May 23rd - 26th, 2017

May 23rd

First full day of screenling larval buckets to assess survival, growth, and determine stocking numbers for next 3 days. Katie Davidson helped out, as did Steven.

Tasks

  • Screen larvae for different size classes, count, re-stock buckets:
    • Screen through…. 140, 160, 180 … ?
      • Decided on 2 size classes, <180, >180. Screened through 160 today on first 2 groups, and nothing held; will screen through 180 next week. Only screened onto 100 today, counted live, and used that info to re-stock buckets.
    • Sample for counts & images
    • Sample for freezer
    • Stock buckets - method depends on # surviving larvae- Replace drippers - DONE
  • Replace banjos - DONE
  • Collect new larvae, count, stock, and sample excess
  • Measure dripper rate @ larval tank - NOT DONE
  • Collect water sample for algae counts from each dripper - NOT DONE
  • Record broodstock & larvae group locations on tables/manifolds - NOT DONE

May 24th

  • Arrival inspection
  • Image yesterday’s larvae - DONE
  • Change banjos - DONE
  • Change drippers - DONE
  • Collect & Sample for counts - DONE
  • Sample rest for -80 - DONE
  • Talk to Ryan about:
    • Larvae health - help trouble shooting?
      • Larvae looked sluggish when screening yesterday; this could simply be a response to the handling, however it is markedly different from the new larvae that are collected in a similar manner Ryan said that “lazy” larvae can be a sign of supersaturation of Nitrogen or Oxygen. He suggested raising the drippers out of the bucket to allow for degassing, and increasing the aeration. I did so.
    • Setting tank
      • Ryan showed me which silos I can use in the setting tanks outside; I checked with Joth (as he may have had plans for the tanks), but he said that I could use them through the month of June.
    • PSRF and other help while I’m at FHL?
      • Stuart has agreed to oversee the project
      • Jade and Dana can help out
      • Olivia to work Mondays (1x per week)

May 25th, 2017

Arrival Inspection:

  • Larval Table:
    • Aeration did not hold overnight.
    • Banojs very dirty, likely due to use of Tetraselmis in algae cocktail. I will request that PSRF not feed my larvae Tet.
    • I can see larvae swimming in water column, however there are a significant amount at the bottom of the bucket.
  • Larvae present in:
    • K-10 Low
    • HL-10 Ambient
    • K-10 Ambient
    • NF-6 Ambient A
    • NF-6 Low B
    • NF10 Ambient A

Tasks:

  • Collected Larvae, sampled and counted most (not al- need to finish)
  • Sampled immediately after collecting, then stocked. 6 buckets = 1.75 hrs by mysefl.
  • Recorded location of bottom shelf broodstock and sensors on manifold
  • Cleaned! the following took ~2 hrs
  • NF & SN broodstock thoroughly, including tubes, tube conenctors
  • Replaced all drippers, banjos & air stones
  • Set up 2 “test” buckets to measure T & pH in both larval systems, and to test whether banjos will clog over 2 days.
  • Sketched out possible June/July schedule coverage

May 26th, 2017

Arrival Inspection:

  • Larval Buckets
    • Aeration looks good
    • Very few bubbles accumulated on the inner walls of buckets- elevating the drippers and increasing aeration appeared to have been effective.
    • Banjos not consisently dirty; perhaps corresponding to the # larvae in bucket? Need to measure dripper rate on manifold to confirm equal flow rates.

Broodstock:

  • NF-6 Ambient A group is foamy- male(s) likely spawning today
  • Water color looks light; increased algae dosing rate to 120 pulses/min

Larvae present in:

  • NF-6 Low B
  • NF-6 Ambient B
  • HL-10 Ambient
  • K-10 Low
  • K-6 Low
  • HL-10 Low (ID’d in afternoon)
  • SN-10 Low B (ID’d in afternoon)

Tasks:

  • Screen larval buckets, count, restock - 3 hrs for 16 buckets
    • Possibly use 2 different buckets per group, if needed - this was needed for SN-10 Low, & SN-10 Ambient
    • I was pleasantly surprised at the survival rate! Despite larvae consistently pooling at the bottom of the buckets, my survival rate for the SN & NF groups appears adequate (calculations TBD). The K group, which has been consistently stocked since Friday, had poorer survival rate. Need to refine data sheet to auto-calculate stocking #’s and survival rate
  • Collect new larvae, stock in buckets - 2 hrs
    • sample excess larvae & freeze
  • Image larvae from 5/23 & 5/24 & finish counts - 30 minutes -not done.
  • Daily maintenance: - 30 minutes - done.
    • Replace banjos
    • Replace drippers
    • Spray down filters
  • Clean top row broodstock if there’s time - 1 hr - not done.
Written on May 26, 2017