Certificate in Sustainable Marine Aquaculture

This module provides an introductory overview of marine aquaculture with a specific focus on biology. Students will explore the essential aspects of fish and invertebrate biology including anatomy, physiology and environmental requirements. Topics covered include:

• Fish biology: Anatomy & physiology
• Fish biology: Environmental requirements
• Fish respiration and osmoregulation
• Nutrition & fish health
• Fish biology – Life stages
• Crustacean anatomy, physiology & environmental requirements
• Crustacean physiology: Gas exchange, reproduction, life stages, health & disease
• Bivalve mollusc anatomy, physiology & environmental requirements
• Bivalve mollusc reproduction, life stages, health & disease
• Anatomy, physiology, life-stages & health of other aquaculture species
• Aquatic biology and aquaculture

This module is designed to provide an overview of animal production and associated environmental and regulatory aspects of the industry. The course also introduces aspects of business and market development for cultured products with special focus on marine aquaculture and shellfish. Topic covered include:

• Principles of aquaculture production
• Environmental requirements of production
• Invertebrate Aquaculture Production
• Land Based Systems
• Cage Culture Systems
• Offshore aquaculture
• Recirculating Aquaculture
• Larval Rearing
• Genetics and Production

This module examines the elements of working in and managing a successful aquaculture operation. Aquaculture is currently the fastest growing segment of the food industry, with about half of what we eat from the ocean coming from aquaculture. This is an increasingly competitive space that suffers from a tradition of malpractice and misunderstanding as well as a regulatory culture that lags far behind an innovative rate. Site selection, gear, seed and feed procurement, marketing, and supply chain dynamics are all important elements of a successful aquaculture operation that demand an understanding of regulatory, financial, and marketing and entrepreneurial principles. This course is designed to introduce students to these challenges and equip them with the tools needed to engage within the industry on a sophisticated, successful level.  Topics covered include:

• Business Plan & Business Plan presentation
• Leasing, Licensing and Regulation
• Accounting
• Best Management Practices: Operation, Facilities and Equipment
• Site selection
• Harvest and handling
• Operations: Food Safety. HACCP
• Risk and Insurance
• Basic Marine Safety (online boating class)
• Business Plan Development
• Scalability

The module will provide an understanding of the key aspects of nutrition of cultured species and cover the importance of nutrition and feed management in commercial aquaculture operations. The course will also assess the sustainability of raw material sources such as fish meal and the effectiveness of alternative protein replacements, and understand the relationship between nutrition and fish health. Topics include:

• Feeding and digestion – invertebrates
• Feeding and digestion – fish
• Proteins and Nutrition
• Lipids and Nutrition
• Carbohydrates and Nutrition
• Nutrient sources and requirements – invertebrates
• Nutrient sources and requirements – fish
• Feed production
• Feed management
• Feed sustainability

This module will examine the general biology and production of algae/seaweed. Algae such as kelp are becoming increasingly important, globally, in aquaculture. Topics will include taxonomy, morphology, distribution and habitat, nutrition, significant ecological interactions (such as carbon sequestration), and life cycles. Kelp that exists in the wild and kelp that is cultured have different impacts.  Topics covered include:

• Overview of Seaweed
• Biology of Seaweed
• History of Seaweed
• Uses for Seaweed
• Seaweed Sustainability
• Seaweed Sustainability and Food
• Seaweeds in the Wild and Aquaculture
• Regulatory environment
• Farming Seaweed
• Processing Seaweed
• New Frontiers