Lewis Caunce – MSc Sustainable Aquaculture graduate
Discover what Lewis has been up to since graduating and why he would recommend studying at Plymouth
“Plymouth gave me a solid framework of knowledge, providing a backbone for my professional career development. The masters degree was essential to secure my current job.”
– Lewis Caunce, MSc Sustainable Aquaculture graduate
My career since graduating
On leaving Plymouth, I secured my first job as a water technician, working on the drinking-water network in South West England. This was a great opportunity to develop my professional skills and learn about large-scale water networks.
However, I couldn’t shake off the bug which aquaculture had left me, so I decided to leave this role to work for a company interested in assessing the feasibility of a novel aquaculture species. While short lived, I learnt a great deal, solidifying my desire to work in the industry.
I came to Australia on a working holiday visa, and after travelling the Eastern Coast, I found a job in Cairns. I now work in an aquaculture hatchery, specialising in grouper production. I’m primarily based in the on-site nursery, taking care of the fingerlings.
Every day can provide its own unique challenges, allowing for an extremely varied day-to-day – it’s great.
Due to the demand for skilled aquaculture workers in Australia, I have now been granted sponsorship by the Queensland government for a long-term visa.
At The Company One we’re working on developing our research grow-out system, allowing us to understand more about the fish we produce – most of which are Australian firsts. This is a project I’m heavily involved in and it’s an incredibly exciting time.
We are at the forefront of aquacultural developments, pioneering new species to the market and providing insights to our customers and research partners.
The benefits of studying at Plymouth
Having just completed my undergraduate at Plymouth, I decided to stay on for a variety of reasons. I grew extremely fond of Plymouth and enjoyed its relaxed atmosphere.
The lecturers are world class, and specialists in their respective fields, delivering the course in a professional, exciting, and informative manner.
A key driver was the opportunity to learn about a vast array of aquaculture species – the focus was not on one specific species. This diversity in knowledge and farming practices has been incredibly valuable moving forward.
A masters degree was essential to secure my current job and both my degrees from Plymouth are internationally recognised.
We were able to visit a variety of farms and hear from several industry experts. It was these unique experiences that made the course so interesting. Without a doubt, the most exciting part of the programme was visiting the aquaculture producer in Greece. We were able to get an in-depth look into how a large producer operates, from egg to plate, this is an insight which I found invaluable.
For my thesis project I decided to come up with my own idea focusing on an aspect of aquaculture which interested me. My project supervisor was incredibly supportive and provided me the insight and advice required. Having the opportunity to bounce ideas around with an expert was incredibly helpful.
A career in aquaculture can be incredibly varied and can take you wherever you want to go. Plymouth gave me a solid framework of knowledge, providing a backbone for my professional career development.
Lewis Caunce currently works for The Company One as a Fisheries Technician in Cairns, Australia.