The Department of Aquatic Production (DPA) was created in 1994, when the publication of the most recent ICBAS statutes (D.R nr. 194, 23 of August 1994) took place, and is now one of the 10 Departments of ICBAS. As main missions, the DPA is responsible for teaching a researching in aquaculture and surrounding areas, some of them being:

• Engineering, Aquaculture and fish production systems

• Aquatic animal (mainly bivalve moluscs) Physiology, Endocrinology and metabolism

• Management of seafood industry residues

• Ichthyology applied to Aquaculture (marine and estuarine production and environment)

• Ichthyology, Fisheries Biology and Vertebrate Biology

• Fish Immunology (response to infection and stress in Aquaculture).

• Immunology, Pathology and Parasitology of aquatic animals

• Sanitary Inspection, Microbiology and food and seafood safety

• Nutrition, growth and quality of aquatic animals

• Fisheries, Ecology and management of aquatic and coastal resources,

• Quality and safety of wild and farmed animals, including animal welfare

• Oceanography

SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY
The services the DPA offers to the external community include:

- Support to implementation of aquaculture projects and companies in the area.

- Research applyed to areas of commercial interest like fish growth and nutrition, seafood preservation and quality evaluation, etc.

- Aquatic animal Sanitary Laboratory (profilaxy, diagnosis and therapeutic in fish farming and aquarium systems)

- Support to the fish and food industry: hygiene, safety, audits and legislation.

The DPA is composed by 23 teachers (including 17 external) and 6 technicians, that work in research in a total of 8 laboratories