2007-08 Academic Year - Humboldt State University

Fisheries Biology
Bachelor of Science degree with a
major in Fisheries Biology — with the
following options:
Aquaculture
Freshwater Fisheries
Marine Fisheries
Minor in Fisheries Biology
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.edu/~fish
The Program
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 fieldbased
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 many continue their
education after HSU, receiving MS or Ph.D.
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.
Preparation
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.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR
Lower Division
BIOL 105 Principles of Biology
BIOM 109 Introductory Biometrics
CHEM 107 Fundamentals of Chemistry
FISH 110 Introduction to Fisheries
MATH 105 Calculus for the Biological
Sciences & Natural Resources
ZOOL 110 General Zoology
CHEM 328 Brief Organic Chemistry or
an equivalent two-semester sequence in inorganic
& organic chemistry
PHYX 106 College Physics:
Mechanics & Heat or
GEOL 109 General Geology
Upper Division
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 or
BIOL 369 Professional Writing in
the Life Sciences
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
Options
Aquaculture
FISH 370/370L Aquaculture/Practicum
FISH 375 Mariculture
FISH 471 Fish Health Management
FISH 320/320L Limnology/Practicum or
OCN 109 General Oceanography
FISH 430/430L Ecology of Freshwater
Fishes/Lab or
FISH 435 Ecology of Marine Fishes
Freshwater Fisheries
FISH 320/320L Limnology/Practicum
FISH 430/430L Ecology of Freshwater
Fishes/Lab
FISH 443 Problems in Water
Pollution Biology or
FISH 471 Fish Health Management
FISH 485 or FISH 585 Ecology of Running
Waters
ZOOL 316 Freshwater Aquatic
Invertebrates
Marine Fisheries
FISH 335 US & World Fisheries
FISH 375 Mariculture
FISH 435 Ecology of Marine Fishes
OCN 109 General Oceanography
ZOOL 314 Invertebrate Zoology
Electives
Required: Nine units (Freshwater Fisheries,
Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture). With elective
units, students may:
• engage in more in-depth study of subjects
in which they have had introductory
course work (biometry, fish health, or
stream restoration, for example),
2007-2008 Humboldt State University Catalog Fisheries Biology
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