Aquatic and Fisheries ScienceBachelor of Science

Aquatic and fisheries science is the study of aquatic ecosystems to increase scientific understanding and to apply this knowledge to their management and conservation, thereby sustaining them for multiple uses.

Aquatic ecosystems are complex and found within myriad wetlands, streams, lakes, estuaries, and oceans that support life on earth. Professional aquatic scientists and managers work to conserve and restore biodiversity, habitats, and ecological function while supporting services including fisheries, water resources, transportation, energy, recreation and human connections to nature. Career opportunities for students with a B.S. in aquatic and fisheries science include fisheries science, wetland science, limnology, marine biology and oceanography, and numerous conservation-related fields. Typical employment is with federal and state agencies, universities, research institutions, and management authorities, private consulting firms and non-governmental organizations, both local, regional, and international.

Aquatic systems and their organisms are sufficiently distinct from terrestrial systems that numerous professional organizations and scientific journals have been founded specifically to foster communication among aquatic science professionals.

At ESF, Wilford E. Dence conducted pioneering studies on aquatic systems in New York in the early 1900s. The present aquatic program at ESF builds on that early tradition with a wide array of aquatic courses. Our program has national and international recognition and includes a balance of applied and basic aquatic science. Students in our program thus have the opportunity to interact with faculty and graduate students involved with diverse studies on aquatic systems.

Undergraduate students considering a career in aquatic and fisheries science need a solid foundation of basic sciences (math, chemistry, physics, statistics) combined with a broad training in organismal biology, ecology and evolution. Upper-division courses focus more specifically on aquatic systems and fishes, including field experience, methods of assessment and principles for management. Students should broaden themselves with studies on the natural history and diversity of various animal and plant groups. Other recommended subjects include communications, ecosystem science, social and economic principles, ecological modeling, and hydrology. ESF's many field stations provide important opportunities for field-oriented studies, both for taking formal courses and for directed independent research. Practical experiences such as a senior synthesis or internship also provide an important complement to formal courses.

Career opportunities for students with a B.S. in aquatic and fisheries science are in the areas of fisheries science, wetland science, limnology, marine biology and oceanography. Jobs are with federal and state agencies, research institutions, private consulting firms and non-governmental organizations, both local and international. The better students will have opportunities to continue with graduate studies, which will broaden career options and lead to positions with greater responsibility and higher salary. To pursue a career in research and teaching in a university, a Ph.D. is generally required.

Faculty

• Joshua A. Drew; jadrew@esf.edu
  
• John M. Farrell; jmfarrell@esf.edu
  Fisheries Science and Management, Aquatic Ecology, Wetlands Restoration, Invasive Species.
• Hyatt Green; hgreen@esf.edu
  molecular microbial ecology, eDNA, microbial water quality, microbial source-tracking, SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, forest soil nitrification, Hg-methylation
• Karin E. Limburg; klimburg@esf.edu
  riverine fish and estuarine ecology, fisheries ecology, watershed ecology, systems ecology, ecological economics, fisheries and ecosystem science, coupled human-natural systems, biogeochemistry, fisheries ecology, ecosystem ecology, biogeochemical tracers, modeling
• Roxanne Razavi; razavi@esf.edu
  ecotoxicology, limnology, environmental toxicology, mercury
• Kimberly L. Schulz; kschulz@esf.edu
  nutrient and exotic species effects on aquatic ecosystems, ecological stoichiometry, aquatic community and ecosystem ecology, bioenergetics, nutrient cycling, lower food web studies, great lakes, finger lakes, plankton, limnology, aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, invasive species
• Christopher Whipps; cwhipps@esf.edu
  fish parasites and diseases, wildlife diseases, parasitology, microbiology, taxonomy, molecular systematics, diagnostics, parasites as biological tags and ecological indicators, epidemiology and control of pathogens of ecological and veterinary importance, evolution and biology of disease causing organisms in animal populations using molecular systematics

Katelyn Barhite

Hailey Boone

Anna Conklyn

Corinne Conlon

Justin Herne

Genevieve Ivec

Amanda Lemoine

Hadis Miraly

Christopher Nack

Thornton Ritz

Alissa Ryan

Scott Scrodin

Joseph Sullivan