University of New England

2 aquaculture and aquarium science majors intern in Norway

Two University of New England biology majors spent two months in northern Norway this past summer on an internship to study fish farming and work for Laponia Proventus AS, a Norwegian company specializing in the commercial raising of marine and freshwater fish.

Peter W. Stenross from Rochester, N.Y., and William J. Vasey from Yorktown Heights, N.Y. are seniors in UNE's Aquaculture and Aquarium Science major. Vasey is also minoring in business.

Itinerary
Their work/study itinerary exposed them to a wide range of commercial, government and educational projects in Norway. They assisted in the catching and registering of fish on a scientific research vessel and did field and laboratory work at a research center on a fjord, at an arctic char research/development center, and at an aquaculture research station. The students also met with leading Norwegian business and financial leaders to learn the business side of a commercial seafood enterprise. In addition, they learned about cod and mussel farming and installed radio transmitters on fish.

Participating companies and organizations include Akvaplan-Niva, a leading company in aquaculture, marine and freshwater biology, the Polar Research Facility, the Norwegian College of Fishery Science's (NSCF) Institute of Marine Biotechnology and Institute of Aquatic Biology, and the Norwegian Institute of Fisheries & Aquaculture Research (NIFAR). The students also had the opportunity to work with Norwegian marine science students.

Laponia Proventus AS co-sponsored the internships with the CEO of Virtual Defense & Development International, Inc., a principal investor and board member of Laponia Proventus AS. The students were guests at the home of Laponia Proventus's chairman, Yngvar Aagaard, in Tromso, Norway.

Their UNE faculty advisor, Jeri Fox, Ph.D., program coordinator of the Aquaculture and Aquarium Science major, joined the students for part of their internship experience.

"Everyone associated with these internships is very excited about the possibilities," said Professor Fox. "We hope to broaden the scope of interaction between UNE and these Norwegian institutions to include collaborative research and teaching. As for Bill and Peter, it allows them to hone their aquaculture skills for their developing careers in a country that has an established commitment to the advancement of aquaculture."

Aquaculture and Aquarium Sciences
UNE is the only place in the U.S. where you can earn a bachelor's degree in aquaculture and aquarium sciences, now in its fourth year of existence. The program's four core courses are: Principles of Aquaculture; Techniques in Fin/Shellfish Culture; Health, Nutrition and Feeding of Cultured Fish; and Principles of Aquarium Operations and Science. The rest of the curriculum is fleshed out with biology, chemistry, marine biology, genetics, environmental, parasitology, and physiology courses. There's also a yearlong course in Management and Business Principles to prepare students for entrepreneurial careers.

(Press release issued May 4, 2005)