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Statment of Purpose

Waqas is applying to graduate programs to obtain a PhD in fisheries biology. He grew up fishing with his father and witnessed a decline in fish populations over 15 years. Waqas obtained a Master's degree in Zoology with a focus on fisheries and aquaculture. For experience, he assisted with a project to restore a population of turquoise darters and volunteered with a fisheries department in Pakistan where he learned sampling and identification techniques. Waqas is interested in fisheries management and aquaculture research focusing on sustainable cultivation techniques. He hopes to attend a university that provides hands-on training and field experience to further his knowledge and skills in fisheries.

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318 views2 pages

Statment of Purpose

Waqas is applying to graduate programs to obtain a PhD in fisheries biology. He grew up fishing with his father and witnessed a decline in fish populations over 15 years. Waqas obtained a Master's degree in Zoology with a focus on fisheries and aquaculture. For experience, he assisted with a project to restore a population of turquoise darters and volunteered with a fisheries department in Pakistan where he learned sampling and identification techniques. Waqas is interested in fisheries management and aquaculture research focusing on sustainable cultivation techniques. He hopes to attend a university that provides hands-on training and field experience to further his knowledge and skills in fisheries.

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waqas
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From: WAQAS

Date: 04-April-2021
Subject: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Our world’s fisheries are in a decline and I would like to learn and develop ways to preserve and
sustain this vital natural resource. For most of my childhood my father and I fished on the local
River. The abundance of pike, perch, and blue gill declined substantially in those fifteen or so
years. While we would still love to visit that area, it just wouldn’t be the same if we couldn’t
catch fish.

It is an immediate goal to obtain a research assistantship for a PhD degree in fisheries. or I


may find a suitable position in a state, federal, or international fisheries management agency or
non-governmental organization. I obtained my Master of Philosophy’s degree in Zoology
(fisheries and Aquaculture) from Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan in November 2020, with
a 3.46 GPA, and a 3.89 in all FB courses. I plan on beginning Graduate in King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology in the fall of 2021.
As I have furthered my education, my fascination with this field of study has continued to grow.
As I’ve mentioned, I grew up fishing and have grown to love eating, watching, dissecting, and
learning about fish. I don’t have to fit the mold- I can think outside of the box. That’s what
scientists are encouraged to do. I want to solve problems, and hopefully see direct results. If
asked what my top three qualities are, I would say I am focused, organized, and conscientious.
The qualities of loyal and inquisitive are top contenders as well.
Unfortunately, while my degree is in Zoology and Fisheries Biology, there have been few
courses in fisheries available to me. However, I have developed a strong foundation in biology
and ecology. Some of the relevant courses include vertebrate biology, evolutionary biology,
fisheries biology, and conservation biology, organic chemistry, and freshwater ecology. Fisheries
biology consisted of fish identification, a good deal of electrofishing practice, and material on
sampling methods and habitat characteristics. Freshwater ecology highlighted the chemical,
physical and biological processes in various bodies of water. This included diverse topics such as
disease, hydrology, nutrients, and ecosystem assessment. Evolutionary biology focused on
population genetics as well as principles of speciation, adaptation, and phylogeny.
To gain additional experience in fisheries, I assisted Dr. Qayash Khan, a professor of fisheries
with his turquoise darter (Etheostoma inscriptum) population restoration project. Six Mile Creek
is a site where natural populations of this darter have diminished due to a variety of factors. I
worked with two other students to gather habitat quality measurements to determine habitat
suitability of different reaches of the stream. We would determine the current populations of
each reach by using electrofishing. When populations were low, we would supplement these
populations with darters of the same species from a nearby stream. To monitor and evaluate the
success of this program the same procedure was repeated the following year. I became familiar
with equipment used to collect dissolved oxygen readings, temperature, and flow. I also learned
the different ratings of substrate and areas of streams (pool, riffle, or run) as well as preferred
turquoise darter habitat. I received a few introductory lessons on GIS software. We were
successful and a stable population of the turquoise darters in Six Mile Creek was re-
established.
During my collegiate career I acquired an independent internship in Pakistan. I volunteered for
the pukhtunkhwa Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries as a technician for one
semester. Of the many jobs in the lab, I performed otolith extractions on yellow fin brim, mullet,
whiting, pearl perch, amberjack, snapper, and mackerel. I learned to identify species and sex. I
learned a procedure for using night trawls to capture blue swimmer crab: Tying a cod-end,
handling by-catch, controlling a winch, and taking salinity and temperature measurements. Other
sampling methods I learned were boat ramp surveys, commercial catch sampling, charter catch
sampling, and some fishery-independent sampling (i.e. in fish markets). I was amazed by the
variety of by-catch species and became quite proficient at otolith extractions. I have specific
interest in fisheries including both marine and freshwater especially edible species of finfish
including salmon, trout, tuna, and cod. The broad areas of fish ecology, life history, population
dynamics, genetics, and nutrition, excite me. I am very interested in learning aquaculture
techniques for these species. I am especially interested in projects pertaining to higher efficiency
fish cultivation, be it through higher yields, cost control, or reduction of nutrient loading for
instance. As a graduate student, I would like to pursue a research program that will provide in
depth skills and knowledge of fisheries management and/or aquaculture. I am eager to learn and
seek a program that allows for specific training in fisheries as well as to spend the majority of my
graduate time in the field, gaining valuable experience and applying my classroom knowledge to
real situations. I hope to attend a university with a program that matches my interests where I
can learn and grow into a competent professional. I am an excellent candidate for graduate
school because of my strong work ethic, my commitment to this field, and my ability to work
both independently and with a team.

Waqas

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