Mary lives near Tighnabruaich in Argyll & Bute and is a Research and Development (R&D) Technician for Otter Ferry Seafish.
“It was a running joke in my family that I would be a marine biologist one day, as it was always my ‘dream job’. I think the interest stemmed from my love of nature documentaries and visiting the beach a lot as a child. There is something fascinating about life underwater that draws me in. I loved to watch marine animals in their natural environment, and now I get to rear and care for them as a job. For me, it’s very fulfilling to look after the fish, learn more about them, and work towards improving farming standards in aquaculture.
My everyday tasks mostly involve general husbandry of our trial fish—keeping them fed, clean, and happy. I also routinely monitor and collect data for any ongoing trials. Things like sampling weights, recording behaviour and taking laboratory samples. I can sometimes get involved with basic maintenance on our equipment if things go wrong as well.
Over the year, myself and my other team member will assist many different researchers and students with their projects involving our trial fish.
Our work helps to enhance the health and welfare of farmed fish across the industry. Animal welfare is something that the general public care about, so we help ensure standards are upheld and improved in the industry. We also work with local fisheries to help protect local wild fish species and preserve our countryside’s natural biodiversity.
I need to be adaptable and able to keep up with multiple trials at once every day, often while working alone. It helps to be comfortable with handing scientific data and recording it clearly and precisely. Being aware of fish health is also necessary, so you can tell when the fish are unhappy. Working well with others is vital, as my team is very small with just one other R&D technician. I can also be called on to assist with the production side of the site as well as R&D.
We have a stock of broodstock halibut on site, and rear juvenile halibut for on-growing in Norway. There’s also has a wrasse broodstock programme, and we house both farmed and wild salmon for experimental trial and genetic bank purposes.
We use a blend of water in-flow and RAS technology on site, like UV systems, water filtration and ozone. We also have our lab for analysing larvae, performing bacteriology, and taking tissue samples. I use different devices for everyday monitoring like oxyguards and salinometers to keep an eye on water quality and conditions for our fish.
We work on a lot of feed trials that aim to reduce the wastage of feed on farms and improve the product quality of farmed fish using more efficient and sustainable ingredients. This has a big impact on reducing pollution on sea-site farms and keeping our natural waters clean.
When I left school, I initially studied commercial illustration at college and worked in a supermarket for about five years before deciding to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology at Stirling University.
It was difficult to enter the industry without any prior experience, as a lot of my peers had been working on fish farms or on the water from a young age. I had to do a lot of interviews before landing my first role, but my academic background definitely gave me an advantage in interviews as a complete novice in fish farming.
I then did an apprenticeship, which was a huge help in boosting my knowledge and understanding of the farming processes through practical knowledge, especially when entering an industry that was new to me.
Now I have built up many skills and am able to step into a variety of roles. My confidence has improved tremendously and I’m proud that I have been confident enough to explore a variety of roles.
I really enjoyed engaging with science and research at uni, but I need to be physically involved and active in my job. You won’t always find that perfect blend in scientific and academic sectors, so this role is the perfect combination of hands-on animal care combined with experimentation, data analysis, and job variety.
Living and working here isn’t for everyone, as you have to make your own entertainment, and it can be inconvenient at times. For me, it is worth it to be surrounded by our beautiful countryside and see so much wildlife every day. If you can be self-sufficient and enjoy the peace and quiet, it’s the perfect place to live and work.
If you are thinking about a career in aquaculture, be prepared to work hard. You will have to sacrifice your time when the fish need you, and there will be a lot of physical work involved. However, it can be very rewarding when you feel like you have a real impact on the industry as a whole.
The role I have now suits my skills and goals perfectly, and the best part is carrying out a successful project with my team, and seeing all of the data we’ve worked hard to collect finalised in one place. It’s very satisfying when researchers and students are pleased with our efforts. I also get to meet a lot of different people working across the industry, like scientific researchers, engineers, biologists, and students from across the globe, so it’s a fantastic networking opportunity too.
I’m glad I decided to pursue aquaculture as my career, and am grateful for all the help and support I’ve had from my managers and co-workers in my different roles. There is always a real sense of camaraderie in your team that makes it a very enjoyable and fulfilling profession.”