The deterioration of aquatic environment that threatens biodiversity and livelihoods, the realisation that world capture fisheries production has been relatively stable in the past decade voicing concerns about the state of stocks exploited by marine capture fisheries, as well as the enormous expansion of the aquaculture sector now accounting for almost half of total food fish supply were the main impetus in formulating the curriculum of the Master of Science in Sustainable Management of Aquatic Environment (SMAE).
Since 2004, the Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment of University of Thessaly (DIAE) offers the Master of Science in SMAE in joint action (academic personnel and facilities) with the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management T.E.I. of Messolonghi, the Department of Forestry and Natural Environment T.E.I. Larissa and the Department of Biosystems Engineering T.E.I. Larissa, covering the increased educational, professional and research requirements in aquatic environmental management, fisheries and aquaculture
The Department also offers postgraduate studies that lead to a Ph.D. in the relevant subjects.
Programme objectives
This programme aims to give students:
- an understanding of the scientific principles that underpin the sustainable management of aquatic environment in the fields of aquaculture, fisheries, protection and conservation of the aquatic ecosystem and processing-and-trade of fish and fisheries products
- a sound training in relevant practical, investigative, research and generic skills
- the necessary knowledge and skills for a successful career in the private, public and academic sectors
- Provision of background knowledge for eventual continuation with PhD. studies
The M.Sc. Curriculum courses are organized into the following thematic categories:
- fisheries
- aquaculture
- biodiversity
- aquatic animal nutrition, aquafeed technology
- fish physiology
- parasitic and infectious diseases of fish
- genetics and molecular biology of aquatic fauna and flora
- processing technology, hygiene and preservation of fish and seafood
- marketing of aquatic products
- economic evaluation of aquatic natural resources
- sustainable management of aquatic resources
- hydrology, limnology, plankton and benthic ecology
- oceanography
