Master’s degree1,500 h · Online · 11 modules
Master's in Industrial Marine Aquaculture
This master's offers comprehensive training to lead the future of sustainable seafood production. You will learn to design, manage and optimize innovative aquaculture facilities, from species selection and nutrition to recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), offshore cage engineering and responsible environmental management, building the keys to efficient, profitable and environmentally sound marine aquaculture.
Duration1,500 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules11
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About the program
What is the Master's in Industrial Marine Aquaculture?
This master's prepares you to plan and run large-scale marine aquaculture operations. You will learn the biology, physiology and reproduction of farmed fish, molluscs and crustaceans, how RAS plants and offshore cage farms are engineered, how hatcheries, nurseries and live feed are managed, how marine feeds are formulated and manufactured, how diseases are diagnosed and prevented through biosecurity and vaccination, how sensors, AI and robotics support precision aquaculture, and how environmental impact, product quality, markets and finance determine the success of a farm.
What sets this master's apart: an industrial engineering approach that covers both land-based RAS and offshore cage farming; the full production chain from broodstock and hatchery to harvest, processing and the cold chain; a dedicated block on precision aquaculture with IoT, computer vision, ROVs and digital twins; solid economic and market training with CAPEX, OPEX, NPV and business planning; and an integrative project in which you design a complete industrial marine aquaculture plant, followed by the Final Project.
Program typeMaster’s degree
ModeOnline
Duration1,500 hours
Modules11
Start1 December
Program highlights
- Production engineering: land-based RAS and offshore cage farms with moorings and feed barges.
- Full chain: broodstock, hatchery, nursery, grow-out, harvest, processing and cold chain.
- Nutrition and health: feed formulation and extrusion, diagnostics, vaccination and biosecurity.
- Precision aquaculture: IoT sensors, AI biomass estimation, ROVs and digital twins.
- Business and markets: CAPEX, OPEX, NPV, IRR, international trade and business planning.
- Integrative project: design and planning of a complete industrial marine aquaculture plant.
Syllabus
Syllabus of the Master's in Industrial Marine Aquaculture
11 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Module 1
Biology, physiology and reproduction of farmed marine species
- 1.1. Main marine fish species in industrial aquaculture: European seabass, gilthead seabream, turbot, salmon, meager and cobia
- 1.2. Digestive and respiratory physiology, osmoregulation and growth of marine fish
- 1.3. Biology and life cycle of bivalve molluscs (mussel, oyster, clam) and cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish)
- 1.4. Farming high-value marine crustaceans: ocean prawns and marine shrimp
- 1.5. Reproductive physiology and endocrinology of marine fish in broodstock conditioning
- 1.6. Spawning induction, fertilization techniques and manipulation of photoperiod and temperature
- 1.7. Genetics applied to aquaculture: mass selection, molecular markers and breeding programs
- 1.8. Reproductive biotechnology: triploidy, sexing, monosex stocks and gamete cryopreservation
- 1.9. Physiological adaptation to stress in intensive systems and its biochemical markers
- 1.10. Biological criteria for selecting and introducing new candidate species for marine aquaculture
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 2
Design and engineering of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)
- 2.1. Core principles of land-based recirculating aquaculture systems for marine species
- 2.2. Hydraulics applied to RAS: flow rates, head losses, pipework design and marine pumps
- 2.3. Mechanical filtration and removal of suspended solids: settlers, drum filters and microscreens
- 2.4. Nitrifying biofiltration: fixed-bed and moving-bed (MBBR) biofilter design and effective surface area calculation
- 2.5. Degassing and disinfection: CO2 stripping towers, ozonation and ultraviolet (UV) reactors
- 2.6. Oxygen injection and saturation in seawater: oxygen cones, diffusers and management of dissolved gases
- 2.7. Control of critical parameters: salinity, pH, alkalinity, temperature and nitrate accumulation
- 2.8. Tank architecture and design: geometry, self-cleaning, flow dynamics and fish distribution
- 2.9. Energy efficiency in RAS facilities: heat recovery, variable-speed drives and thermal insulation
- 2.10. Preventive maintenance, system biosecurity protocols and management of critical failures in RAS plants
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 3
Engineering of offshore and coastal installations
- 3.1. Types of floating, submersible and semi-submersible cages for offshore marine aquaculture
- 3.2. Coastal and ocean hydrodynamics: calculating wave, current and wind forces and their effect on the structure
- 3.3. Design and engineering of mooring and anchoring systems for cage farms in deep water
- 3.4. Advanced materials for nets and marine structures: high-density polyethylene (HDPE), titanium and antifouling copper-alloy nets
- 3.5. Support vessels, automated feed barges and offshore logistics platforms
- 3.6. Mollusc farming installations: rafts, floating longlines and bottom systems
- 3.7. Maintenance, underwater inspection with ROVs and in-situ net cleaning at grow-out sites
- 3.8. Marine site assessment using geographic information systems (GIS) and oceanographic models
- 3.9. Maritime safety, marking, buoyage and protection of the installation against collisions and storms
- 3.10. Decommissioning, end-of-life management of marine structures and recycling of polymer materials
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 4
Hatchery, nursery and live feed production
- 4.1. Functional design and biosecurity in hatchery and nursery facilities
