Training Structure
Joint Continuing Education Department
Overview
Aquatic animals are true allies of science.Although we may not always realize it, they play a vital role in fields such as the development of new drugs, our understanding of heart and mental illnesses, and environmental protection.
However, their use in research projects isstrictly regulated. Everyone involved must completemandatory training to ensure a thorough understanding of the issues at stake and practices that respect animal welfare.
To this end, theUniversity of Montpellier ’s Continuing Education Department offers a “practitioner-level”training program designed for professionals who work with aquatic animals—whether in breeding, care, reproduction, or the implementation of experimental protocols in laboratories, research institutes, organizations, etc.
The Benefits of the Training Program
Expertise and Skills
- Fundamentals of biology, selection of experimental models, and reproduction(fish, amphibians, and cephalopods)
- Animal Rearing and Housing Systems
- French regulations governing animal experimentation
- Ethical Principles Applied to Animal Experimentation
- Pain in Aquatic Species: Definition, Mitigation, Thresholds, and Euthanasia
- Population management, identification and tagging, minimally invasive procedures
- Health Management and Biosecurity
- Livestock Management and Animal Welfare
The training program concludes with a day of hands-on work in the laboratories ofthe Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF)in Montpellier, allowing participants to reinforce the knowledge they have acquired through practical application.
Upon completion of the training, participants will be legally qualified to participate in the implementation of scientific research projects involving aquatic animals.
Program
The first part of the training takes place on the shores of the Thau Lagoon, at the Mediterranean Coastal Environment Station in Sète.
The courses are taught by expert scientists, primarily from the Montpellier area.
The curriculum is organized into several modules, allowing students to gradually build their skills.