MSc Sustainable Aquaculture

Aquaculture is recognised as the fastest growth sector of agribusiness. Today, 50% of the fish we eat are farmed and by 2030 it will be 60%. Our multidisciplinary approach places emphasis on the sustainable use of aquatic and marine resources for commercial exploitation of food and products. Discover the scientific rationale for improving aquatic animal health and production, reducing environmental impact, and addressing the socio-economic factors.

Key features

• Our MSc Sustainable Aquaculture programme provides you with an opportunity to engage with world leading research, with access to outstanding aquaculture facilities and immersive field trips that will give you the tools to make the most of the global career opportunities in this field.
• Develop an appreciation for the growing aquaculture industry within a sustainable agenda for meeting the needs of culturing fish, crustacean, mollusc, aquatic plants and invertebrates for their products.
• Choose specialised modules and draw on the expertise of research active staff with proven track records of teaching and national as well as international recognition in their fields.
• Gain experience of the aquaculture industry from a range of field trips, including a residential field trip in Greece (costs are included in the tuition fees), to hatcheries, farms and other related facilities.
• Join a rich research group working on various aspects of nutrition, health, disease, behaviour, microbiomes and welfare of species of fish, crustaceans and molluscs of commercial relevance.
• Undertake a variety of projects and technical training with our contemporary facilities such as wet labs/aquaria, nutrition and feed analytical suites as well as teaching laboratories, molecular biology and an electron microscopy centre.
• Gain access to expertise from leaders in industry and commerce in a variety of aquaculture systems, advancing your technical and scientific knowledge.
• Benefit from our strong relationships with government agencies, commercial enterprising and advisory organisations.
• Join our well established postgraduate environment where PhD students interact and engage in related specialised areas to foster a sound academic forum for sharing ideas and technical knowledge.
• Graduate opportunities include various career paths within the aquaculture industry as well as associated fields relating to fish and shellfish health, welfare and research. Previous graduates have progressed into careers in these fields or PhD programmes in the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa.

You’ll learn about the scale and nature of the global industry and the challenges required to develop sustainable solutions. The programme reflects key aspects of fish, shellfish and algae production relating to modern aquaculture practices with emphasis on nutrition, feed management, health, welfare and sustainable technology. It also incorporates the socio-economic and geo-political developments in this expanding area as well as marketing and enterprise. Topics include: fish nutrition, feed technology, fish and shellfish health management, disease prevention and genetic improvement of stock for aquaculture; management of fish production, ornamental fish culture and global demand for aquatic trades in captive fish species; environmental and legislative regulations in different countries and the problems of aquaculture expansion in rural areas; economics of the marine environment; seafood processing; and a research project leading to your dissertation.