Hawaii Aquaculture's Service Sector

Looking for "hands-on" training or a college degree in aquaculture? Someone to solve a production problem? A knowledgeable consultant? The growth of aquaculture worldwide is accompanied by a steadily increasing demand for expert services to the industry. Public and private sector groups in Hawaii have extensive capabilities to meet these needs, which include:

Basic and Applied Research

Hawaii-based scientists are on the cutting-edge of many new aquaculture technologies. At the University of Hawaii at Manoa, faculty and staff in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, and Departments of Zoology, Botany, Chemistry and Oceanography, among others, perform basic and applied aquaculture-related research. Likewise, the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Island of Hawaii has an experienced faculty and excellent facilities to carry out aquaculture-related research. The internationally-known Oceanic Institute, a private, non-profit research facility, has a large multi-disciplinary staff of scientists engaged in a variety of aquaculture projects dealing with economically important finfish and shrimp species. Private for-profit companies have also been successful in obtaining significant grant awards for innovative technology development. Funding for these activities comes from a wide variety of international, Federal, State and private sources.

Degree Education and Training

Specific aquaculture-related short courses and degree opportunities are available in Hawaii. The University of Hawaii has aquaculture courses of study at both the Manoa and Hilo campuses and at selected community colleges around the State. A Master's and Ph.D. Degree Program in tropical aquaculture is in preparation and an undergraduate degree is currently available at the University of Hawaii - Hilo. All areas of study emphasize "hands-on" training at nearby research facilities and commercial farms. Occasional short-term training courses are also offered at the Oceanic Institute, through Hawaii Pacific University. Many students and trainees come from the Asian Pacific Region and Central and South America.

Consulting

Hawaii has many full and part-time consultants that constitute an important source of technical knowledge for advancing the industry both here and overseas. University of Hawaii faculty members regularly consult with such groups as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the Asian Development Bank, and other major bilateral and multilateral development agencies in Asia, Central and South America. A host of private consultants have been active in recent years in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, China and India, advancing marine shrimp and finfish farming.

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