Degree in aquaponics???

[Sean]

Hello,

I am a horticulture undergraduate student at Oregon State University and had a vision before I started taking classes. I had watched a video with a man named Will Allen who has a aquaponics farm. I didn't know at the time that I saw the video that what he was doing was aquaponics, but the greenhouse setup I saw is what inspired me to begin my journey in horticulture.

I just recently watched a video about aquaponics and I realized that this is what it was that I had seen Will Allen doing and is what I wanted to do from the start. I have been looking and can't seem to find anything solid about any colleges that are offering programs for this. I would love to be able to study this more so that I can learn how to actually set up my own. I would like to learn how to do it right. Anyone know where I can do this at??? Thank you very much.

[RupertofOZ]

I can almost hear the thunder of feet rushing towards your door from down here in OZ Sean...

Hope you've got your cheque book ready... :D

Seriously.. you can learn everything, and anything you need to know about aquaponics.. here, and on the other aquaponics forums... for free...

Search the forums out.. join, read, and ask questions...

[RupertofOZ]

P.S... there is currently no degree in aquaponics offered by any educational institution....

Well there is a supposed "aquaponics university"... but you'd probably need two cheque books... and you'll only be trained in "their" particular system...

See the above... save ya kmoney.. and spend it on an aquaponics system build...

[John Cubit]

Sean,

I will slightly disagree with Rupert on this.  Although there is no "Aquaponics Degree"  The State University of New York at Cobleskill has opened this year a research Aquaponics program as part of it's Fisheries and Wildlife Management Studies and Environmental Sciences Degree.  They open 5 Aquaponics Greenhouses.  SUNY Cobleskill has always been a leader in the Aquaculture and Fisheries Management programs and this was their next logical progression.

http://www.cobleskill.edu/academics/schools/agriculture-and-natural...

The course is available as an elective to any SUNY Cobleskill student enrolled in Fisheries/Aquaculture, Wildlife Management, Environmental Sciences, as well as anyone enrolled in the Agriculture or Horticulture Program.  It is for undergrads only.

And yes I am an alumni...

[RupertofOZ]

I stand corrected John... and gladly so...

Good to see at least some of the academic institutions getting on board...

[John Cubit]

I can only hope that Universities like Cornell, Montana and other environmental science curriculum add Aquaponics to their classes.  But Rupert is correct, this site is a wealth of knowledge and although each system is very much an individual system the basics will remain the same in concept.  If you have a chance to attend a lecture on AP the do it if not for anything but to get ideas from others doing it and network.  I have received numerous e-mails from people that were traveling in my area and wanted to stop see and chat over coffee about AP.

Good luck Sean and be sure to check out the other areas here.

[Sean]

Thank you both very much for the information and advise. I had looked around all over the internet and noticed that there were a lot of different places offering "aquaponics training" etc. They were pricy and I also was questioning whether there was a lot of value to any of them. I am very glad to hear that I can learn a lot here about all of this. This site surprised me and I was happy to see all the different sections and people interested in this here. I will definitely stick around here and soak up what I can as well as contribute where I can. This stuff is just amazing and I just want to be involved in it and be learning more about aquaponics. I am in Oregon so New York at this present time would be quite a trip...Maybe some day if I haven't found what I am looking for by then. I am glad to hear there is something out there though. Thank you again and I will probably see you around on here at some point or another.

[Vlad Jovanovic]

You owe me 5 bucks for any posts of mine that you read...Seriously though Sean, here as well as at sites like BYAP you'd be hard pressed to come across a question or problem that someone hasn't already asked/had/answered...There is tons of literature on the soil-less medium plant side of things, RAS for the fish, and waste water treatment for the bacteria side of things...It takes a bit of time to research these things and experiment but hey...it's free...It's a great hobby and every answer opens up so many questions...interesting stuff.

[RupertofOZ]

FYI Sean..BYAP is "BackyardAquaponics"... http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/

The forum is the longest running aquaponics forum in the world..and has the largest membership (from all over the world) of any aquaponics forum...

 

As Vlad says... there isn't a question that hasn't been asked, or answered about aquaponics that hasn't been asked and answered on BYAP...

 

This community is good though for specific location/climate questions .. regarding fish species, plants, seasonal constraints etc...

 

Here's the free 187 pages interactive IBC Manual PDF.. from BYAP... to wet your appetite...

http://ibcofaquaponics.com/files/IBCofAquaponics.pdf

 

And the whole manual.. and how to "build" videos.. are currently being built  on this site... http://ibcofaquaponics.com/

[Roger]

Thanks for all of the info Rupert!

RupertofOZ said:

FYI Sean..BYAP is "BackyardAquaponics"... http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/

The forum is the longest running aquaponics forum in the world..and has the largest membership (from all over the world) of any aquaponics forum...

 

As Vlad says... there isn't a question that hasn't been asked, or answered about aquaponics that hasn't been asked and answered on BYAP...

 

This community is good though for specific location/climate questions .. regarding fish species, plants, seasonal constraints etc...

 

Here's the free 187 pages interactive IBC Manual PDF.. from BYAP... to wet your appetite...

http://ibcofaquaponics.com/files/IBCofAquaponics.pdf

 

And the whole manual.. and how to "build" videos.. are currently being built  on this site... http://ibcofaquaponics.com/

[Sean]

Yes Thank you very much for all of this information Rupert! I will be checking all of this out for sure! :)

[Rebecca Nelson]

Hi Sean,

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) offers a one semester hybrid course on aquaponics I co-developed and co-taught this course with Dr. Chris Hartleb. The lectures are online, so students from anywhere can take the course for 2 credits. There is also a 3 credit version where you participate in 3-days of lab sessions in addition to the online lectures. This is the first-of-its kind aquaponics course from an accredited University. Here is a link to information on the UWSP aquaponics course:

http://aquaponics.com/page/uwsp-introduction-to-aquaponics-course

We are now working in partnership with UWSP to develop the curriculum for a minor and certificate program in aquaponics.

 

Rebecca Nelson
Nelson and Pade, Inc.

 

 

[RupertofOZ]

Great stuff Rebecca... hopefully more and more unis will pick up on aquaponics and make similar offerings available...