Make Waves With an Aquaculture Degree from 51
Imagine you’re at a job interview for a position in the aquaculture field, and you’re able to say that you’ve not only studied kelp farms but have also helped a kelp farming operation.
This is the edge that 51’s B.S. in Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture (SEA) gives you. From day one, you will work with aquaculture industry experts and study on a campus with the Atlantic Ocean in its backyard. You will be immersed in four years of hands-on, on-the-water activities that prepare you for exciting jobs in aquaculture. There will never be a dull moment while taking a class from one of our SEA professors.
Our Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture degree program prepares you for the aquaculture industry. You will be armed with the knowledge and unique skills needed to culture organisms in the nearshore coastal environment for food or restoration with special emphasis on sustainability, societal values, needs, and policies.
Study Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture on the Gulf of Maine
Why 51 for a Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Degree
With the ocean just feet from our campus, 51 offers a truly unique experience to Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture degree majors. Benefits of our SEA program include:
- Gain skills for the aquaculture job market through abundant hands-on experience out on the water
- Work and learn on our University-operated kelp farm, private island, and partner aquaculture sites
- Build nautical skills on 51 research vessels
- Learn at the state-of-the-art Girard Marine Science Center with recirculating aquaculture system
- Enjoy proximity to Portland’s working waterfront
- Take advantage of internship opportunities all four years with area industry partners
- Learn from expert faculty
- Join a supportive community of students and faculty who share your passion for the ocean
What Will You Study? Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Program Curriculum Overview
51 offers a common set of marine-based courses in the first two years of our marine programs, allowing you to switch easily between marine majors. Once you are settled in the Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture major, here are some of the courses you can look forward to:
- Systems Thinking and World Problems
- Aquaculture Policy and Management
- Ocean Aquaculture Design and Operation
- Marine Operations – Boating and Water Safety
- Ocean Foods Systems Seminar
Curriculum
| Nor’easter Core Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Total Credits | 40 |
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 221 – Principles of Aquaculture | 3 |
| BIO 222/222L – Finfish/Shellfish Culture Tech w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 223/223L – Hlth, Nurt, Feed Cultured Org w/Lab | 4 |
| BUMG 313 – Social Innov & Entre or BUMK 312 – Entrepreneurship/Sml Business | 3 |
| CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/Lab or CHE 111/111L – General Chemistry II w/Lab or CHE 130/130L – Principles of Chemistry w/Lab or CHE 150/150L – University General Chem I w/Lab or CHE 151/151L – University General Chem II w/Lab | 4 |
| GIS 161 – GIS I: Func/Geospatial Sci/Tech | 3 |
| MAF 315 – US Aquaculture Management & Policy | 3 |
| MAR 105/105L – Eco/Evo of Marine Organisms w/Lab | 4 – Fulfills Scientific Method Core |
| MAR 106/106L – Cell/Molec Bio/Marine Orgs w/Lab | 4 |
| MAR 150/150L – Discovering the Ocean Environ w/Lab or MAR 270/270L – Oceanography w/Lab | 4 |
| MAR 235 – Sustainable Harvest of Aquatic Organisms | 3 |
| MAR 250/250L – Marine Biology w/Lab | 4 |
| MAR 315 – Systems Thinking (World Problems) | 3 |
| MAR 427 – Ocean Aquaculture Design and Operations | 3 |
| MAR 445 – Social Ecological Aquaculture | 3 |
| MAR 495 – Adv Marine Science Internship or MAR 410 – Marine Science Research | 4 |
| MAT 150 – Statistics for Life Sciences or MAT 151 – Statistics for Environmental Sciences | 3 – Fulfills Quantitative Reasoning Core |
| Six (6) credits of program-specific electives | 6 |
| Total Credits | 65 |
| Open elective courses (as needed to reach 120 credits) | Variable |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 120 |
|---|
Program-Specific Electives
| Program Specific Electives | Credits |
|---|---|
| ENV 220 – Conservation and Preservation | 3 |
| ENV 215 – Field Methods in Conservation | 3 |
| ENV 240 – Env Sustainability Lab | 2 |
| ENV 250 – Envir Policy Compar Perspect | 3 |
| ENV 261 – Gulf of Maine Field Studies I | 1.5 |
| ENV 262 – Gulf of Maine Field Studies II | 1.5 |
| ENV 309 – Sustainability & Eco Restor | 3 |
| ENV 311/311L – Ecological Monitoring w/Lab | 4 |
| ENV 328 – Env Pollution: Widlife/Hum Hlth | 3 |
| ENV 365 – Climate Change Adaptation | 3 |
| MAR 350/350L – Marine Ecology w/Lab | 4 |
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Meet Chris, Aquaculture ’22
An aquaculture major interning at an oyster farm in Georgetown, Maine, Chris is learning — hands on — how to raise a sustainable, renewable protein source with the goal of starting his own oyster farm.
Potential Jobs in Aquaculture
51 students are prepared for careers and graduate school. In fact, 95% of our undergraduates are employed or enrolled in higher education within one year of graduating.
With our Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture degree, you will gain the tools and experience needed to design, manage, and operate:
- Ocean-based fish pens
- Kelp aquaculture sites
- Bivalve sea farms
You will also gain an understanding of ocean-based aquaculture policies and regulations and the management skills needed to run both small and large sea farms. You will graduate from this program with a resume that is sure to land in the “keepers” pile of any employer in the aquaculture industry.
Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture degree majors may explore a wide variety of aquaculture jobs, including:
- Manager of farm lease applications and permits
- Sea grant extension agent
- Market development specialist
- International relations specialist
- Ocean farmer (including oyster, finfish, and kelp farming)
average annual salary of an aquaculture manager in the U.S.
(Recruiter.com)
Career Advising in the Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Program
Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or a vague idea of the field that interests you, Career Advising is here to help you plan your next step.
Facilities
51 offers some of the best research, lab, and classroom facilities in the nation for the study of marine science — including state-of-the-art buildings, a fleet of research vessels, and our own research island — and you can access all of them right from our main campus in Biddeford, Maine.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Marine Science Center
Explore all School of Marine and Environmental Programs facilities