Current active course description (last updated 2024/25)
Aquatic Animal Health
AK310F
Current active course description (last updated 2024/25)

Aquatic Animal Health

AK310F

The course covers the following main topics:

  • Fish immunology responses and pathogen handling by the host;
  • Fish welfare and stress response in farmed fish;
  • Overview of major bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases of salmonide fish;
  • Disease treatment and control vaccines, prophylaxis and therapy;
  • Tools for pathogen detection and diagnostics.
Admission to the course requires the same qualifications as admission to the Master of Science in Biosciences.

Knowledge

The student should have:

  • Knowledge of defence mechanisms in fish including host-pathogen interactions;
  • Knowledge of fish welfare, stress responses and how this affect the health;
  • A general understanding of the major infectious diseases of farmed aquatic animals, particularly those affecting salmonide fish;
  • Learned ways of detecting, controlling and treating diseases.

Skills

The student should:

  • Have learned the functions of the different components of the immune system;
  • Understand the stress response and how this influences the health and welfare of fish;
  • Have gained skills in distinguishing different classes of pathogens and assessing both physiological and pathological changes associated with diseases;
  • Have acquired basic knowledge of the importance of controlling diseases to ensure sustainable aquaculture.

General Competence

  • The course is a vital component of the Master's programme in Aquaculture. The competence acquired will be useful in different sides of the profession both as a scientist and as an aquaculturist.
  • The course helps students adopt new measures to prevent diseases and maintain the health of farmed fish.
No costs except semester registration fee and course literature.

Elective for:

MSc in Biosciences

Nordic Master in Sustainable Production and Utilization of Marine Bioresources

Lectures and laboratory work.
Mid-term evaluation and electronic evaluation at the end of the semester.

Compound evaluation.

Assignment, comprises 40/100 of the grade, grading scale A-F.

Oral exam, comprises 60/100 of the grade, grading scale A-F.

Pen, ruler and up to 2 bilingual dictionaries English - native language

Generating an answer using ChatGPT or similar artificial intelligence and submitting it wholly or partially as one's own answer is considered cheating.

Overlap refers to a similarity between courses with the same content. Therefore, you will receive the following reduction in credits if you have taken the courses listed below:

AK310F-001 - Aquatic Animal Health - paper - 3 credits

AK310F-002 - Aquatic Animal Health - written examination - 7 credits

AKV5000 - Aquatic Animal Health - 7.5 credits