Specialisations - MSc Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management

The specialisation Aquaculture deals with the culture of numerous aquatic organisms (such as finfish, seaweed, shrimp, shellfish, corals and sponges) in a wide range of culture environments (from sea enclosures to semi-extensive ponds and high-tech recirculation systems).

What will you learn?

In this specialisation you will learn to design optimal and sustainable production systems of fish and other aquatic organisms in a global perspective. You will learn about the culture of finfish, seaweed, shrimp, shellfish, corals and sponges. These organisms can be cultured in a wide range of culture environments: from sea enclosures to semi-extensive ponds and high-tech recirculation systems.

You will require the knowledge and skills to maintain the biological, physical and chemical integrity of water bodies. Moreover, you will learn about animal and plant physiology and economic and social driving factors of aquaculture.

Check the online study handbook for more information on the courses in this specialisation.

Thesis examples

Some thesis examples for the specialisation Aquaculture:

• Using the microbial food web in a pond to utilize non-conventional products, food waste and agricultural by-products as feed ingredients.
• Improving the attachment of seaweeds to substrates by adjusting the culture conditions
• The regulation of gametogenesis and the evolution of different reproductive modes in fish.
• Unravelling how feed additives modulate the immune system and improve fish health.
• Understanding patterns of variation during evolution or domestication of fish using whole-genome bioinformatics approaches.

Interested in Health Management in Aquaculture? Read more about our international double degree.

This specialisation focuses on the sensitivity of marine ecosystems in relation to human interventions, including climate change, fisheries and habitat destruction.

What will you learn?

You will learn about ecology, models of population dynamics and fishing yield, international regulations, management tools and economic driving forces in order to sustainably manage the living resources in the sea. This is summarised in the learning outcome of this specialisation: evaluate biodiversity, environmental quality and sustainability of marine ecosystems for the design of management of the marine environment.

Check the online study handbook for more information on the courses in this specialisation.

Thesis examples

Some thesis examples for the specialisation Marine Resources and Ecology:

• Effect of floating solar panels on water quality.
• Introduction of European flat oyster to the North Sea, facilitation of the native by the invasive oyster?
• Invasive seagrass expansion in the Caribbean and impacts of temperature, eutrophication and grazing.
• Analysing effects of Nature Friendly Banks on aquatic organisms.

This specialisation focuses on the sustainable governance and economics of marine and coastal systems.

What will you learn?

You will analyse the goals and strategies of commercial enterprises, non-governmental and governmental organisations and international institutions, develop alternatives and evaluate their effects in relation to both organisations and ecosystems involved. This is summarised in the learning outcome: design goals and strategies for the governance of sustainable marine ecosystems.

Check the online study handbook for more information on the courses in this specialisation.

Thesis examples

Some thesis examples for the specialisation Marine Governance:

• Does MSC certification make fisheries more sustainable?
• The economics of overfishing and poverty traps
• Bottom up sustainability standards for SE Asian aquaculture?
• The evolution of social norms for cooperative resource harvesting
• Options for an International Environmental Agreement to combat marine plastic litter