Biologist to aquatic animal health professional
A biologist already meets 57% of what the aquatic animal health professional role asks for. The move turns on 20 required skills not yet in the profile.
59.1/ 100
1 How much of what an aquatic animal health professional is expected to do is already part of a biologist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the aquatic animal health professional role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An aquatic animal health professional role treats 32 of its required skills as things a biologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- applied zoology
- apply scientific methods
- aquatic species
- biology
- biosecurity
- biotechnology in aquaculture
What stands in the way is 20 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 36 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An aquatic animal health professional role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a biologist background worth leading with.
- already held biotechnology in aquaculture agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
- already held aquatic species natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held conduct fish populations studies information skills
- already held inspect fish stock information skills
- already held assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations information skills
- already held collect fish samples for diagnosis handling and moving
All 36 carried skills, including the 32 the aquatic animal health professional role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 34 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn dispose of chemicals required
- still to learn monitor treated fish required
- still to learn prepare fish treatment facilities required
- still to learn prepare fish treatment plan required
- still to learn preserve fish samples for diagnosis required
- still to learn administer treatments to fish required
- still to learn carry out fish disease prevention measures required
- still to learn control aquatic production environment required
- still to learn treat fish diseases required
- optional, not held ensure animal welfare in slaughtering practices optional
- still to learn analyse fish samples for diagnosis required
- still to learn maintain aquaculture treatment records required
- still to learn monitor fish mortality rates required
- still to learn analyse work-related written reports required
- still to learn diagnose aquatic animals disease symptoms required
- still to learn monitor water quality required
- optional, not held develop management plans to reduce risks in aquaculture optional
- optional, not held identify risks in aquaculture facilities optional
- optional, not held inspect animal welfare management optional
- optional, not held report pollution incidents optional
- optional, not held apply risk management processes optional
- still to learn communicate specialised veterinary information required
- optional, not held advise on animal welfare optional
- optional, not held interview parties in relation to animal welfare investigations optional
- optional, not held maintain relationships with animal welfare establishments optional
- still to learn implement scientific decision making in healthcare required
- optional, not held develop fish health and welfare management plans optional
- still to learn follow safety precautions in fishery operations required
- still to learn prepare visual data required
5 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an aquatic animal health professional role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 analyse fish samples for diagnosis practise this
- 02 communicate specialised veterinary information practise this
- 03 dispose of chemicals practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 36 skills that carry over
- already held applied zoology knowledge
- already held apply scientific methods skill
- already held aquatic species knowledge
- already held biology knowledge
- already held biosecurity knowledge
- already held biotechnology in aquaculture knowledge
- already held botany knowledge
- already held collect biological data skill
- already held collect fish samples for diagnosis skill
- already held conduct fish mortality studies skill
- already held conduct fish populations studies skill
- already held conduct research on fauna skill
- already held conduct research on flora skill
- already held conserve natural resources skill
- already held ecology knowledge
- already held fish anatomy knowledge
- already held fish biology knowledge
- already held fish identification and classification knowledge
- already held gather experimental data skill
- already held inspect fish stock skill
- already held laboratory techniques knowledge
- already held microbiology-bacteriology knowledge
- already held molecular biology knowledge
- already held monitor fish health status skill
- already held perform field research skill
- already held perform laboratory tests skill
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held scientific research methodology knowledge
- already held send samples to laboratory skill
- already held virology knowledge
- already held write routine reports skill
- already held write work-related reports skill
- already held animal welfare legislation knowledge
- already held assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations skill
- already held screen live fish deformities skill
- already held seek innovation in current practices skill
The 5 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn use specialised equipment required
- optional, not held fish welfare regulations optional
- optional, not held pollution legislation optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
- optional, not held assessment of risks and threats optional
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on animal welfare optional
- optional, not held develop fish health and welfare management plans optional
- optional, not held develop management plans to reduce risks in aquaculture optional
- optional, not held ensure animal welfare in slaughtering practices optional
- optional, not held identify risks in aquaculture facilities optional
- optional, not held inspect animal welfare management optional
- optional, not held interview parties in relation to animal welfare investigations optional
- optional, not held maintain relationships with animal welfare establishments optional
- optional, not held pollution legislation optional
- optional, not held report pollution incidents optional
- optional, not held apply risk management processes optional
- optional, not held assessment of risks and threats optional
- optional, not held fish welfare regulations optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
62 held skills the aquatic animal health professional role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse blood samples skill
- not needed by the target role analyse cell cultures skill
- not needed by the target role apply for research funding skill
- not needed by the target role apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities skill
- not needed by the target role archive scientific documentation skill
- not needed by the target role biological chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role collect samples for analysis skill
- not needed by the target role communicate by telephone skill
- not needed by the target role communicate with a non-scientific audience skill
- not needed by the target role computational biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct ecological research skill
- not needed by the target role conduct genome research skill
- not needed by the target role conduct research across disciplines skill
- not needed by the target role create natural science taxonomies skill
- not needed by the target role cryopreservation knowledge
- not needed by the target role demonstrate disciplinary expertise skill
- not needed by the target role develop aquaculture breeding strategies skill
- not needed by the target role develop professional network with researchers and scientists skill
- not needed by the target role develop scientific research protocols skill
- not needed by the target role disseminate results to the scientific community skill
- not needed by the target role draft scientific or academic papers and technical documentation skill
- not needed by the target role ecosystem management knowledge
- not needed by the target role entomology knowledge
- not needed by the target role evaluate research activities skill
- not needed by the target role genomics knowledge
- not needed by the target role habitat restoration knowledge
- not needed by the target role herpetology knowledge
- not needed by the target role identify poisons skill
- not needed by the target role increase the impact of science on policy and society skill
- not needed by the target role interact professionally in research and professional environments skill
- not needed by the target role lepidoptery knowledge
- not needed by the target role life sciences knowledge
- not needed by the target role mammalogy knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage open publications skill
- not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
- not needed by the target role manage research data skill
- not needed by the target role marine biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role medical parasitology knowledge
- not needed by the target role mycology knowledge
22 further entries not listed here
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held pollution legislation optional
- optional, not held assessment of risks and threats optional
- optional, not held fish welfare regulations optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
Other moves recorded from biologist
- marine biologist 76% covered · moderate
- biophysicist 68% covered · moderate
- aquaculture biologist 66% covered · moderate
- microbiologist 65% covered · moderate
- geneticist 60% covered · substantial
- palaeontologist 58% covered · substantial
- immunologist 57% covered · substantial
- religion scientific researcher 57% covered · moderate
Common questions about this move
Can a biologist become an aquatic animal health professional?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A biologist already covers 57% of what an aquatic animal health professional is expected to do: 36 skills carry over, 32 of which the aquatic animal health professional role treats as required.
What skills does a biologist need to become an aquatic animal health professional?
20 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by handling and moving. The single most important is analyse fish samples for diagnosis.
How hard is the move from biologist to aquatic animal health professional?
Its learning distance is 59.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.