business model that includes diversification of veterinary expertise in animals beyond traditional farm species,” UF said in a statement.
Training, comprising online and field instruction, includes implementation of the National Aquaculture Association–
USDA Commercial Aquaculture Health Program Standards for clients. Tuition and related educational expenses are provided, and a stipend of $5,000 per participant will be paid on successful completion of each year of training.
Recent veterinary graduates with five years of experience or less working in rural areas may apply by submitting an application packet consisting of the following: a written statement of interest in working with aquaculture producers, including a statement of commitment to continued interest after the fellowship; three professional references; documented verification of a state veterinary license; and USDA accreditation as a category II practitioner.
Preference will be given to applicants submitting at least one letter of reference from an aquaculture facility. The application deadline is June 1.
For additional information, contact Dr Ruth Francis-Floyd, extension veterinarian at the University of Florida, at rffloyd@ufl.edu or by calling (386) 643-8904.
BPI students get an opportunity to grow vegetables and fish in the aquaponics lab, and an interest in the industry
Credit: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
New federal grant will provide fellowships in aquaculture training to rural veterinarians
Credit: University of Florida
Program attracts all ages, backgrounds
arteret Community College in coastal North Carolina offers an Aquaculture Technology program that’s attracting students from diverse backgrounds, including recent high school graduates, adults transitioning careers, commercial fishermen, and military veterans.
No matter the skills level, everyone gains hands-on experience while learning the fundamental concepts of aquaculture production. The on-campus facilities located on Bogue Sound in Morehead City, NC house a shellfish hatchery, nursery, and growout site, pier and skiff for collecting animals, blue crab shedding system, recirculating fish production and broodstock systems, fish and shrimp larval culture systems, reef tanks, algal and live feeds culture areas, and a greenhouse for aquaponics.
Students can choose from a variety of degree options: a one-year certificate or diploma prepares students for work at production facilities. The two-year degree trains students for success at hatcheries, research facilities, and public aquariums, or prepare to transfer to a four-year university for a degree in Biology or Marine Science.
A student at Carteret Community College acquires hands-on experience in oyster farming Special
There are classes available online as well as in-person to serve students’ needs. Besides gaining hands-on training through coursework, students visit a variety of local facilities to see how commercial and research aquaculture facilities operate. There are many opportunities for Aquaculture Technology students to gain experience during the program working on research projects that the College participates in or with local industry partners.
The program supports a rapidly expanding shellfish aquaculture industry, developing marine ornamental aquaculture hatcheries, recirculating fish production facilities, and public aquariums, among others. The curriculum includes:
• Aquaculture trends and sustainability
• Water quality measurement and management
• Aquatic animal husbandry
• Production systems and techniques
• Facility design, construction, and maintenance
• Aquaculture business planning
• Broodstock selection and conditioning
• Live feeds production
• Larval culture techniques
• Aquatic animal health
• Genetics and breeding
for yourself through our:
• Applied learning at our cold water trout production hatchery
• Aquaponics greenhouse production facility, which raises paddlefish and produce
• Field trips to New York Department of Environmental Conservation hatcheries, private farms and aquariums
• Coral reproduction and marine ornamental fish breeding in our Aquatics Lab
• Field ID courses in Aquatic Ecology and Fish Ecology
• NEW course in Marine Biology
UMass Boston offers new online program
University of Massachusetts Boston’s School for the Environment has launched a new online program. “There is a need for fish farm technicians, scientists, engineers, managers, and government regulators given the rapid growth rate of the aquaculture industry. The University of Massachusetts Boston’s School for the Environment is helping to meet that need with a new online program that focuses on the applied side of training,” said Dr Jennifer Bender, Research Fellow, School for the Environment.
The program — Introduction to Sustainable Marine Aquaculture — was launched in January 2018. It provides a basic foundation in the field of aquaculture. It will address the essential aspects of aquaculture fish and invertebrate biology including anatomy, physiology, and environmental requirements. Subjects studied will include anatomy and physiology of the circulatory, respiratory, nervous, digestive sensory endocrine reproductive systems, and life cycle of invertebrate and vertebrate aquaculture species.
