Agricultural Careers

IchthyologistIchthyologist

By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Taylor Ginn

Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office

Georgia Department of Education

June 2005

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Job Duties & Responsibilities

•Collecting data•Sampling fish•Keeping accurate records •Managing fish food supply•Using statistical math to make sense of the data•Catching fish and analyzing them •Designing and implementing studies•Traveling to conduct research•Tagging fish•Conduct laboratory research

Qualities and Skills

•Demonstrate the capability for collaboration and working in an integrated program involving colleagues from several different countries and cultures•Excellent written and verbal explanatory skills, with the capacity to engage scientific, governmental and public audiences •Exhibit a willingness to travel to diverse locations, sometimes under difficult physical conditions•Patience is necessary when conducting research •Exemplary record keeping skills and the ability to use various types of technology

Salary

The salary of an Ichthyologist is from about $22,000 to $70,000 with a professional scientist earning a starting

salary of $22,000 and a college professor earning between $45,000 and $70,000 depending on years of

experience.

Work Environment

-Working at aquatic site to prevent fish from extinction-On a boat using sonar to track fish depths and distribution

-Work in a laboratory, in a museum, or in an aquarium-Work in the field doing research, possibly in other countries

Becoming an Ichthyologist

•In high school take:•Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, Writing, Speaking, Animal Science, Wildlife Management, Natural Resources Management, Physical Science, Environmental Science, Agricultural Sciences, and Algebra.

•In college take:•Aquaculture, Aquatic Ecology, Biology, Biology of Fishes, Biology of Shellfishes, Chemistry, Conservation and Management, Fisheries Techniques, Freshwater Ecology, Marine Biology and Ecology.

•Be in organizations like:•FFA •4-H •If you participate in the FFA, your Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Program would be an excellent opportunity to conduct a research project involving fish.

Career Resources

Web LinksUniversity of Georgia

Warnell School of Forest Resources Internet:

http://www.forestry.uga.edu/warnell/

Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Internet: http://fishweb.ifas.ufl.edu/

Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department

Internet: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/

Professional OrganizationsAmerican Fisheries Society

Internet: http://www.fisheries.org/html/jobs.shtml

American Association for the Advancement of Science Internet: http://www.aaas.org/

American Elasmobranch SocietyInternet:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Organizations/aes/aes.htm

American Society of Ichthyologists and HerpetologistsInternet: www.asih.org