Scientific production at the undergraduate thesis level in a fisheries engineering faculty in Peru: 2010 to 2024

The research assessed the scientific production of undergraduate theses at the Facultad de Ingeniería Pesquera y Ciencias del Mar (FIPCM) of the Universidad Nacional de Tumbes (Untumbes), Peru, between 2010 and 2024. A total of 70 theses were gathered from the university's repository and libraries. For each thesis, data such as the school, publication date, keywords, advisors, co-advisors, studied species, and topics were recorded. For those published as scientific articles, the journal name and indexing, including the quartile if indexed in Scopus, were also recorded. It was also confirmed which advisors or co-advisors were registered in the Registro Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Renacyt). The study showed that the cultivation of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) was the most studied, while other important species such as Anadara tuberculosa (pustulose ark), Ucides occidentalis (mangrove crab), mangroves, and tilapia received little attention. The predominant theme was aquaculture (60%), followed by processing (17.1%) and biodiversity (15.7%). Many theses investigated alternative species for aquaculture and industry, but these efforts were limited, with a maximum of two theses per species. All the theses were consistent with the research lines of Untumbes. Moreover, 68.7% of them were supervised by Renacyt-registered teachers, 10 were published as scientific papers (6 in Scopus [Q3 and Q4] and 4 in Manglar, the journal of Untumbes). In conclusion, while the theses address relevant topics for the fishing sector in Tumbes, the predominance of Pacific white shrimp farming limits the diversification of research. It is suggested that the FIPCM promotes research programs that encourage the study of other key topics for the fishing sector and avoid dispersing efforts across too many alternative species for aquaculture and industry, focusing on those with higher potential.