Mariculture is the commercial farming of marine organisms. This form of farming has a long history in Australia and has made a significant contribution to the nation's marine products. The most valuable mariculture products in Australia are cultured pearls and edible oysters, which were also the first sectors of the industry to be established. More recently, Australia has followed a global trend of both increased production and increased numbers of species being cultured on a commercial or experimental scale. These more recent initiatives include the farming of salmon, abalone, mussels, barramundi, aquarium fish, giant clams, penaeid prawns and crocodiles.
The expanding mariculture industry requires people with formal training in a number of different disciplines, including on-site farm management, specialist production processes and technology, business management, and marketing. The industry also requires expertise in applied and strategic research in all of these disciplines. Farm management involves the implementation of mariculture technology, which includes methods for controlling the grow-out conditions of the targeted species, the preparation and/or preservation of the products, and their delivery in good condition to consumers. Research is needed to refine each step of established production methods and to explore the potential for previously untested species. There is a growing need to develop specialist knowledge in the prevention and cure of diseases that affect marine organisms. In line with other primary industry sectors, there is also a demand for graduates in environmental science to assist with the planning of mariculture developments to ensure that the environmental impact of mariculture facilities is minimised and is acceptable.
When planning a career in mariculture, it is important to recognise the diversity
of the industry. The training requirements for salmon farmers in Tasmania are
quite different from those of crocodile farmers in Queensland, or from those of
scientists attempting to improve disease resistance of aquarium fish or growth
rates of prawns.
Mariculture is an expanding industry in Australia and recent graduates are employed in farm management, business management, environmental planning, and biological and ecological research. State departments of primary industry or agriculture or resource sciences, and federal agencies, for example CSIRO and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, are the main employers of researchers.
Photo: System for growing juvenile oysters in a commercial shellfish operation.