WOODBURY — Nonnewaug’s agriculture program gives students knowledge they need to go into a career in the industry. Many students go in knowing what they like and leave with even more love and knowledge for something. Some students in aquaculture have found a series of real careers in the industry. 

There are many different careers for students to go into in aquaculture.

“There are a lot of careers that interact with aquaculture,” said aquaculture teacher Leanne Foster. “So you have those hands-on, like maintenance staff, that work in aquaculture, work with the fish, they maintain the tanks. You have people that are directly in ichthyology, that work with fish, and they maintain their health. You also have different marine biologists or other marine scientists that go in depending on what’s needed.”

Some students see this as a great opportunity to take their knowledge further and go to study aquaculture in college. 

“I might study a little bit in the marine biology, or aquarium science areas,” said senior aquaculture student Abby Diezel, “because I enjoy aquariums, working on tanks inside the classroom, studying about the aquarium science itself and marine biology would just give me a broader range with the aquaculture and fisheries.”

Diezel isn’t the only senior going into a future in aquaculture. 

“The past two years, at least a handful of kids in each of my junior senior classes stay within marine biology or other marine affairs,” said Foster. “This year I have at least 3-4 kids wanting to major in these careers.” 

Students even plan to use aquaculture in their careers after college. 

“I would like to get employed in some sort of aquaculture, fisheries,” said Diezel, “whether it’s marine aquarium, freshwater aquaculture, it would definitely help having a background knowledge from college in that. And then also, maybe a different job that I don’t feel like something around in that area.”