Profession aquaculture environmental analyst

Aquaculture environmental analysts assess, plan and implement programmes to recognise, monitor and control environmental factors that can potentially affect the health of aquatic animals and plants.

Personality Type

• Social / Realistic
• Investigative / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Environmental legislation

  The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.

• Fish biology

  The study of fish, shellfish or crustacean organisms, categorized into many specialised fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origins and distribution.

• Animal welfare legislation

  The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.

• Ecology

  The study of how organisms interact and their relation to the ambient environment.

• Environmental policy

  Local, national and international policies dealing with the promotion of environmental sustainability and the development of projects which reduce negative environmental impact and improve the state of the environment.

• Aquaculture legal documents

  The required permits, licenses, leases and approvals used in aquaculture and their application to specific fish farms and conditions.

• Pollution legislation

  Be familiar with European and National legislation regarding the risk of pollution.

• Pollution prevention

  The processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment.

Skills

• Assess contamination

  Analyse evidence of contamination. Advise on how to decontaminate.

• Prevent marine pollution

  Conduct inspections and take measures in order to prevent or mitigate marine pollution. Adhere to international codes and resolutions.

• Grow cultures used in monitoring experiments

  Grow cultures for use in monitoring experiments to make sure that correct laboratory quality control procedures are carried out.

• Assess environmental impact

  Monitor environmental impacts and carry out assessments in order to identify and to reduce the organisation's environmental risks while taking costs into account.

• Measure the impact of specific aquaculture activity

  Identify and measure the biological, physico-chemical impacts of specific aquaculture farm activity on the environment. Carry out all necessary tests, including collection and processing of samples for analysis.

• Monitor legislation developments

  Monitor changes in rules, policies and legislation, and identify how they may influence the organisation, existing operations, or a specific case or situation.

• Perform environmental investigations

  Perform environmental investigations as required, checking regulatory proceedings, possible legal actions or other types of complaint.

• Ensure the safety of endangered species and protected areas

  Ensure that projects do not adversely affect migratory birds, rare or endangered animal species, critical habitat or environmentally protected areas.

• Monitor the farm environmental management plan

  Identify environmental designations and directives that relate to a given farm and incorporate their requirements in to the farm planning process. Monitor the implementation of the farm environmental management plan and review timescales.

• Advise on environmental risk management systems

  Evaluate requirements and advise on systems for environmental risk management. Ensure the customer does his part in preventing or limiting adverse environmental impact through the use of technology. Ensure required licenses and permits are obtained.

• Carry out environmental audits

  Use equipment to measure various environmental parameters in order to identify environmental problems and investigate manners in which they can be resolved. Perform inspections in order to ensure compliance with environmental legislation.

• Analyse work-related written reports

  Read and comprehend job-related reports, analyse the content of reports and apply findings to daily work operations.

• Write work-related reports

  Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.

• Carry out training in environmental matters

  Perform staff training and ensure all members of the workforce understand how they can contribute to improved environmental performance.

• Apply standard feeding and nutrition protocols

  Make up feed on-site. Feed animals by hand or with feeding machines according to agreed protocols. Monitor animal feeding behaviour.

• Develop environmental policy

  Develop an organisational policy on sustainable development and compliance with environmental legislation in line with policy mechanisms used in the field of environmental protection.

• Analyse environmental data

  Analyse data that interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.

• Assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations

  Measure the environmental impact of a company's aquaculture operations. Take into account factors such as quality of the sea and surface water, fish and sea plant habitats and risks regarding the quality of air, odour and noise.

• Report on environmental issues

  Compile environmental reports and communicate on issues. Inform the public or any interested parties in a given context on relevant recent developments in the environment, forecasts on the future of the environment, and any problems and possible solutions.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB