MSc
AFI-30806 Fisheries Ecology
The course unit deals with the main aspects of fisheries ecology. It will give an overview of the main categories of fishes and other organisms involved in global fisheries and explain principles of fish population dynamics in order to assess the ecological position of fish populations in relationship to fisheries management. Information is given on the environmental - and/or human factors (exploitation level, pollution and habitat destruction), which control the fish stock and ecosystem development. During the practical main fish species categories (temperate and tropics) are analyzed to determine their condition, age, growth, mortality, reproduction and feeding behaviour. Population dynamics and simulation models are used to estimate maximum sustainable yield for various exploitation levels and mesh sizes. Special attention is given to the environment - fish - fishery interactions.
AFI-31306 Life History of Aquatic Organisms
The course deals with the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms, especially in the light of life history theory. The focus in the course lies with animal species, especially those which are important for fisheries, aquaculture and nature conservation. A wide array of subjects is treated, from the organism (reproduction, feeding, homeostasis, migration, habitat use), the population (population ecology) and the community level (fish communities), as well as a large variety of aquatic systems and diverse organism groups. In order to facilitate the learning process the course was designed using a matrix structure, with four biological themes and a limited number of aquatic systems (divided in four types) as its axes. The themes are: 1) phylogeny, speciation and niche differentiation; 2) reproduction and breeding; 3) swimming and migration; and 4) food and food webs. The four types of aquatic systems, which will be introduced in the first lectures, with their respective water bodies are: A) lakes (L. Victoria, L. Tana, both in Africa); B) rivers (Rhine, Volga in Europe, Amazon in South America); C) oceans (Pacific off South America and Atlantic); and D) coastal zones (tropical South East Asia).
To understand the life history of organisms, i.e. to comprehend why they are like they are and why they behave like they do, there are a number of leading principles, i.e. 1) Evolution, which can explain how organisms have adapted to certain environmental circumstances, but also that not all structures and behaviours are necessarily adaptive, or the best possible solution and 2) Trade-offs, which are (evolutionary) compromises in the structure, physiology, or behaviour of organisms.
AFI-31806 Aquaculture Production Systems
This course deals with the relation between aquatic animals (fish, crustaceans, mollusks) and their environment, the latter comprising the direct production space and the wider environment in which the farm operates. The main aspects of aquaculture systems (extensive and intensive) are addressed considering effluents, water quality management, husbandry (e.g. stocking density, feeding strategies) and overall farm design. A lot of attention is given to biological water quality control through microorganisms in natural waters or in purpose-build reactors. The focus is on how farm system components and management options determine farming success and sustainability. During the course, the student builds and operates his/her own recirculation systems, and learns to design a fish farm, considering marketing options, feeding requirements and effluent control and management, dealing with both intensive and extensive types of farming.
AFI-32306 Nutrition, Welfare and Reproduction in Aquaculture
The profitability of aquaculture is depending on various factors (husbandry, nutrition, genetic etc.). These factors can be studied at different aggregation levels (organ, organism, system level, etc.). This course deals with the aspects and mechanisms at the organism level and organ level, with the focus on the first. In the course the various disciplines (e.g., breeding, nutrition, husbandry etc.) will be dealt with in an integrative approach. The focus of this course is on the juvenile and adult (brood stock) life stage of fish (only minor attention is given on the larval stage). Students need to understand how fish grow, reproduce, and stay healthy (incl. welfare aspects) using basic nutritional, physiological, immunological, endocrinological and genetic knowledge and to integrate the various disciplines. Key aspects are bio-energetics, phenotypic plasticity and adaptive capacity. Issues that will be addressed in the course are: metabolic aspects of fish nutrition; impact of anti-nutritional factors on gut health/physiology (limitations/consequences of fishmeal replacement); feed intake regulation mechanisms; endocrinological aspects of reproduction and brood stock management; sex differentiation; stress physiology and fish behaviour in relation to fish welfare.
AFI-32806 Marine Resources Management
This course focuses on the management of natural resources in marine, coastal and large freshwater lake ecosystems, with special interest in fisheries on fish, shellfish and crustaceans. Marine resource management is treated as a continuous decision-making process: i.e. ecologically and economically feasible objectives are formulated based on realistic problem formulations. Other major aspects of this process are the collection of adequate information on fisheries, fish stocks, ecosystems and their drivers; and the analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of management measures taken. Insights in basic ecological and economic concepts and information tools will be taught that can help to inform simple to complex marine resource management situations. In several case studies (North Sea, tropical coastal ecosystems and large lakes) resource management options are reviewed from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders who have different objectives related to exploitation, conservation, biodiversity, and the use of marine space. In tutorials economic and ecological information tools will be practiced as for instance historical trend analysis, population dynamic and bio-economic models, and multicriteria analysis.
AFI-70424 to 39 MSc Internship Aquaculture and Fisheries
A student may perform an internship in Aquaculture and Fisheries with a workload of 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, or 39 credits (ECTS) under the supervision of the Aquaculture & Fisheries Group (AFI). The internship provides the student with the opportunity to work outside Wageningen University at a host organisation, e.g. another university, a research organisation, or an industry, thereby broadening his/her scientific horizon. The primary goal of the internship is to subject a student to a potential future working environment and to gain work experience, not to work on a separate in-depth academic study (although this can be part of the work). However, the host organisation / work should be of sufficiently high academic standard to reflect the desired level of Wageningen graduates. More information go to Forms Aquaculture and Fisheries Internship and Thesis.
AFI-80424 to 39 MSc Thesis Aquaculture and Fisheries
At the Aquaculture & Fisheries Group (AFI) a student may perform a thesis research Fish Culture and Fisheries with a workload of 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, or 39 credits (ECTS). The purpose of a thesis subject is to train a student’s academic skills by means of an in-depth study of a scientific subject. More information go to Forms Aquaculture and Fisheries Internship and Thesis.
AFI-50401 to 06 Capita selecta Aquaculture and Fisheries
More information on capita selacta contact the Aquaculture and Fisheries group staff