Florida Department of Education
Curriculum Framework 

Program Title:	Tropical Ornamental Mariculture Technician
Career Cluster:	Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

College Credit Certificate	
CIP Number	0101030304	
Program Type	College Credit Certificate (CCC)	
Program Length	30 credit hours	
CTSO	N/A	
SOC Codes (all applicable) 	For program SOC codes, please see the Program and Course Tables section of the CTE Program Resources page linked below.	
CTE Program Resources 	http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/program-resources.stml	

Purpose

This certificate program is part of the Marine Environmental Technology AS degree program (1103060101).  

A College Credit Certificate consists of a program of instruction of less than sixty (60) credits of college-level courses, which is part of an AS or AAS degree program and prepares students for entry into employment (Rule 6A-14.030, F.A.C.).

This program offers a sequence of courses that provides coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career cluster; provides technical skill proficiency, and includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career cluster. 

The content includes but is not limited to instruction in tropical marine ornamental finfish and invertebrate husbandry, disease and parasite diagnostics and prevention, nutrition of marine aquaculture organisms, aquaculture best management practices, marine aquaculture systems and design, as well as an internship at a tropical marine aquaculture facility. 

Additional Information relevant to this Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is provided at the end of this document.

This program is a planned sequence of instruction consisting of 30 credit hours.

When developing the course sequence for the local implementation of this program, select courses that:
•	Meet the skill development requirements of the standards and benchmarks of this program.
•	Where reasonable and practicable, align with programs offered by your institution or other post-secondary institutions in Florida, including: 
o	Related AS and AAS degrees.
o	Baccalaureate degrees within the same career pathway and/or Federal CIP code.

Visit FloridaShines’ Discover Programs website to identify other institutions that offer similar programs to review their course sequencing. Where appropriate, course alignment between institutions offering related programs can facilitate interagency student articulation.

Visit FloridaShines’ Common Prerequisites Manual to identify courses that are prerequisites for admission into an upper division program.  When sub-baccalaureate courses are aligned to the course admissions requirements of baccalaureate programs with the same career pathway, students can enter upper division coursework seamlessly.   

Florida’s Career Readiness Skills for CTE Programs

Employability Skills	
01.0	Apply academic skills to workplace scenarios.	
01.01	Use reading skills.	
01.02	Use writing skills.	
01.03	Use mathematical strategies and procedures.	
01.04	Use scientific principles and procedures.	
02.0	Design a solution to an industry problem.	
02.01	Use critical thinking.	
02.02	Use creativity.	
02.03	Make sound decisions.	
02.04	Solve problems.	
02.05	Reason. 	
02.06	Plan and organize.	
03.0	Manage resources within an industry project	
03.01	Manage time.	
03.02	Manage money or resources.	
03.03	Manage materials.	
03.04	Manage personnel.	
04.0	Oversee the subcomponents, operations and output of a technical or organizational system.	
04.01	Manage systems.	
04.02	Monitor systems.	
04.03	Improve systems.	
05.0	Use information for decision making.	
05.01	Locate information.	
05.02	Organize information.	
05.03	Use information.	
05.04	Analyze information.	
05.05	Communicate information.	
06.0	Apply relevant technology to workplace scenarios to aid productivity.	
06.01	Use technology.	
07.0	Interpret and express interpersonal communication.	
07.01	Communicate verbally.	
07.02	Listen actively.	
07.03	Comprehend written material.	
07.04	Convey information in writing.	
07.05	Communicate nonverbally.	
07.06	Interpret nonverbal communication.	
08.0	Interact with others to accomplish workplace goals.	
08.01	Collaborate with others in a team.	
08.02	Respond to customer needs.	
08.03	Exercise leadership.	
08.04	Negotiate to resolve conflict.	
08.05	Respect others.	
09.0	Manage personal behavior to maximize productivity and professional growth.	
09.01	Demonstrate responsibility and self-discipline.	
09.02	Adapt and show flexibility.	
09.03	Work independently.	
09.04	Demonstrate a willingness to learn.	
09.05	Demonstrate integrity.	
09.06	Demonstrate professionalism.	
09.07	Take initiative.	
09.08	Display positive attitude.	
09.09	Take responsibility for professional growth.	
Job Attainment	
10.0	Find, assess and apply to job opportunities.	
10.01	Identify online job posts relevant to his or her career aspirations.	
10.02	Compare and contrast the job posts’ required qualifications, job duties, compensation, benefits and employers. 	
10.03	Define what information, documentation and writing prompts are required for the positions.	
11.0	Communicate personal competence, character and fit for a job opportunity.	
11.01	Develop a resume.	
11.02	Write a cover letter.	
11.03	Curate a professional portfolio that includes work products.	
11.04	Prepare for and experience a mock job interview.	
12.0	Cultivate and leverage relationships to professionally advance.	
12.01	Request a signed reference letter, letter of recommendation and/or an online skill/professionalism endorsement. 	
12.02	Develop a plan to cultivate a professional digital footprint.	
12.03	Develop a networking plan for a specific industry of interest.	

