HealthcareHealth professionalsISCO 2250
aquatic animal health professional
Aquatic animal health professionals diagnose, prevent and treat diseases, injuries and dysfunctions of aquatic animals by implementing appropriate sampling protocols. They supervise the use of medicines, including vaccines, and collect data on fish health, making regular reports to the appropriate personnel. They may provide care to a wide range of aquatic animals or specialise in the treatment of a particular group or in a particular speciality area. They may provide advice, support and training to farm staff on best practice with regard to the health and welfare of the cultured organisms.
About aquatic animal health professional
As an aquatic animal health professional, you will diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases, injuries, and dysfunctions affecting fish, shellfish, and other aquatic organisms in farm and research settings. You will implement specialized sampling protocols to monitor animal health, supervise the safe use of medicines and vaccines, and collect detailed health data that informs management decisions. Your expertise will be crucial in maintaining the health and welfare of cultured aquatic organisms, ensuring sustainable and ethical farming practices that meet regulatory standards.
Your daily work will involve conducting health inspections of aquatic populations, collecting samples for laboratory analysis, administering treatments and vaccines, and maintaining comprehensive health records. You will collaborate with farm staff and management to develop health management plans, provide training on best practices for animal welfare, and advise on biosecurity measures to prevent disease outbreaks. You may specialize in a particular species, therapeutic area, or farming system, developing deep expertise that makes you an invaluable resource for aquaculture operations.
This role offers meaningful career prospects in Poland's growing aquaculture and fisheries sector, particularly as sustainability and animal welfare standards become increasingly important to producers and regulators. With experience, you may advance to senior advisory roles, regulatory positions, or specialized research work. Your ability to improve operational efficiency while ensuring animal health creates value for employers and contributes to food security and environmental protection.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a aquatic animal health professional.
1
Disease Diagnosis and Health Assessment
- Conduct health inspections of aquatic animal populations to identify diseases, injuries, and abnormalities
- Implement appropriate sampling protocols to collect tissue, water, and blood samples for laboratory analysis
- Analyze diagnostic results and provide detailed reports on health status and disease findings
2
Medicine and Vaccine Administration
- Supervise the use of therapeutic medicines and vaccines to ensure proper dosing and safety
- Administer treatments to aquatic animals using appropriate methods and equipment
- Maintain detailed records of all medicines and vaccines used, including dates, quantities, and batch numbers
3
Data Collection and Health Monitoring
- Collect and record comprehensive health data including mortality rates, disease incidence, and treatment responses
- Monitor water quality parameters affecting animal health such as oxygen, pH, and ammonia levels
- Prepare regular health reports for farm management and regulatory authorities
4
Staff Training and Welfare Advice
- Provide training and guidance to farm staff on best practices for aquatic animal health and welfare
- Advise on proper handling techniques, stocking densities, and environmental conditions to minimize stress and disease
- Develop and implement biosecurity protocols to prevent disease introduction and spread
5
Health Management Planning and Strategy
- Develop comprehensive health management plans tailored to specific aquaculture systems and species
- Identify and address emerging health challenges through research and evidence-based interventions
- Collaborate with farm management to optimize production while maintaining high animal health and welfare standards
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (52)
microbiology-bacteriologymicrobiology-bacteriologyMicrobiology-Bacteriology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.botanybotanyThe taxonomy or classification of plant life, phylogeny and evolution, anatomy and morphology, and physiology.fish identification and classificationfish identification and classificationThe processes which allow the identification and classification of fish.aquatic speciesaquatic speciesThe care and maintenance of aquatic biological species.virologyvirologyThe structure, characteristics, evolution and interactions of viruses and the diseases they cause.fish biologyfish biologyThe study of fish, shellfish or crustacean organisms, categorized into many specialised fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origins and distribution.laboratory techniqueslaboratory techniquesTechniques applied in the different fields of natural science in order to obtain experimental data such as gravimetric analysis, gas chromatography, electronic or thermic methods.molecular biologymolecular biologyThe interactions between the various systems of a cell, the interactions between the different types of genetic material and how these interactions are regulated.biologybiologyTissues, cells, and functions