Program overview
Aquatic science might sound a bit niche, but it's actually closely tied to our dining tables, the environment, and even climate change. Simply put, this program explores how to farm fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish in water, how to protect marine and freshwater biological resources, and how to make aquatic food safer and more delicious. Core courses include fish physiology, aquaculture technology, feed nutrition, disease control, aquatic ecology, and fisheries resource management. If you enjoy biology and chemistry, and are willing to get hands-on with experiments, pond work, or sea expeditions, this major will be fascinating. China is the world's largest aquaculture producer, and universities like Ocean University of China, Shanghai Ocean University, and Huazhong Agricultural University have strong faculty and experimental bases, accumulating practical technologies in freshwater farming, shrimp breeding, and seaweed cultivation. At the graduate level, you'll dive deeper into areas like genetic breeding, disease prevention, or ecological farming models.