Marine biologist to aquatic animal health professional
A marine biologist already meets 46% of what the aquatic animal health professional role asks for. The move turns on 25 required skills not yet in the profile.
68/ 100
1 How much of what an aquatic animal health professional is expected to do is already part of a marine 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 27 of its required skills as things a marine biologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse fish samples for diagnosis
- apply scientific methods
- biology
- botany
- collect biological data
- conduct fish mortality studies
What stands in the way is 25 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 27 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 marine biologist background worth leading with.
- already held analyse fish samples for diagnosis information skills
- already held conduct fish populations studies information skills
- already held inspect fish stock information skills
- already held conduct research on flora information skills
- already held treat fish diseases handling and moving
- already held conduct fish mortality studies information skills
All 27 carried skills, including the 27 the aquatic animal health professional role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 43 missing skills fall into 13 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 collect fish samples for diagnosis required
- 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
- optional, not held ensure animal welfare in slaughtering practices optional
- optional, not held screen live fish deformities optional
- 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
- optional, not held assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations optional
- 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
- optional, not held seek innovation in current practices optional
- still to learn communicate specialised veterinary information required
- still to learn write routine reports 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 conserve natural resources required
- still to learn follow safety precautions in fishery operations required
- still to learn biosecurity required
- still to learn virology required
- still to learn applied zoology required
- still to learn aquatic species required
7 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 applied zoology study this
- 02 collect fish samples for diagnosis practise this
- 03 communicate specialised veterinary information 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 27 skills that carry over
- already held analyse fish samples for diagnosis skill
- already held apply scientific methods skill
- already held biology knowledge
- already held botany knowledge
- already held collect biological data 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 control aquatic production environment 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 monitor water quality skill
- already held perform field research skill
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held scientific research methodology knowledge
- already held send samples to laboratory skill
- already held treat fish diseases skill
- already held write work-related reports skill
The 7 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn use specialised equipment required
- still to learn perform laboratory tests required
- still to learn biotechnology in aquaculture required
- optional, not held fish welfare regulations 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 prepare visual data required
- optional, not held pollution legislation optional
- optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
- optional, not held assessment of risks and threats optional
18 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on animal welfare optional
- optional, not held assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations 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 screen live fish deformities optional
- optional, not held animal welfare legislation 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
- optional, not held seek innovation in current practices optional
17 held skills the aquatic animal health professional role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on nature conservation skill
- not needed by the target role biotechnology knowledge
- not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role coastal management knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct ecological research skill
- not needed by the target role conduct ecological surveys skill
- not needed by the target role develop aquaculture strategies skill
- not needed by the target role ecosystem management knowledge
- not needed by the target role habitat restoration knowledge
- not needed by the target role marine biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role oceanography knowledge
- not needed by the target role organism taxonomy knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform data analysis skill
- not needed by the target role physics knowledge
- not needed by the target role physiology of animals knowledge
- not needed by the target role wind energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role write research proposals skill
10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn applied zoology required
- still to learn aquatic species required
- still to learn biosecurity required
- still to learn biotechnology in aquaculture required
- still to learn virology required
- optional, not held pollution legislation optional
- optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
- optional, not held assessment of risks and threats optional
- optional, not held fish welfare regulations optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
Common questions about this move
Can a marine biologist become an aquatic animal health professional?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A marine biologist already covers 46% of what an aquatic animal health professional is expected to do: 27 skills carry over, 27 of which the aquatic animal health professional role treats as required.
What skills does a marine biologist need to become an aquatic animal health professional?
25 required skills are missing, plus 18 optional ones. They fall into 13 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by handling and moving. The single most important is applied zoology.
How hard is the move from marine biologist to aquatic animal health professional?
Its learning distance is 68 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.