of plant and animal organisms and their interdependencies and interactions with each other and the environment.applied zoologyapplied zoologyThe science of applying animal anatomy, physiology, ecology, and behaviour in a particular practical context.ecologyecologyThe study of how organisms interact and their relation to the ambient environment.biotechnology in aquaculturebiotechnology in aquacultureBiotechnology and polymerase chain reactions for studies in sustainable aquaculture production methods.fish anatomyfish anatomyThe study of the form or morphology of fish species.scientific research methodologyscientific research methodologyThe theoretical methodology used in scientific research involving doing background research, constructing an hypothesis, testing it, analysing data and concluding the results.biosecuritybiosecurityBe aware of the general principles of the concept of bio-security and in particular, the disease prevention rules to be implemented in case of epidemics endangering public health.conduct research on floraconduct research on floraCollect and analyse data about plants in order to discover their basic aspects such as origin, anatomy, and function.monitor fish mortality ratesmonitor fish mortality ratesMonitor fish mortalities and assess possible causes.perform laboratory testsperform laboratory testsCarry out tests in a laboratory to produce reliable and precise data to support scientific research and product testing.administer treatments to fishadminister treatments to fishAdminister treatments to fish, including vaccination of fish by immersion and injection, continually monitoring fish for signs of stress.communicate specialised veterinary informationcommunicate specialised veterinary informationCommunicate the relevance of and the advances in the area of specialisation to general practice veterinarians and to non-veterinarians.monitor fish health statusmonitor fish health statusMonitor the health of fish, based on feeding and general behaviour. Interpret environmental parameters and analyse mortalities.prepare fish treatment facilitiesprepare fish treatment facilitiesPrepare fish treatment facilities to effectively isolate contaminated fish during treatment. Control the application of treatments to avoid contaminating other stock, containers and the wider environm...analyse fish samples for diagnosisanalyse fish samples for diagnosisAnalyse samples or lesions from farmed aquatic species for professional diagnosis and treatments.dispose of chemicalsdispose of chemicalsDispose of chemicals and treatments safely according to site waste management procedures.prepare fish treatment planprepare fish treatment planPrepare health treatment plans to meet specific fish disease requirements.use specialised equipmentuse specialised equipmentUse specialised equipment such as electron microscope, telemetry, digital imaging analysis, global positioning systems, and computer modelling in studies and analyses of production methodology.perform scientific researchperform scientific researchGain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.preserve fish samples for diagnosispreserve fish samples for diagnosisCollect and preserve larval, fish and mollusc samples or lesions for diagnosis by fish disease specialists.diagnose aquatic animals disease symptomsdiagnose aquatic animals disease symptomsObserve and describe symptoms and lesions of fish, molluscs, and crustaceans. Monitor abnormal fish behaviour in feeding, swimming, and surfacing.conduct fish mortality studiesconduct fish mortality studiesCollect fish mortality data. Identify causes of mortality and provide solutions .write routine reportswrite routine reportsCompose regular reports by writing clear observations on the monitored processes in a respective field.apply scientific methodsapply scientific methodsApply scientific methods and techniques to investigate phenomena, by acquiring new knowledge or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.send samples to laboratorysend samples to laboratoryForward collected samples to the concerned laboratory, following strict procedures related to the labeling and tracking of the information on the samples.carry out fish disease prevention measurescarry out fish disease prevention measuresCarry out disease prevention measures for fish, molluscs, and crustaceans for land-based and water-based aquaculture facilities.gather experimental datagather experimental dataCollect data resulting from the application of scientific methods such as test methods, experimental design or measurements.monitor treated fishmonitor treated fishMonitor treated fish to evaluate the effect of treatments.implement scientific decision making in healthcareimplement scientific decision making in healthcareImplement scientific findings for evidence-based practice, integrating research evidence into decision making by forming a focused clinical question in response to a recognised information need, searc...write work-related reportswrite work-related reportsCompose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligib...control aquatic production environmentcontrol aquatic production environmentAssess the impact of biological conditions such as algae and fouling organisms by managing water intakes, catchments and oxygen use.maintain aquaculture treatment recordsmaintain aquaculture treatment recordsProvide accurate information to maintain records of aquaculture treatments applied.perform field researchperform field researchParticipate