16 SEPTEMBER 2015 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG marine aquaculture has increased as popular topics at several institutions. It is perhaps expected that some aquaculture instructional programs would contract in response to sluggish growth in domestic aquaculture and fewer job opportunities. Recruitment of U.S. students has become more challenging at some institutions, even with attractive stipends. In some science fields, it is has been difficult to hire people experienced with aquatic species or systems and more specifically aquaculture. Individuals with backgrounds in animal sciences, fisheries or general aquatic sciences often enter the job market without aquaculture-specific training but acquire skills and knowledge through on-the-job learning. There are a number of institutions in the U.S. that continue to offer some level of instruction in aquaculture; many are smaller institutions. There was a wide diversity of departments and program affiliations with aquaculture, including fisheries and wildlife sciences, aquaculture, aquatic resources management, aquatic sciences, marine science, natural resources, animal science, zoology, biology, water resources, mariculture, biological systems and engineering, and environmental sciences. This subject matter diversity characterizes the breadth of the multiple sciences and disciplines that contribute to aquaculture education. There is concern about the size and readiness of the aquaculture workforce poised to take over positions of responsibility in aquaculture in the future and the desire of students to pursue aquaculture as a career. The project did not include a quantitative assessment of the sufficiency of the current number of students and their expertise to meet projected academic and employment demands. U.S. students dominate training at the undergraduate level, and although U.S. students represent the majority of students enrolled in graduate training programs, the demographics reflect greater interest by international students in M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs. No data were collected regarding the number of male and female students at various aquaculture education levels. The U.S. has numerous world-class research and education institutions and continues to draw international students from around the globe to specialize in various areas of science supporting aquaculture. During the 1970s and 1980s in particular, the high caliber of training and recognized education in aquaculture attracted many international students who were supported by their national governments or U.S. foreign assistance programs. This worldwide training role contributed to aquaculture advances in many countries as the human capacity in aquaculture in those countries increased. The national landscape of aquaculture continues to evolve with increasingly complex socio-political forces, impacts from global-level factors and changing consumer demographics and product preferences. As a country, we face a critical juncture for aquaculture: in the current challenging economic environment, will incentives be created to foster investment in commercial growth and workforce readiness? Some research infrastructures are aging and need upgrading to reflect current industry standards, conduct applied research and adequately train undergraduate and graduate students for industry employment. Aquaculture research infrastructures are very specialized and usually cannot be multipurposed with other uses. They require regular maintenance and repair for optimum operation. Several federal extramural programs fund postsecondary programs to create innovative curricula, new learning tools and technologies, and student professional development. In addition to research and extension activities, education is one of the core mission areas of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). This federal agency now offers a Fellows Program for pre- and post-doctoral students interested in agriculture, including aquaculture. The NIFA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant Office have supported farmer training programs and on-farm learning experiences. The National Science Foundation also has a host of programs to support student development and postsecondary educational programs. Graduate level training usually involves a stipend or student assistantship to defray the high cost of post-graduate education. Much of the Ph.D. and post-doctoral training requires a stipend that is often included in federal research grant awards. With the decline of extramural funding for aquaculture and increasing competitiveness (8-15 percent success rate) of funding, these student support dollars are harder to obtain and can influence the number of U.S. graduate students likely to study aquaculture. Faculty with active and well-funded research programs with stipends offer more graduate education opportunities. At NIFA, the primary extramural granting agency in USDA, the average annual investment in aquaculture science research for 2003 to 2012 was $18.653 million, second only to dairy production and surpassing beef, poultry and swine (National Research Council 2015). Providing adequate support for graduate and postgraduate research is a key element in meeting future hiring needs. A declining condition of student interest in aquaculture education and training could substantially impact future faculty capacity, particularly given projected faculty retirements. Conclusions This first-ever assessment offers insights on the diversity and scope of aquaculture instruction at postsecondary institutions in the U.S. The data and information can help to identify present needs and serve as a benchmark to monitor trends in future years. Since about 2000, there have been fewer job announcements specific to aquaculture, especially in academic and government sectors. Some long-standing programs at major universities have scaled back or eliminated formal aquaculture graduate degree programs. The interest by U.S. students to pursue aquaculture training shows a promising trend in undergraduate and postgraduate programs. However, numerous institutions report challenges in recruiting U.S. students for advanced degree training, even with attractive stipends. The findings suggest a relatively stable trend of U.S. and foreign students from 2000 to 2015. The fact that numerous institutions are revamping their aquaculture programs and adding courses indicates continued support. Hopefully the pipeline of replacements is not lost as aging professionals leave public and private sectors. Job placement responses for 2010 suggest similar prospects between excellent to good and fair to poor for A.A. and B.S. degrees but greater placement prospects for M.S. and Ph.D. students.
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