Anyone who is already in the aquaculture field or looking to break in, as well as UMass Boston students can register for the program. Credit and non-credit options are available.
“As a recognized leader in coastal ocean science and policy research, the new online program capitalizes on our research expertise and impactful history as a leader in training the next generation of environmental leaders,” Dr Bender continued.
She noted that while aquaculture has been around for centuries, it has not received the same technological
UMass Boston’s Coasts and Communities Fellow Brianna Shaughnessy on the way to visit 5th Bend Oyster Farm during Nantucket’s Sustainable Food Festival. A new online program expands UMass Boston’s aquaculture offerings
focus as terrestrial agriculture. “Leadership in the field of technological innovation in aquaculture is required to fill this deficit, improve the local economy, and create global solutions,” she said.
“We need to teach people about aquaculture so they understand it as a future food solution and how aquaculture fits into the conversation about food systems and food security,” she concluded.
Bellingham Technical College is unique on the West Coast in offering a two-year program that provides hands-on training with algae, finfish and shellfish
s the world’s population grows, it is more imperative than ever to have a safe, healthy and sustainable source of food for people around the globe. Aquatic species — including fish, shellfish, and plants and algae — are essential to feed this growing population, and modern advances have allowed for sustainable farming.
AThe Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program at Bellingham Technical College is dedicated to educating students about the immense value of these aquatic resources. Students learn the science and acquire the skills needed to help manage and conserve those resources through sustainable farming and harvesting. BTC’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program is the only two-year program on the West Coast that provides hands-on training with algae and shellfish, offering a multifaceted curriculum that teaches algae, finfish and shellfish culturing, and conservation. It blends science with hands-on learning in the lab and in the field to give students a strong foundation for their careers and a deep understanding for aquatic species and their habitats.
Much of this learning takes place at BTC’s awardwinning Perry Center for Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences, located in downtown Bellingham’s Maritime Heritage Park. The Center features specialized classrooms, wet and dry laboratories, an algae laboratory, student equipment lockers and interpretive hatchery displays for public viewing. A mixed computer lab and lecture space was recently configured to expand lessons on data collection, entry and analysis in response to industry needs.
BTC’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program operates two hatcheries, the onsite Whatcom Creek and the nearby Whatcom Falls Hatchery in Whatcom Falls Park, allowing students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom and the lab to the real world.
Graduates of the program will be eligible for technical positions in the public, non-profit, and private sectors, including: shellfish and finfish commercial farming, tribal and government stock enhancement hatcheries, fisheries conservation and management agencies, commercial and recreational fisheries vessel and port sampling, and developing industries such as aquaponics farming and alternate feed production.
BTC also offers a Fisheries & Aquatic Science Associate of Applied Science - Transfer degree that allows program graduates to transfer to Western Washington University or Northwest Indian College to earn their bachelor’s degree.
For more information, contact BTC’s Admissions department at 360.752.8345 or
Where Water Drives Innovation.
Stirling puts focus on graduate employability
quipping students with their own “employability toolkit” is the goal of the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling.
Graduates leave the school with not only the technical prowess, but also the flexibility, communication, decisionmaking and problem-solving skills needed to do the job, said the university. “Our degrees teach students about all subjects relevant to global aquaculture and cover many species and systems. They are developed in consultation with industry partners with employability in mind,” says John Bostock, Institute of Aquaculture MSc Programmes Director.
He said roughly 98 percent of postgraduate leavers are in employment or further study within six months of graduating (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2015/16). “This places us first in Scotland and third in the UK,” Bostock says, adding that Stirling’s global reputation has attracted postgraduate
students from around the world.
“Whether you are already involved with aquaculture or considering it as a career choice, our courses will upgrade your knowledge and skills and raise your value to future employers. There are opportunities to visit local industry partners and professionals involved in a wide range of commercial and regulatory roles throughout the taught courses. Many MSc students undertake their three-month research project either with or in partnership with an aquaculture leading sector company in the UK or overseas,” he added.