Standards

After successfully completing this program, the student will be able to perform the following:

01.0	Compose scientific and/or technical reports.
02.0	Demonstrate an understanding of marine ecosystems, environmental management, and resource conservation.
03.0	Comprehension of fundamental principles governing business and entrepreneurship.
04.0	Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles of marine aquaculture.
05.0	Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of aquaculture best management practices including mitigating environmental impacts. 
06.0	Demonstrate a basic understanding of marine aquaculture husbandry principles and practices.
07.0	Identify and diagnose common diseases and parasites that infect marine aquaculture organisms. 
08.0	Demonstrate a moderate understanding of marine aquaculture systems.
09.0	Recognize appropriate nutritional requirements for the most common marine aquaculture organisms.

Florida Department of Education
Student Performance Standards

Program Title:	Tropical Ornamental Mariculture Technician
CIP Number:	0101030304
Program Length:	30 credit hours

This certificate program is part of the Marine Environmental Technology AS degree program (1103060101).  At the completion of this program, the student will be able to:	
01.0	Compose scientific and/or technical reports. The student will be able to:	
01.01	List the typical components of a peer-reviewed scientific article	
01.02	Explain the peer-review process of publishing a scientific article.	
01.03	Explain the function of each section of a scientific paper, presentation, or technical report.	
01.04	Critically analyze a scientific paper describing its thesis, methods, results, and conclusions.	
01.05	Create at least one report and presentation formatted according to a scientific publishing format.	
02.0	Demonstrate an understanding of marine ecosystems, environmental management, and resource conservation. The student will be able to:	
02.01	Explain the essential components of ecology, and how energy flows through an ecosystem.	
02.02	Explain the functional role of primary producers in the marine environment and identify common species of marine plants and algae.	
02.03	Explain the essential components of intertidal ecology, and how energy flows through various types of intertidal ecosystems.	
02.04	Describe the features and functional systems in the intertidal, neritic, epipelagic, and deep ocean regions.	
02.05	Explain the basic functional ecology and energy flow on a coral reef.	
02.06	List the various resources humans derived from the sea and what problems this presents.	
02.07	Explain how humankind has and continues to impact the marine environment.	
02.08	Describe methods and best practices currently in use to conserve marine ecosystems including but not limited to as marine spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management and marine protected areas.	
02.09	Explain the concepts of “Tragedy of the Commons” and “Precautionary Principle” as they relate to marine ecosystem and resource conservation.	
03.0	Comprehension of fundamental principles governing business and entrepreneurship. The student will be able to:	
03.01	Demonstrate a familiarity of entrepreneurship by understanding the characteristics and mindset of entrepreneurs.	
03.02	Identify and evaluate opportunities within the marketplace, both for new venture creation and within existing organizations.	
03.03	Create the tools necessary to act on an entrepreneurial opportunity by writing a business plan, building a management team, financing the opportunity and creating an innovative marketing plan.	
03.04	Describe successful strategies and common mistakes made by successful entrepreneurs.	
03.05	Describe the legal requirements and obstacles in starting a business venture.	
04.0	Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles of marine aquaculture. The student will be able to:	
04.01	Demonstrate a basic understanding of marine aquaculture husbandry principles and practices.	
04.02	Demonstrate the skills required to culture phytoplankton and zooplankton required for larval rearing.	
04.03	Describe the basic types of marine aquaculture systems.	
04.04	Describe the various types of common organisms and techniques currently used during marine aquaculture operations.	
04.05	Demonstrate a basic knowledge of common diseases and parasites during marine aquaculture and methods for their control.	
05.0	Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of aquaculture best management practices including mitigating environmental impacts. The student will be able to:	
05.01	Describe the concept of aquaculture Best Management Practices.	
