Program overview
Aquatic biology is the study of the morphology, classification, physiology, ecology, genetics, and resource utilization of organisms in water bodies (such as fish, algae, zooplankton, and benthos). Simply put, it's about understanding what lives in water, how they live, and how to protect or utilize them. Core courses include aquatic biology, ichthyology, phycology, aquatic ecology, aquaculture, and water environment monitoring and protection. If you enjoy outdoor sampling, lab analysis, and are curious about marine or freshwater ecosystems, this major is a great fit. Chinese universities have unique strengths in aquatic biology: for example, the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Wuhan) is a world-class research center, and Ocean University of China and Xiamen University are strong in aquaculture and marine ecology. Many schools also have field stations and internship bases where you can get hands-on experience.