Aquaculture involves raising aquatic species in controlled environments, with aquaculture farmers managing the operation of the facility. They need a background in marine biology and a degree, and may work in man-made or natural environments, monitoring fish health, operating machinery, and interacting with customers.
Aquaculture is the process of raising fish and other aquatic species in controlled environments, as opposed to commercial fishing, which is the practice of capturing fish and aquatic species from the wild. An aquaculture farmer is a person who works in an aquaculture facility and manages the operation of the facility. This person is a participant in the broader field of marine biology and will have a solid background and background with training in aquatic life, marine ecosystems, fishing and farming practices, and common environmental and bureaucratic issues related to aquaculture. An aquaculturist will need to obtain at least a bachelor’s degree and often a master’s or doctoral degree to work in the field.
Not surprisingly, an aquaculture farmer must live or at least work near a water source. This could mean freshwater ponds and lakes are used to create the aquaculture facility, or even oceans for saltwater environments. Some facilities are completely man-made and are enclosed within a specially designed structure, meaning the facility does not necessarily need to be close to a natural water source. Independent companies can open these facilities to grow fish for sale in markets, while other facilities can conduct research on various ecosystems and behaviors. An aquaculture worker can work in any of these facilities and more, depending on that person’s career and research goals.
Part of an aquaculture manager’s duties include monitoring fish health and taking note of general water safety. In this sense, an aquaculture farmer is a scientist who conducts constant research on a specific ecosystem, natural or man-made. In other environments, the aquaculture farmer is more of a farmer, raising and harvesting fish and preparing them for sale. He or she may even interact with potential customers, acting as a salesperson for the fishery or other aquaculture environment.
Aquaculturists are likely to need to know how to operate some heavy machinery, and they may even be responsible for repairing or maintaining machinery as well. This is usually not a core job function, but as many of these professionals work in environments that do not provide a significant amount of support staff, aquaculturists must be adaptable and prepared for different types of work. If the aquaculture facility is on a natural body of water, aquaculture professionals may also need to operate various sizes of boats.
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