Research focuses on critical questions, such as how to develop strategies for sustainable aquaculture and aquatic food security, how to inform modern commercial markets and how to support communities in developing countries. “Our research informs our teaching and our students are working alongside our teaching staff in our state of the art facilities,” says Bostock.
The University of Stirling has been
voted No. 1 in Scotland for welcoming international students and No. 1 in the UK for campus environment in the 2016 International Student Barometer.
In addition to extensive on-campus
Specialized facilities support student learning
ew York State is a top destination for recreational fishing with a number of state-run stocking programs. The popularity of fishing helps make New York number two in the nation for overall angler expenditures. Supporting this vibrant industry and a leader in aquaculture training is SUNY Morrisville. The state college offers students training and applied learning in aquaculture and aquatic natural resource management.
Morrisville’s degree programs include an Associate of Applied Science in Aquaculture and Aquatic Science and a Bachelor of Technology in Renewable Resources. These degree programs are supported by the college’s Aquaculture Center where students receive hands-on experience.
The Aquaculture Center includes a cold-water trout production facility and a controlled environment aquaponics (CEA) greenhouse, which combines hydroponic and aquaculture systems to produce nutrientrich vegetables and fish.
Students also have the opportunity to work in the campus Aquatics Lab breeding marine aquarium fish and coral species. Many species are raised onsite from brook trout to paddlefish. Student-led faculty research collaborations have resulted in ongoing research projects into coral production and seahorse breeding. SUNY Morrisville’s central location in the state provides a
variety of collaborative learning opportunities with staterun hatcheries and private industry. Bicknell Hall, the home of these environmental science programs, provides the classroom and laboratory space and features wet and dry labs, a student locker room and computer lab.
Graduates of the two-year Aquaculture and Aquatic Science program are trained for careers as hatchery technicians, fisheries technicians, water quality technicians,
facilities, the Institute has separate off-site large-scale freshwater and marine research systems and collaborates extensively with many other research organisations in the UK, Europe, and globally.
and aquarists. Students may continue on to the Bachelor of Technology in Renewable Resources and are required to complete a 600-hour internship to graduate with the ability to focus their internships in aquaculture.
Course offerings include Aquaculture, Fish Ecology, Aquatic Ecology, Fish Nutrition, Fish Reproduction, Fish Health Management, Aquaculture Practicum, GIS, Aquatic Sampling and Design, and Marine Biology.
The University of Stirling in Scotland attracts postgraduate students from around the world
Diverse offerings give SUNY Cobleskill leading edge
SUNY Cobleskill is a fisheries and aquaculture gem in the scenic Upstate New York.
For more than 100 years, the institution has set the standard in hands-on education; its new applied learning requirement gives students the kind of real-world experience that employers look for.
Students in the Bachelor of Technology in Fisheries and Aquaculture degree program study, research, and work in the school’s coldwater, cool-water, and warm-water indoor hatcheries, endangered species hatchery, and outdoor experimental ponds. They work with partners like the Department of Environmental Conservation for internships and undergraduate research projects, producing tangible environmental benefits such as stream restoration, endangered species restoration, and aquaculture production.
SUNY Cobleskill’s new applied learning requirement gives students real-world experience
meetings of the American Fisheries Society and the World Aquaculture Society. They gain a global perspective with study-abroad opportunities in Peru, Panama, South Africa, and the Galapagos Islands.
Each year, students take their work to state and national
SUNY Cobleskill says its Fisheries and Aquaculture graduates have an outstanding success rate in finding jobs and attending graduate school. Learn more at cobleskill.edu.
This annual “Training & Education” supplement is part of the May/June 2018 issue of Aquaculture North America. We encourage you to forward the supplement to any friends, family or colleagues interested in a career in aquaculture. To subscribe to Aquaculture North America or sign up for our free e-newsletter, please visit