Aquaculture Science

Seaweed and Mollusk Culturing Techniques - Certificate

Have you noticed more seaweed products on your grocery shelves and wondered where they came from? Did you know that Washington state leads the nation in farmed shellfish, with popular mollusks including clams, mussels, and oysters? Could you picture yourself working the low tides at an oyster farm or carefully growing new batches of algae in a shellfish hatchery? If any of these statements apply to you, then the Seaweed and Mollusk Culturing Techniques Certificate can help you explore these exciting forms of sustainable aquaculture.

Intended for students with prior college education in a related field and/or relevant work experience, this advanced level certificate skips the basics and dives straight into the technical expertise to design, operate, and sustain shellfish and seaweed cultures, with a focus on hatchery production. Course topics include live feed production of micro-algae, reproduction and fertilizing techniques for shellfish and seaweed, mollusk nutrition and health, and seed production for farming operations. Students may also customize their certificate plan with several elective courses ranging from animal genetics to aquatic chemistry to data analysis and more. 

Courses are centered around the award-winning and student-operated Whatcom Creek Hatchery, which is the only college hatchery in Washington that hosts a training facility dedicated to workforce development in marine aquaculture. Students also conduct off-site training with state, industry, and tribal partners to gain experience on real working farms and other hatcheries. 

Sustainable farming for domestic seafood is in high demand. Are you ready to join this growing workforce? Meet now with an academic advisor to build your customized certificate plan and get started. 

Included in the AAS- Shellfish Specialization degree

Employment Information

Data are provided on a program (not credential) level

63%1 BTC graduate placement rate (Employment Security Department- WA and OR only)
96%3 BTC graduate placement rate (faculty-tracked, national)
78%3 BTC in-field graduate placement rate (faculty-tracked, national)

$48,578 starting annual wage2
$56,268 average annual wage2
$67,999 potential annual wage2

  • Employment and Wage Data Sources and Information

    1Employment data come from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and reflect WA/OR employment for students enrolled at BTC between 2017-18 and 2019-20. Students are included in the employment rate if they left with a credential. Rates are not shown for programs with fewer than 10 students meeting the above criteria.

    2Whatcom County and WA State wage data come from Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) 2021 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates and reflect 2018-21 employment. Wage data represent occupations that BTC faculty have identified as the most relevant career paths for program graduates. Note that these wages reflect employees with varying educational levels/credentials. For cases in which multiple occupations have been identified by faculty, a weighted percentile is calculated using each occupation’s percentile wage and employment size estimate. Wages are not shown for programs for which occupations do not meet the ESD’s minimum thresholds for publishing. If the program has wage data from the Washington SBCTC that involves shift work, these ESD wages reflect the same number of hours used in the annual wage calculation. Starting wage = 25th percentile, median wage = 50th percentile, wage potential = 75th percentile.

    3Additional employment rates are provided for programs with faculty who maintain their own employment records of students who graduated between 2017-18 and 2019-20 and who were employed within 9 months of graduation. Both overall and in field of study employment rates are included, respectively. For these programs, the format follows: ESD rate / faculty-tracked overall rate / faculty-tracked in-field rate. These additional, faculty-provided rates are particularly important for programs that tend to have graduates employed outside of WA and OR. Note that due to lack of available data, rates may represent fewer than 3 years of graduates.

  • Estimated Program Costs

Tuition Fees and Rates overview page

Entry Information

When Can I Start?

This program typically starts in Fall quarter.

What are the Minimum Entry Requirements?

Admissions application and assessment testing in Reading, Math and Writing is required. Your score on the test and/or your previous transcripts will determine where you begin your course sequence. Contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with academic planning.

What are My Next Steps?

1. Apply to BTC and Financial Aid
2. Assess Your Starting Point
3. Advising & Registration
4. Prepare to Attend

 

Classes

Total Program Credits: 40

  • Current Students: Learn how to use this page to register for classes

  • Core Courses for Program

  • AQUA 121Principles of Aquaculture5 CR
  • TOTAL Core Courses for Program Credits5 CR

  • Program Specialty

  • AQUA 221Seaweed Culturing2 CR
  • AQUA 225Shellfish Farm Production5 CR
  • Total Program Specialty Course Credits18 CR
  • AQUA 226Shellfish Culture Practicum: Spring1 CR
  • AQUA 252Aquaculture Management5 CR
  • AQUA 224Shellfish and Seaweed Culture Practicum: Winter1 CR
  • AQUA 223Shellfish Hatchery Production2 CR
  • AQUA 222Microalgae Culturing2 CR

  • Electives

  • Elective Course (Select any from this list.)
  • AQUA 131Aquatic Chemistry with Lab5 CR
  • AQUA 141Research Methods3 CR
  • AQUA 201Aquaculture Internship I6 CR
  • AQUA 271Data Analysis for Aquatic Sciences5 CR
  • AQUA 272Introduction to GIS5 CR
  • AQUA 273Animal Genetics with Lab5 CR
  • AQUA 274Organismal Biology with Lab6 CR
  • BUS& 101Introduction to Business5 CR
  • BUS& 201Business Law5 CR
  • ECON& 201Micro Economics5 CR
  • ENGR& 104Introduction to Engineering & Design5 CR
  • TOTAL Elective Course Credits17 CR

Program Outcomes

After successfully completing the certificate, students will be able to: 

  • Demonstrate proper shellfish, seaweed, and microalgae culturing techniques, as related to hatchery and farm production. 
  • Describe the form and function of commonly cultured shellfish and seaweed, as related to reproduction, growth, and health. 
  • Compare and contrast culturing system designs for target species. 
  • Conduct workplace operations in a safe and professional manner with an emphasis on teamwork skills. 

Employment Outlook

Your skills will be ready to use with employers such as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as private and tribal hatcheries, shellfish farms, and federal and private scientific companies.

Faculty & Support

Photo of Brittany Palm
Brittany Palm
Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences
  • Degrees and Credentials

    Certificate, Professional Technical Education, Washington State

    BS, Marine Biology, University of New England

    MS, Marine Sciences, University of New England

Photo of Sara Smith
Sara Smith
Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences
  • Degrees and Credentials

    Certificate, Professional Technical Education, Washington State

    BS, Environmental Science-Freshwater Ecology Emphasis, Western Washington University

    MS, Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University

Photo of Brittany Palm
Brittany Palm
Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences
  • Degrees and Credentials

    Certificate, Professional Technical Education, Washington State

    BS, Marine Biology, University of New England

    MS, Marine Sciences, University of New England

Photo of Sara Smith
Sara Smith
Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences
  • Degrees and Credentials

    Certificate, Professional Technical Education, Washington State

    BS, Environmental Science-Freshwater Ecology Emphasis, Western Washington University

    MS, Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University

Contacts

If you have questions about this program or want help with the admissions steps to Bellingham Technical College, please email outreach@btc.edu.

Current students wanting academic planning and support, can connect with the program Instructor(s) or email FisheriesNav@btc.edu