USM - Universiti Sains Malaysia

The main objective of the Aquatic Biology thrust area is to expose students to the basic principles of the aquatic sciences. Since about 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, fresh, marine and brackish water ecosystems are the major environment on Earth.  Aquatic biology and environmental biology is therefore very closely related. Students majoring in Aquatic Biology are also exposed to the principles of environmental sciences. For this reason, the thrust areas of Aquatic Biology and Environmental Biology are both coordinated under the same Programme Chairperson and come under the AQEN Bio (AQuatic & ENvironment Biology) group. With the basic knowledge acquired in these thrust areas, students can then utilise it in applied fields. Students will be exposed to the structures and functions of aquatic flora and fauna.  They will also be exposed to basic ecological aspects of various ecosystems and the economics of management, exploitation and conservation of these aquatic resources. The use of aquatic resources in agriculture and fisheries together with aquaculture techniques will be taught through lectures, laboratory practical, field visits and focused research projects. Upon successful completion of the programme, students are expected to have grasped the necessary knowledge and skills to manage the exploitation of aquatic resources together with the proper use of aquatic resources for agricultural production.  Students should then also be able to carry out research in the field of aquatic and environmental sciences. Having a good understanding of current global issues such as global warming, pollution, environmental deterioration, loss of biodiversity, climate change, etc, will give Aquatic Biology students a competitive advantage in many related job prospects as more and more companies are using the “eco-friendly” tag as a central theme of their company’s public image.