See Natural Resources for information on the Master of Science degree.
Department Chair
David Hankin, Ph.D.
Department
of Fisheries Biology
Fisheries & Wildlife Building 220
(707) 826-3953
www.humboldt/~fish
The overall goal of the Fisheries Biology Program is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and motivation required to ensure the conservation of fish and aquatic resources that are faced with increasing societal demands and increasing loss of habitat. We stress development of a field-based understanding of the relationships between freshwater and marine fishes and the habitats upon which they depend, but our program is broad enough to provide specialized training in fish population dynamics and fishery management, restoration ecology, systematics, marine and freshwater aquaculture, fish health management, water pollution biology and wastewater utilization. Each of these areas has its own important role to play in the overall conservation of fish resources.
Fisheries Biology students have on-campus facilities for hands-on studies: a recirculating freshwater fish hatchery, rearing ponds, spawning pens, an artificial stream, and modern laboratories for study of fish genetics, pathology, taxonomy, ecology, and age and growth. Also on campus is the California Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, supported by both state and federal government, and a large fish museum collection.
Off campus, students takes classes and carry out research projects at the university's marine laboratory in Trinidad, about 12 miles north of campus. They also develop projects at the City of Arcata's internationally recognized wastewater aquaculture facilities. A 90' University-owned ocean-going vessel, docked in Eureka, is available for classes and for faculty and graduate student research in nearshore ocean waters. Numerous small boats and a specialized electrofishing boat are available for instruction and research in local bays, lagoons and estuaries.
Our graduates may qualify for certification by the American Fisheries Society
as Associate Fisheries Scientists, and as Associate Fisheries Scientists,
and
many continue their education after HSU, receiving MS or PhD degrees in fisheries
biology or other closely related fields.
Possible careers: aquarium curator, aquatic biologist, biological technician,
environmental specialist, fish culturist, fish health manager, fisheries biologist,
fisheries consultant, fisheries modeler, fisheries statistician, hydrologist,
museum curator, reservoir manager, restoration ecologist, sewage treatment water
analyst, water quality advisor.
We recommend that high school students interested in Fisheries Biology take as many challenging biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer classes as possible, and that they also stress oral and written communications.
BIOL
105 Principles of Biology
BIOM
109 Introductory Biometrics
CHEM
107 Fundamentals of Chemistry
CHEM 328 Brief Organic Chemistry
FISH
110 Introduction to Fisheries
MATH
105 Calculus for the Biological Sciences & Natural Resources
ZOOL
110 Introductory Zoology
PHYX
106 College Physics: Mechanics & Heat or
GEOL
109 General Geology
FISH
310 Ichthyology
FISH
311 Fish Physiology
FISH
380 Techniques in Fishery Biology
FISH
460 Principles of Fishery Management
FISH
495 Senior Fisheries Seminar
FISH
314 Fishery Science Communication
One genetics course from:
BIOL
340 Genetics
BIOL
345 Genetics with Population Emphasis
FISH
474 Genetic Applications in Fish Management
One quantitative course from:
BIOM 333 Intermediate
Statistics
BIOM
406 Introduction to Sampling Theory
BIOM
408 Experimental Design & ANOVA
BIOM
508 Multivariate Biometry
FISH
450 Introductory Fish Population Dynamics
Or an approved upper division quantitative course