- 4.2. Industrial production of marine microalgae: batch systems, continuous photobioreactors and culture bags
- 4.3. Mass culture of zooplankton: rotifers (Brachionus spp.), enrichment and microbiological control
- 4.4. Hatching, nutritional enrichment and storage of Artemia for larval rearing
- 4.5. Managing larval development of marine fish: first feeding and transition to inert diets
- 4.6. Care and weaning of fry: microencapsulated diets, automation and cannibalism control
- 4.7. Bivalve seed production in the hatchery: larval settlement and upwelling and downwelling systems
- 4.8. Controlling skeletal deformities, pigmentation and morphological quality in marine fry
- 4.9. Grading, pre-transfer vaccination and transport of juveniles to grow-out facilities
- 4.10. Hatchery key performance indicators (KPIs): survival rate, deformity index and cost per thousand fry
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 5
Advanced nutrition, formulation and marine feed technology
- 5.1. Nutritional requirements of marine fish and crustaceans: proteins, essential amino acids, lipids, EPA/DHA and minerals
- 5.2. Traditional raw materials: fishmeal and fish oil, their sustainability and substitution rates (FIFO index)
- 5.3. Sustainable alternative ingredients: insect meals, plant proteins, soy concentrates and microalgae
- 5.4. Fisheries and aquaculture by-products: upcycling viscera and trimmings into feed
- 5.5. Functional additives: probiotics, prebiotics, immunostimulants, natural pigments and mycotoxin binders
- 5.6. Aquafeed manufacturing technology: extrusion, drying, vacuum coating and micronisation
- 5.7. Physical properties of marine feed: buoyancy, sinking rate, pellet durability and nutrient leaching
- 5.8. Formulation strategies for each stage of the cycle: broodstock, starter, grow-out and finishing diets
- 5.9. Storage, moisture management, lipid rancidity and preservation of feed at industrial scale
- 5.10. Assessing feed conversion ratio (FCR), digestibility coefficients and nutrient retention efficiency
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 6
Pathology, animal health and aquaculture biosecurity
- 6.1. Main bacterial diseases in marine aquaculture: vibriosis, photobacteriosis, tenacibaculosis and flexibacteriosis
- 6.2. Economically significant viral diseases in marine fish and crustaceans: nodavirus, IPN, WSSV and containment strategies
- 6.3. Parasitic diseases in the marine environment: monogeneans, myxosporeans, microsporidia and parasitic copepods (sea lice)
- 6.4. Fungal diseases and nutritional or environmental disorders linked to water quality
- 6.5. Laboratory diagnosis: histopathology, clinical microbiology, quantitative PCR and immunological techniques
- 6.6. Vaccination in aquaculture: immersion, oral and automated injectable vaccines for marine fish
- 6.7. Responsible use of chemotherapeutics, antibiotics and antiparasitics and the regulatory framework for residues in flesh
- 6.8. Designing and implementing integrated biosecurity plans for land-based and sea-based facilities
- 6.9. Stress management, animal welfare, comfort indicators and their relationship with the immune system
- 6.10. Managing health emergencies: stamping out, fallowing, disinfection and disposal of mortalities
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 7
Automation, precision aquaculture, AI and IoT sensors
- 7.1. Sensors and probes for continuous real-time water quality monitoring: oxygen, pH, redox, salinity and turbidity
- 7.2. Automated and smart feeding systems: feed cannons, timed dispensers and feed barges
- 7.3. Feeding control using hydroacoustics, Doppler sensors and detection of satiation behavior
- 7.4. Computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) for fish counting, biomass estimation and size distribution
- 7.5. Underwater robotics (ROVs and AUVs) for net inspection, breach detection, mortality collection and automated cleaning
- 7.6. Integrating data into SCADA platforms and digital twins to optimize the marine farm
- 7.7. Early warning systems, remote alarm management and automated response to life-support failures
- 7.8. Industrial communication networks, offshore connectivity (satellite and maritime 5G) and plant cybersecurity
- 7.9. Aerial drones for inspecting marine infrastructure, monitoring discharges and perimeter security
- 7.10. Predictive data analytics for growth forecasting, harvest optimization and FCR models
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 8
Sustainability, environmental impact and product quality
- 8.1. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of marine aquaculture facilities: effluent dispersion and organic deposition
- 8.2. Mathematical modeling of nutrient discharge (nitrogen and phosphorus) and its effect on benthic ecosystems
- 8.3. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA): combining fish, filter-feeding molluscs and macroalgae
- 8.4. Interaction with wildlife: marine mammals, birds and predators, and non-lethal exclusion systems
- 8.5. Effluent management on land: treatment of recirculation sludge, dewatering and agricultural or energy recovery
- 8.6. Sensory and nutritional quality and texture of farmed seafood: fatty acid profile, firmness and flesh color
- 8.7. Pre-harvest fasting, humane slaughter (electrical stunning and hypothermia) and bleeding
- 8.8. Primary processing on board or in plant: heading, gutting, filleting, modified-atmosphere packaging and rapid freezing
- 8.9. Cold chain, traceability from egg to consumer and digital traceability (blockchain)
- 8.10. International sustainability and quality standards and certifications: ASC, GlobalG.A.P., BAP and organic labels
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 9
Economic management, financial viability and international markets
- 9.1. Cost structure in industrial marine aquaculture: fixed costs (depreciation, staff) and variable costs (feed, energy, fry)
- 9.2. Investment analysis for aquaculture infrastructure: CAPEX, OPEX, NPV, IRR and payback period
- 9.3. Risk management in aquaculture production: marine insurance and cover for storms, harmful algal blooms and epizootics
