The University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory's Fish Disease Diagnostic Lab offers 4 - 8 week externship opportunities to veterinary students interested in aquatic animal medicine. Veterinary externs assist faculty and staff with all diagnostic lab duties and may assist with aquaculture and non-native species related activities at the laboratory when necessary. Because the Lab is in the heart of the aquarium fish industry, our veterinary externship allows for full engagement with ornamental (aquarium fish) and other aquaculture producers, including assistance with on-farm and laboratory diagnostics, fish health management recommendations, and extension outreach programs. Externs may spend time working one-on-one with farmers, faculty, and staff and gain direct exposure to aquaculture medicine, aquaculture production techniques, non-native species, and regulatory concerns. The importance of water quality, production systems and methodology, biosecurity, and herd health management are emphasized throughout the rotation.
The Diagnostic Lab serves commercial Florida fish producers, wholesalers, and retailers as well as state agencies. Services offered include water chemistry testing, parasitology, bacteriology, histology, and virology. The laboratory has a full-time veterinary staff and also works collaboratively with other veterinary specialists and laboratories throughout the state and U.S. The Lab sees approximately 250 - 300 cases a year. Ornamental fish species comprise the largest number of cases, though foodfish, gamefish, and baitfish cases are also seen throughout the year. Other cases may include aquatic frogs, shrimp (especially ornamental species), and alligators.
Educational opportunities and responsibilities include developing an understanding and basic proficiency in:
- Obtaining a thorough case history
- Testing and interpreting water chemistry
- Fish necropsy and microbiology techniques
- Non-lethal fish examination techniques
- Histological sampling
- Medical case interpretation
- Developing medical and management recommendations
- Client interaction both in the diagnostic lab and on farm and facility site visits
- Common aquaculture fish health management methods and chemotherapeutics
- Basic ornamental aquaculture production and husbandry techniques, including system design and management
- Common fish reproduction strategies and techniques, including induced spawning methods
- Common aquarium fish families and species, as well as their general husbandry and production methodology
Field work with staff may include site visits to one or more local facilities including ornamental fish farms, state fish hatcheries, and/or public aquaria.
Oral examinations/reviews are conducted on a routine basis to assess the progress of externs. Students are provided with an extensive digital resource of publications and are expected to review this information throughout the duration of the externship. Externs will work Monday through Friday and are on-call during weekends and holidays to assist with disease diagnostics, research, and outreach as necessary.
UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory Faculty/Staff and On-Site Federal Partners
The UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory (UF-TAL) - Fish Disease Diagnostic Lab/Aquatic Animal Health section has one dedicated full-time faculty (Yanong), a diagnostic lab manager/externship coordinator (Pouder), and aquaculture and non-native species faculty (Watson, Hill, DiMaggio, Tuckett, Cassiano), staff (Alo, Wood, Diehl, Degidio), and graduate students (see http://tal.ifas.ufl.edu/people/directory/ for the most current list; click on the person's name for direct link to their respective webpage) with whom the extern will also be interacting. The veterinary student extern will be trained and supervised jointly by the diagnostic lab manager (Pouder) and the extension veterinarian (Yanong). In addition to UF/IFAS faculty, staff and graduate students, the UF-TAL is the home base for two USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services Veterinary Medical Officers, including the National Program Leader for Aquaculture (Hartman), and a Veterinary Import/Export/Aquaculture/Biosecurity specialist (Starzel), as well as a state/ regional USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services group.
UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory Facilities
The Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory is located in Ruskin, Florida, in Hillsborough County. An industry-driven initiative resulted in its creation in 1997 and the facility maintains strong working relationships with the Florida Tropical Fish Farms Association, the Florida Aquaculture Association, and other producer-based organizations. All research and extension programs can be traced back to an identified need of the laboratory's Aquaculture Advisory Committee composed of producers. The main office is located on federal property, and belongs to the National Weather Service. The University of Florida, Hillsborough County, and the National Weather Service have a long-term license agreement to utilize this building for its current purpose.
Yanong has a 216 sq ft office and the fish disease/aquatic animal health group have a 400 sq ft primary diagnostic laboratory, as well as a 150 sq ft “large fish” necropsy room. Aquatic animal health lab equipment includes 5 compound microscopes, 1 dissecting scope, two flat screen televisions connected to two of the microscopes for teaching, warm and cold incubators, a biological cabinet, fume hood/area, centrifuges, scales, necropsy and bacteriology supplies, a BIOLOG microbial ID system, water quality/chemistry testing equipment/supplies, computers, refrigeration units, ultracold freezer. The aquatic animal health group also has access to the rest of the TAL facilities and equipment used by other researchers/faculty, which include conference space within the 4000 sq ft main building, with internet capability and storage through UF/IFAS servers, an 800-square foot fish-holding building, a 4,000-square foot, climate controlled water quality, nutrition and hatchery building, five 2,100-square foot greenhouses which include a larval fish grow-out/research room, live food (algae and zooplankton) research/production rooms, and over 700 square feet of storage. The main office is located on federal property, which belongs to the National Weather Service. The University of Florida, Hillsborough County, and the National Weather Service have a long-term license agreement to utilize this building for its current purpose.
The hatchery/nutrition and water quality laboratory, fish holding building, and greenhouses are located on an adjacent, 6.5-acre research fish farm which is the property of the State of Florida. The fish farm has a total of 50 ponds, two of which serve as retention ponds. They are in ground, water table ponds, measuring approximately 30' X 70', typical of existing industry ponds. All ponds are equipped with aeration and well water. Currently, 24 ponds are covered with greenhouse structures which serve both for bird-netting and plastic (winter protection).
Tank systems include recirculating and flow-through water supply, with access to well water, softened water, artificial seawater, and reverse osmosis water. This allows for manipulation and testing of varying water quality parameters during research.
Some of this information was provided in the "Description of the Elective Experience" above. Students work approximately 5.8 days/week- Monday - Friday, with follow up of cases- typically microbiology- on Sat/Sun, for a total of approximately 9 hours per day (assuming partial weekend coverage- if needed- roughly 3-5 hours on the weekend- which may vary and be less). Students will spend the first few days learning our laboratory's SOPs and approaches, and will be supervised heavily until their level of comfort and skills have shown a moderate level of mastery. Students will participate in case history taking, and may lead some of these (but typically will be supervised). Students will be supervised during general work ups, and will assist with farm/facility calls, but greater responsibilities will be provided as their level of comfort and knowledge increases. Students will be given oral questions/quizzes regularly, and regular "white-board" session will also help to solidify information (and allow us to see where deficiencies still remain, if any for further mentoring).
There is a mobile home/trailer at the UF-TAL with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a washer/dryer, kitchen (with refrigerator, oven/stove) /living area available on a first come basis (other graduate students, visiting researchers, etc., also have access- so as much lead time as possible is required to guarantee availability during an externship). The rent for the trailer is $25/week, and IN ADDITION to this, a security deposit (in case of damage to property or other breach of housing contract, etc.) of $100 is required upon arrival (i.e., for a four week externship, $100 rent + $100 security deposit are required upon arrival). The $100 security deposit will be returned at the end of the externship after inspection of the mobile home if there is no damage or other breach of housing contract. No pets are allowed.