Career Development Event
Rules and Procedures
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sectors of agriculture. Through this event students will have an opportunity to participate in completing tasks integral to most aquaculture operations and to prepare the final products.
The aquaculture CDE consists of several tasks completed on a daily basis at aquaculture farms. Tasks include water quality tests, weighing fish and determining feed amounts, basic plumbing skills, harvesting filleting and packaging fillets, identification of common species and a written exam covering basic principles.
1. To test the student's ability to:
2. To promote career choice in aquacultural occupations.
4. Competencies addressed
A. Classify fish, shellfish, and crustacea in the aquaculture industry according to common name, scientific classification, habitat (warm/cold/salt water, pelagic, demersal, etc.), feeding habits, and status (endangered, common, native, exotic).
B. Cut, thread, and assemble common materials utilized in the aquaculture industry.
C. To test water for dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia and tank inflow in liters per minute.
D. To weigh fish and determine the correct feeding ratio for a given tank.
E. To fillet fish and/or process and package in the round.
F. Describe and identify management practices, diseases, equipment, facilities and production methods in the aquaculture industry.
5. General rules
a. A team will consist of four members. The team score will consist of the sum of all four contestants individual scores.
1. The contest will consist of three parts: (a) written exam; (b) species identification exam; (c) practicums (one practicum for each team member)
2. Species identification 100 pts. 30 minutes will be allowed for species identification. (20 species selected randomly from a list of 65, 1 pt. ea. for common name, scientific name, habitat, feeding habits, and status). Fish will come from the University of Arizona Fish Collection or from Arizona Game and Fish Educational Resources, (contact Kelly Burgett, Environmental Education Administrative Assistant. 2221 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85023, phone (602) 789-3220, also library references and Internet are suggested.
b. dress code: All contestants are expected to be in full official FFA dress covered by lab jackets.
c. materials contestants may bring:
1. water testing equipment
2. filleting knives
6. Event format
Students will have 30 minutes to complete practicum. Practicums will consist of the following:
3.Testing of tank water for dissolved oxygen, pH,
ammonia load, and liters per minute inflow.
(See attached scoresheet.)
4. Given three fish to weigh and a tank consisting
of 400 fish, to determine the correct feeding
ratio based on 2% of biomass.
7. Scoring procedure