in field research and evaluation of state and private lands and waters.conserve natural resourcesconserve natural resourcesProtect waters and natural resources and coordinate actions. Work with environmental agencies and resource management personnel.prepare visual dataprepare visual dataPrepare charts and graphs in order to present data in a visual manner.inspect fish stockinspect fish stockCollect and examine fish to evaluate the health of fish stock.conduct fish populations studiesconduct fish populations studiesStudy captive fish populations to determine survival, growth, and migration.collect fish samples for diagnosiscollect fish samples for diagnosisCollect fish and shellfish samples for diagnosis by fish diseases specialists.monitor water qualitymonitor water qualityMeasure water quality: temperature, oxygen, salinity, pH, N2, NO2,NH4, CO2, turbidity, chlorophyll. Monitor microbiological water quality.follow safety precautions in fishery operationsfollow safety precautions in fishery operationsComply with policies and institutional regulations to guarantee a safe workplace for employees in fishery and aquaculture operations. Deal with potential risks and dangers by taking appropriate safety...collect biological datacollect biological dataCollect biological specimens, record and summarise biological data for use in technical studies, developing environmental management plans and biological products.treat fish diseasestreat fish diseasesIdentify the symptoms of fish diseases. Apply appropriate measures to treat or eliminate diagnosed conditions.conduct research on faunaconduct research on faunaCollect and analyse data about animal life in order to discover the basic aspects such as origin, anatomy, and function.analyse work-related written reportsanalyse work-related written reportsRead and comprehend job-related reports, analyse the content of reports and apply findings to daily work operations.
Optional (17)
pollution legislationpollution legislationBe familiar with European and National legislation regarding the risk of pollution.pollution preventionpollution preventionThe processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment.assessment of risks and threatsassessment of risks and threatsThe security documentation and any security-related communications and information.fish welfare regulationsfish welfare regulationsThe set of rules that apply in fish harvesting methods which ensure fish well-being.develop fish health and welfare management plansdevelop fish health and welfare management plansDevelop a plan which lists risks from outdoor factors, such as predators, and pests.assess environmental impact in aquaculture operationsassess environmental impact in aquaculture operationsMeasure the environmental impact of a company's aquaculture operations. Take into account factors such as quality of the sea and surface water, fish and sea plant habitats and risks regarding the qual...ensure animal welfare in slaughtering practicesensure animal welfare in slaughtering practicesRespect the needs of livestock and apply the regulations regarding animal welfare in the meat and meat products manufacturing sector. Respond correctly to animal issues from unloading until stunning o...screen live fish deformitiesscreen live fish deformitiesExamine live fish, including larvae, to detect deformities related to body shape, jaw deformity, vertebral deformity and skeletal deformity. If not detected, these could lead to risks for fish, such a...maintain relationships with animal welfare establishmentsmaintain relationships with animal welfare establishmentsEnsure good relations with other animal welfare establishments and agencies.interview parties in relation to animal welfare investigationsinterview parties in relation to animal welfare investigationsConduct interviews of suspects and witnesses in relation to cases of alleged breach of animal related legislation.develop management plans to reduce risks in aquaculturedevelop management plans to reduce risks in aquacultureDevelop a management plan to reduce the risks from pests, predators and diseases. Supervise implementation of plan, especially disease prevention measures, throughout the aquaculture facility.inspect animal welfare managementinspect animal welfare managementMonitor animal health and welfare management and husbandry, and analyse risk factors in relation to animal health, disease and welfare status.report pollution incidentsreport pollution incidentsWhen an incident causes pollution, examine the extent of the damage and what the consequences could be and report it relevant institution following pollution reporting procedures.advise on animal welfareadvise on animal welfarePrepare and provide information to individuals or groups of people on how to promote the health and well-being of animals, and how risks to animal health and welfare may be reduced. Provide recommenda...seek innovation in current practicesseek innovation in current practicesSearch for improvements and present innovative solutions, creativity and alternative thinking to develop new technologies, methods or ideas for and answers to work-related problems.animal welfare legislationanimal welfare legislationThe legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.apply risk management processesapply risk management processesIdentify risks and apply a risk management process, e.g. hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP).
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