Educational needs of Arizona aquaculturists

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of aquaculture in the State of Arizona, to determine the perceived educational needs of Arizona aquaculturists, to identify their educational and experience backgrounds, and to identify the sources of information that they utilize to meet their needs and to solve problems in aquaculture. An intermediate goal of the study was to compare the differences between private and government aquaculturists. This study was a descriptive survey and utilized a questionnaire as the instrument. Data was collected via telephone interviews. The target population was all active aquaculturists in the State of Arizona. Findings included: (1) The aquaculture industry was expanding, (2) Water quality management and production methods were the top educational needs, (3) Eighty percent of the aquaculturists have had some college, with sixty-eight percent possessing at least a Bachelor degree and, (4) Other aquaculturists and fisheries professionals were identified as the best sources of aquacultural information