05.02	Compile and analyze marine aquaculture industry management data (e.g., water quality parameters, economic data).	
05.03	Identify and demonstrate proper use of key Quality Management tools.	
05.04	Develop and implement the key components and concepts of an aquaculture management plan.	
05.05	Identify potential environmental impacts and measures to mitigate them.	
06.0	Demonstrate a basic understanding of marine aquaculture husbandry principles and practices. The student will be able to:	
06.01	Identify the principles of water quality specific to marine aquaculture for a variety of marine taxa.	
06.02	Demonstrate a working knowledge of variety of husbandry techniques for most of the known marine species currently being cultured, including temperature and photoperiod control conducive to spawning and species specific life styles.	
06.03	Understand basic selective breeding techniques for enhanced phenotypic traits.	
07.0	Identify and diagnose common diseases and parasites that infect marine aquaculture organisms. The student will be able to:	
07.01	Demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of disease in marine aquatic systems.	
07.02	Identify the differences between environmental, viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal diseases of marine species. 	
07.03	Demonstrate a basic understanding of methodologies for treatment of diseases commonly encountered during marine aquaculture operations.  	
07.04	Demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of marine aquatic health management and biosecurity.  	
08.0	Demonstrate a moderate understanding of marine aquaculture systems and design. The students will be able to:	
08.01	Describe the various types of marine aquaculture systems and demonstrate the ability to distinguish the primary components of specific marine aquaculture systems.	
08.02	Identify which systems are best for the culture and business model of the target species.	
08.03	Recognize the system requirements for Integrated Multi-Trophic Mariculture (IMTM) systems.	
08.04	Demonstrate an understanding of the impacts of specific marine aquaculture systems on the environment and especially marine ecosystems.	
08.05	Demonstrate basic skills for computer automated drafting.	
09.0	Recognize appropriate nutritional requirements for the most common marine aquaculture organisms. The student will be able to:	
09.01	Recognize basic marine nutrient and biochemical energy fluxes (i.e., trophodynamics and bioenergetics) especially as they relate to species commonly associated with marine aquaculture.	
09.02	Demonstrate a rudimentary understanding of biochemistry (e.g., proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, etc.) and nutrient metabolism in common marine aquaculture species.	
09.03	Demonstrate an understanding of the metabolic role of vitamins and minerals and recognize symptoms of vitamin deficiency.	
09.04	Recognize appropriate feeding management practices based on metabolic requirements of marine aquaculture target species.	
09.05	Recognize the impacts of feeding strategies on the environment.	

Additional Information

Laboratory Activities

Laboratory investigations that include scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem solving, emerging technologies, tools and equipment, as well as, experimental, quality, and safety procedures are an integral part of this career and technical program/course. Laboratory investigations benefit all students by developing an understanding of the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work, as well as the skills required to manage, operate, calibrate and troubleshoot equipment/tools used to make observations. Students understand measurement error; and have the skills to aggregate, interpret, and present the resulting data. Equipment and supplies should be provided to enhance hands-on experiences for students.

Accommodations

Federal and state legislation requires the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities to meet individual needs and ensure equal access. Postsecondary students with disabilities must self-identify, present documentation, request accommodations if needed, and develop a plan with their counselor and/or instructors. Accommodations received in postsecondary education may differ from those received in secondary education. Accommodations change the way the student is instructed. Students with disabilities may need accommodations in such areas as instructional methods and materials, assignments and assessments, time demands and schedules, learning environment, assistive technology and special communication systems. Documentation of the accommodations requested and provided should be maintained in a confidential file.