Undergraduate Program Description
Thank you for your interest in the UW School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences undergraduate program. The School, founded in 1919, is the largest and most diverse academic fisheries program in the United States. Students benefit from our faculty, whose breadth of expertise includes marine and freshwater ecology, habitat restoration, quantitative fishery management, invertebrate and finfish aquaculture and a number of disciplines related to physical, biological and societal processes that bear on growing issues of fisheries conservation.
Following is a description of our undergraduate program. Further information may be obtained via the links to the left.
Areas of Study
Would you like to study how human activities affect aquatic species? Interested in the ecology of marine and freshwater systems? Or the sustainable use of aquatic resources? Aquatic & Fishery Sciences provides training in basic and applied aquatic sciences with emphasis on ecology, conservation, and management. Students enjoy small classes and plentiful research opportunities, have access to the Pacific Northwest's rich and varied aquatic habitats, and complete an independent senior research project on a subject of their choosing. State-of-the-art facilities include wet laboratories and holding facilities for marine and freshwater organisms, the Marine Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, and field stations on the Olympic Peninsula and in Alaska.
The School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences offers courses in the following areas of aquatic sciences:
Aquatic Ecology
- Marine Biology and Ecology
Studies of marine species ranging from basic biology to varying aspects of their relationships with their environment - Freshwater Ecology
Studies of freshwater species and their interactions with other aquatic fauna and habitats as well as associated terrestrial fauna and environments
Conservation and Management
Studies of habitat and animal diversity, population dynamics, and responses of aquatic organisms to fishing and other human activities, such as habitat modification, water quality, and priorities for resource use.
Animal Biology and Culture
Studies of aquatic organisms and ecosystems as they relate to fish and shellfish production, harvesting, marketing, and economics.
Areas of research in the School include ichthyology, aquatic ecology, conservation and management, population dynamics, hatchery-based propagation of marine and freshwater organisms, and effects of human activities on aquatic/marine ecosystems. Faculty and students in the School draw upon the disciplines of biology, botany, chemistry, food science, genetics, mathematics, nutrition, oceanography, physics, physiology, and zoology to conduct basic and applied research in the field of fishery science.
Marine Biology at the UW
On shore and at sea, UW offers unparalleled opportunities for research and study in marine biology—at the Friday Harbor Marine Laboratories, at a range of field stations in coastal Alaska, aboard the ocean-going research vessel R/V Thompson, and in faculty labs on campus.
To explore the Marine Biology Minor and other opportunities at UW check out the Marine Biology website.
The Marine Biology Minor
The UW is so rich in marine-related programs and research that no single major could contain them! Instead, UW students interested in marine biology can declare an inter-disciplinary minor in marine biology. The marine biology minor combines courses from Oceanography, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, and Biology. Students can add the marine biology minor to their degrees at any time, even as freshmen, and learn about marine organisms, ecosystems, and conservation.
Because UW currently does not offer a major in “marine biology,” the Aquatic & Fishery Sciences major is a great option for students interested in marine biology. In addition, the marine biology minor works as a great companion to an Aquatic & Fishery Sciences degree by helping students approach research problems from a wide-range of perspectives. Students in the marine biology minor and Aquatic & Fishery Sciences major learn through hands-on experiences in course labs, fieldtrips, research occurring in faculty labs and study/research abroad opportunities. In particular, UW students interested in marine biology and in the Aquatic & Fishery Sciences major have the opportunity take courses and/or apprentice at UW’s Friday Harbor Laboratories in the San Juan Islands:
The Friday Harbor Laboratories are set in the pristine San Juan Islands northwest of Seattle and encompass over 1,800 acres of relatively pollution-free salt waters. The region’s swift tideways, quiet bays, lagoons, and diverse intertidal areas are densely populated with diverse flora and fauna. There are both more traditional courses and research apprenticeships, where 12-16 students join 2 faculty and 4 graduate students in researching marine biology and ecology. For these apprenticeships, selected students are awarded $3000 scholarships and earn 15 credits toward graduation. Aquatic & Fishery Sciences majors may use their Friday Harbor Labs research project for their senior Capstone Project, a requirement for the degree. This experience has been transformative for participating students.
Other departments that offer courses on topics in marine biology are:
- Oceanography explores how waves, tides, sunlight, and global warming affect microscopic marine organisms. Interested students should consider a major in Oceanography with an emphasis in biological oceanography.
- Biology explores the physiology and evolution of marine organisms and systems, along with how organisms interact with each other and their ecosystems. Interested students should consider majoring in biology with a degree in General Biology; Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation; Physiology; or Plant Biology
More information about the marine biology minor, marine biology faculty, research and courses on the UW campus may be found via the website, Marine Biology at the UW.
