Habitat as an Interdisciplinary Profession

Habitat is an essential building block for robust fish populations and healthy aquatic systems. But reaching that balance and maintaining it over decades is a challenge for all fisheries professionals. The complexities of “habitat” offer a wealth of career opportunities for those whose primary interests are in the natural or social sciences, resource management, environmental law, public policy, engineering, conservation education, second languages, or any other academic pathway. For those same reasons, a career working on fish habitat represents a challenge given the need for fluency across those disciplines. A rewarding and successful career awaits enthusiastic professionals who wish to work on issues such as habitat dependency, wetland loss, river blockages, economic benefits, restoration after catastrophic events, best practices to minimize impacts, climate change, and so many more. An academic background in any one field or issue can gain entry to a habitat career. Fluency across multiple disciplines improves prospects for that perfect job and offers greater opportunities to wield influence in your chosen fisheries habitat arena.