Are you looking to leave your desk behind and start your outdoor career? Do you have a passion for protecting our natural resources? Do you enjoy the thrill of hiking up a stream or casting off at the dock? If so, then the Fisheries Science AAS Degree is the right choice for you. There are strong economic and cultural ties to fishing, and these activities are at risk as the demands for seafood outweigh what the ecosystems can provide. Fisheries professionals are tasked with monitoring fish populations to ensure continuing harvests, while protecting sustainable stocks year to year. The on-the-ground boots for these essential duties are fisheries technicians, who provide fisheries managers with the data they need to make sound decisions and set fishing targets. Students in this degree will gain the critical skills needed to be a successful fisheries technician. Through a variety of field and lab operations, students will learn how to design surveys, operate sampling equipment, and prepare data for management goals. Training courses are offered in both in-person and online formats to increase flexibility for traveling to freshwater and marine field sites, where students will conduct habitat and population assessments. To further enhance the learning experience, students will work with state and tribal fisheries managers, while learning the essentials of aquatic ecology, fish biology, and fisheries conservation. Students will have the unique experience of working within the co-management system, as Washington is the only state in the union that recognizes tribal fishing rights for equal partnership. Ready to start your career in fisheries science? Your training experience to become a qualified technician awaits in the blue-green waters of the Salish Sea.