April 8, FFA students from across Florida competed for state honors in the Aquaculture Career Development Event. Both middle school and high school teams competed in a preliminary round earlier in the year and the top 10 teams in each division earned the opportunity to compete for the state championship.
The Orlando-Colonial HS FFA Chapter earned second place in the high school division and Apopka HS FFA earned fifth place. Ocoee MS FFA earned fourth place in the middle school division and Apopka MS FFA earned a fifth place finish.
The Aquaculture Career Development Event stimulates student interest in the aquaculture industry, encourages aquaculture instruction in the agricultural education curriculum, and provides recognition for those who have demonstrated skills and competencies in the area of aquaculture management.
Florida has a unique and diverse aquaculture industry which includes the culture of tropical ornamental fish, aquatic plants, clams, shrimp, alligators, tilapia, catfish, live rock, and other assorted aquatic animals. The students took a comprehensive exam on the aquaculture industry, and needed to correctly identify all aquatic species, aquatic diseases, pests, predators, analyze water quality, conduct proper water treatments and make a presentation on a given aquaculture topic.
All of these OCPS FFA aquaculture teams will be recognized and receive their state award at the Florida FFA State Convention and Expo in June.