- 9.4. Production planning and biomass management: stocking densities, tank and cage rotation and harvest strategy
- 9.5. Analysis of the global market for fisheries and aquaculture products: supply, demand, prices and international trade flows
- 9.6. Commercial models: fresh, frozen and value-added processed products and HORECA and retail channels
- 9.7. Brand positioning, product differentiation and communicating the value of sustainable aquaculture
- 9.8. Taxation, tariffs, import and export licenses and veterinary regulation in international trade
- 9.9. Public and private funding models: aquaculture support programs, blue investment funds and venture capital
- 9.10. Preparing a complete business plan for a marine aquaculture company
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 10
Integrative project: design and planning of an industrial marine aquaculture plant
- 10.1. Selecting the target marine species, desired annual production capacity and geographical location of the project
- 10.2. Environmental, oceanographic and administrative feasibility study for obtaining maritime and land concessions
- 10.3. Process engineering design: RAS plant for the hatchery and nursery stage and cage farm or RAS system for grow-out
- 10.4. Planning water supply, treatment systems, biofiltration, oxygenation and zero discharge
- 10.5. Preparing the nutrition plan, feeding strategy, feed selection and storage logistics
- 10.6. Biosecurity plan, vaccination program, mortality management and animal welfare protocol
- 10.7. Proposal for automation, IoT sensing, AI-based biomass control and plant security systems
- 10.8. Harvest, primary processing, packaging, quality control and commercial distribution plan
- 10.9. Detailed financial plan: CAPEX/OPEX budget, projected income statement, break-even point and sensitivity analysis
- 10.10. Presentation of the final technical report and public defense of the integrative project before a panel of experts in aquaculture engineering, marine science and business management
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 11
Final Project
- 11.1. Choosing the topic and defining the research problem
- 11.2. Objectives, hypotheses and scope
- 11.3. Review of the state of the art and specialist literature
- 11.4. Analysis of the applicable regulatory and technical framework
- 11.5. Methodology and work plan
- 11.6. Data collection, processing and validation
- 11.7. Technical development and analysis of results
- 11.8. Discussion, conclusions and future lines of work
- 11.9. Writing the final report to academic standards
- 11.10. Presentation and defense before the assessment panel
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your pacePlan your pace
Duration and format of the Master's in Industrial Marine Aquaculture
It is 1,500 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
4 h30 h
With 12 h per week
29
months to finish
125 weeks
weeks in total
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Faculty
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives
Objectives of the Master's in Industrial Marine Aquaculture
01Optimize aquaculture production with sustainability criteria through efficient feeding strategies and water quality monitoring.
02Design and manage industrial marine aquaculture facilities that maximize output, minimize environmental impact and ensure biosecurity.
03Implement feeding and health strategies for the welfare of aquatic species, with balanced diets and disease prevention programs.
04Develop and innovate in farming technology, implementing optimized RAS with advanced biofilters and predictive water quality monitoring.
05Market aquaculture products to quality and traceability standards through a HACCP-based quality management system.
06Assess the economic and environmental viability of aquaculture projects using ROI, NPV and IRR and accounting for environmental externalities.
Careers
Career opportunities after the Master's in Industrial Marine Aquaculture
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the Master's in Industrial Marine Aquaculture
The aquaculture sector, specifically the industrial-scale production of marine organisms such as fish, molluscs and crustaceans.
Yes. You study the engineering of land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and of offshore and coastal cage, raft and longline installations.
Mainly European seabass, gilthead seabream, turbot, salmon, meager and cobia, together with bivalves, cephalopods and marine crustaceans, plus criteria for new candidate species.
Yes. A full module deals with bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases, laboratory diagnosis, vaccination, responsible use of medicines and integrated biosecurity plans.
Yes. You work on cost structures, investment analysis, risk management, international markets and the preparation of a complete business plan.
The integrative project is the design and planning of a complete industrial aquaculture plant, while the Final Project is an individual piece of applied research presented and defended at the end of the program.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The master's comprises 1,500 hours of study across 11 modules of about 136 hours each and ends with the Final Project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
Related programs
More programs in Biology and conservation
Online admission
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
Entry requirements
- Profile: marine biologists, fisheries engineers and veterinarians specializing in intensive production of high-value species, aquaculture professionals seeking to optimize their operations, entrepreneurs and investors in marine aquaculture projects, quality and food safety managers, and graduates in environmental, agri-food or marine sciences. A degree in a related field or proven professional experience in aquaculture is recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a camera and microphone, a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and software for viewing documents and joining video conferences.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
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