Questions about college and freshwater ichthyology

[Mississippi fish guy]

I’m currently researching colleges and I am thinking about going into some sort of freshwater ichthyology ( I haven’t figured much of my plan yet since I’m still a junior in high school). I was wondering if anyone here is or was in a similar field and what you studied while you were in college.

[Fish Folk]

University of Tennessee Knoxville -- has a pretty good track record of producing grads involved in conservation programs that involve fish. I visited Conservation Fisheries in Knoxville a few years ago. It was AMAZING to see all of the endangered species they're preserving, breeding, and restocking in the wild. It was a key visit to transfer my passion from Tropical towards Temperate species. I used to keep these...

Now I'm into these...

 

[ange]

Ultimately it depends on your career goals and while you don't need to make a commitment immediately, try and think about what part of the study interests you and look for people in those positions. Try to learn what their academic background is and find common trends among the people that you find. Generally speaking if you want a career in research you will be planning for graduate (or higher) study.

Without specific jobs in mind I'd suggest a major in either biology, environmental science, or (if your school offers it) zoology. Specializing in ichthyology isn't something that typically happens during your undergrad however the universities that you apply to often have student organizations that may have professors who have specialized in the subject involved as mentors.

My degree was in a largely unrelated field however my current job revolves around aquaculture (75%) and observing local species (<5%), with field work taking place in the spring with a few additional trips as booked. The rest of my job is quite unrelated to aquatics 😂