FISH
320 Limnology
FISH 370 Aquaculture
FISH
430 Ecology of Freshwater Fishes
FISH
443 Problems in Water Pollution Biology
FISH 485 Ecology of Running Waters
ZOOL
316 Freshwater Aquatic Invertebrates
Approved Electives (9 units required; General Education classes may not be used as approved electives):
At least one from the following:
FISH 335 US & World Fisheries
FISH 375 Mariculture
FISH 440 Early Life History of Fishes
FISH 471 Fish Health Management
FISH 510 Advanced Ichthyology
FISH 571 Advanced Fish Diseases
Remaining Electives to be selected from the following list of suggested Courses1:
BIOL 430 Intertidal Ecology
BIOM 406/BIOM506 Sampling Theory
BIOM 408 Experimental Design & ANOVA
BIOM 508 Multivariate Biometry
BIOM 510 Model Selection & Inference
ECON 423 Environmental & Resource Economics
FISH 335 US & World Fisheries
FISH 375 Mariculture
FISH 450 Introductory Fish Population Dynamics
FISH 473 Wastewater Aquaculture
FISH 510 Advanced Ichthyology
FISH 471 Fish Health Management
FISH 440 Early Life History of Fishes
FISH 571 Advanced Fish Diseases
GEOL 350 General Geomorphology
GEOL 550 Fluvial Processes
MATH 205 Multivariate Calculus for the Biological Sciences
MATH 241 Elements of Linear Algebra
MATH 361 Intro to Math Modeling
MATH 313 Ordinary Differential Equations
NAS 364 Federal Indian Law I
NAS 366 Tribal Water Rights
NRPI 377 Introduction to GIS Concepts
NRPI 470 Intermediate GIS
OCN 310 Biological Oceanography
OCN 320 Physical Oceanography
OCN 330 Chemical Oceanography
OCN 340 Geological Oceanography
OCN 410 Zooplankton Ecology
WILD 460 Conservation Biology
WILD 475 Wildlife Ethology
WSHD 310 Wildland Hydrology &Watershed Management I
WSHD 410 Wildland Hydrology & Watershed Management II
ZOOL 556 Marine Mammology
Additional Upper Division Requirements:
FISH
335 US & World Fisheries
FISH
375 Mariculture
FISH
435 Ecology of Marine Fishes
FISH 440 Early Life History of Fishes
OCN
109 General Oceanography
ZOOL
314 Invertebrate Zoology
Approved Electives (9 units required, General Education classes may not be used as approved electives):
At least one from the following:
FISH 370 Aquaculture
FISH 443 Problems in Water Pollution Biology
FISH 471 Fish Health Management
FISH 510 Advanced Ichthyology
FISH 571 Advanced Fish Diseases
Remaining Electives to be selected from the following list of suggested Courses*:
BIOL 430 Intertidal Ecology
BIOM 406/BIOM 506 Sampling Theory
BIOM 408 Experimental Design & ANOVA
BIOM 508 Multivariate Biometry
BIOM 510 Model Selection & Inference
ECON 423 Environmental & Resource Economics
FISH 370 Aquaculture
FISH 443 Problems in Water Pollution Biology
FISH 471 Fish Health Management
FISH 473 Wastewater Aquaculture
FISH 510 Advanced Ichthyology
FISH 571 Advanced Fish Diseases,
FISH 450 Introductory Fish Population Dynamics
GEOL 350 General Geomorphology
GEOL 550 Fluvial Processes
MATH 205 Multivariate Calculus for the Biological Sciences
MATH 241 Elements of Linear Algebra
MATH 361 Intro to Math Modeling
MATH 313 Ordinary Differential Equations
NAS 364 Federal Indian Law I
NAS 366 Tribal Water Rights
NRPI 377 Introduction to GIS Concepts
NRPI 470 Intermediate GIS
OCN 310 Biological Oceanography
OCN 320 Physical Oceanography
OCN 330 Chemical Oceanography
OCN 340 Geological Oceanography
OCN 410 Zooplankton Ecology
WILD 460 Conservation Biology
WILD 475 Wildlife Ethology
WSHD 310 Wildland Hydrology & Watershed Management I
WSHD 410 Wildland Hydrology & Watershed Management II
ZOOL 556 Marine Mammology
15 units:
FISH
310 Ichthyology
FISH
460 Principles of Fishery Management
Plus one of the following pathways:
* Alternative approved electives courses may be considered, but are subject to approval by a student’s advisor and the Fisheries Biology Department Chair.