Aquaculture Educator Resources

When students and teachers work together to study, produce and market aquatic products, there are endless opportunities for career exploration and hands-on learning in the areas of biology, math, chemistry, technology, marketing and business management.

The Aquaculture Educator Resources page is a tool to help you get started with and gather support for a school aquaculture project. Below you will find information, ideas, tips, contacts and resources for enhancing or developing aquaculture education in your classroom.

Benefits of Aquaculture Education 

Aquaculture education:

• Provides students with a sense of ownership and responsibility.
• Helps students gain technical and hands-on skills.
• Offers opportunities for field trips and lab work.
• Offers opportunities for community involvement.
• Reinforces science, math, business and marketing skills.
• Offers students the opportunity to do science rather than learn science.
• Fulfills many Sunshine State Education Standards.

Aquaculture Certificate of Registration

Schools operating aquaculture systems for education do not need any permits unless the animals or plants produced from the system are sold for profit or unless a restricted species (e.g., tilapia) is possessed.

If you have a restricted species or plan to sell products from the education system, you will need an Aquaculture Certificate of Registration; however, this permit is available annually at no cost to educators.

Helpful Contacts

• Aquaculture businesses [ 387 kB ] that may be contacted for field trips, guest lectures or project cooperation
• Aquaculture field trip opportunities [ 494 kB ]
• Technical assistance contacts [ 406 kB ]

Agencies and Organizations

• Aquaculture in Action: A national aquaculture education network that offers a wide range of teacher resources. 
• Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness: Provides educational resources for agriculture teachers.
• Florida Aquaculture Association: Offers on-site farm tours, assistance with the Future Farmers of America annual aquaculture competition, and an aquaculture industry certification. Contact Tiffany@flaa.org for more information.

Aquaculture Education Sharepage

The Aquaculture Education sharepage is for educators interested in networking and learning more about aquaculture. You can add pictures, videos, lesson plans and important events from your classroom, or you can join in on the discussion board. Members include experts from the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Florida Sea Grant, and FDACS who can help with technical assistance, regulatory guidance and a variety of other topics.

If you would like to join this sharepage, contact Katrina Bayliss at (850) 617-7624 or Katrina.Bayliss@FDACS.gov.

FDACS Introductory Aquaculture Presentations

The following PowerPoint presentations will help teachers introduce sixth- through 12th-graders to aquaculture as part of a standard agriculture or science course:   

• Aquaculture in the Classroom [ 28 MB ]
• Introduction to Aquaculture [ 29 MB ]
• Careers in Aquaculture [ 5 MB ]
• Florida Aquaculture: Food Fish [ 24 MB ]
• Florida Aquaculture: Ornamental Fish [ 14 MB ]
• Florida Aquaculture: Reptiles [ 4 MB ]
• Florida Aquaculture: Shellfish [ 18 MB ]

Other Helpful Resources

Here’s a handful of additional resources we’ve found to help you teach about aquaculture. This list will be updated as we learn of new resources, so please check back periodically.

If you have or know of additional aquaculture education resources that you think should be included on our resource list, please contact Katrina Bayliss at Katrina.Bayliss@FDACS.gov.

• 2020 Florida Aquaculture Industry Overview [ 519 kB ]
• ACTED (Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch)
• Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix (National Agriculture in the Classroom)
• Agriculture Literacy Day Books (Florida Agriculture in the Classroom)
• Algal Cultivation Extension Short Courses: Macroalgae/Microalgae (Algae Technology Education Consortium)
• A.Q.U.A Curriculum (Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture)
• Aquaculture for Teachers (University of Maine)
• Aquaponics Food Production Systems (Open Access Book) (Springer Link)
• Aquaponics Production Manual[ ] (Kentucky State University) 
• Capturing Life on Shellfish Farms (NOAA Fisheries)
• Education & Outreach (Florida Farm Bureau)
• Florida Aquaculture Commodity Poster [ 1 MB ]
• Florida Aquaculture PowerPoint [ ](Craig Watson, University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Lab)
• The Future of Ocean Farming (Ocean Today, NOAA)
• Marine and Coastal Science and More  (Maryland SeaGrant Lesson Plans)
• Marine Fish ID Quiz  (New World Publications’ Marine Life Learning Center)
• Marine Fisheries & Aquaculture (PBS)
• Project PORTS, Oyster Curriculum (Rutgers University)
• SRAC: Publications Page (Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
• Teacher Guides (Sea World Inc.)
• Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory (UF/IFAS)
• Indian River Research and Education Center Aquaculture Research and Demonstration Facility (University of Florida)
• Virtual Fish Farm (Virginia 4-H)
• Water Matters (Southwest Florida Water Management District)

UF/IFAS Introduction to Florida Aquaculture Commodities

UF/IFAS's Shellfish Aquaculture Extension program produced a series of presentations for the Cedar Key High School S.A.L.T. (Shark Aquaculture Life Training) Program during the summer of 2018. The presentations provide an overview of the different aquaculture commodities in Florida. Visit UF/IFAS's Online Resource Guide for Florida Shellfish Aquaculture to access this free educational series.

Program topics include:

• Recirculating Systems
• Molluscan Shellfish Aquaculture
• Aquatic Plant Culture
• Shellfish Aquaculture Regulations and Leasing Process
• Food Fish Culture
• Ornamental Culture
• Alligator and Reptile Culture

Funding Sources for School Aquaculture Projects

Funding Sources

Aquaculture projects may be funded by existing program budgets in the school system (including science, vocational and FFA), school fundraisers, donations, aquaculture product sales, and/or grants.

Grant Tips

• Regularly visit websites like Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness Grants, GrantsAlert.com, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and STEMfinity for links to active agricultural education grants.
• Don’t just wait for that one large grant that could fund your entire program. Look for smaller grant opportunities to help build your program step by step.
• Be sure to follow all application specifications listed by the grantors, which may include margin sizes, font sizes, etc.
• In your grant application, clearly explain how your project meets the goals of the granting agency, not just your own goals.
• Be concise, but include as much detailed information as possible, including budgets, timelines and supporting research.
• When calculating matching funds, include any volunteer hours that will be provided by students, teaching staff, outside help, etc.
• Take pictures throughout your project to send to your grantors. Evidence of previous successes may help when seeking support in the future.
• If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! If your project is rejected initially, ask for reviewer comments to see how to improve next time.