Operating a successful oyster hatchery involves balancing various activities, all competing for limited resources (e.g., time, space, personnel, and equipment). A hatchery is responsible for conditioning broodstock, spawning, raising and setting larvae, and in many cases, spat grow-out as well as algal culture. Algal culture is an essential component of hatchery operations that provides food for broodstock and larvae. Large quantities of algal species must be available during the entire hatchery production season. Therefore, allocating hatchery resources efficiently is imperative to successfully maintaining algal cultures in addition to performing all other hatchery activities. This study proposed to use industrial engineering tools to simulate hatchery operations , beginning with “hanging-bag” microalgae culture activities. To meet this goal, process diagrams outlining daily algae production steps were created, time data for algae production steps were collected, a model simulating daily algae production was developed, and the resources required (e.g., time, personnel, equipment, cost) to meet daily algae production needs were evaluated.
To begin simulating hatchery operations, daily tasks were identified, outlined (Figure 1), and put into a simulation model. Daily tasks were defined as tasks that must be completed everyday regardless of the quantity of larvae or seed currently in the hatchery. Initial results revealed that one operator (a hatchery employee) required 2.3 hours to complete all daily tasks (Step 1 – 25, Figure 1). This included 1.8 hours to complete Start of Day tasks (Steps 1 – 17) and 0.6 hours to complete End of Day tasks (Steps 18 – 25). Of these tasks, the majority of effort (70%) was dedicated to steps pertaining to algal culture. If two operators performed daily tasks concurrently, one focusing on algal culture tasks, both finished in under 1.5 hours. Fu rther work will evaluate the most efficient resource partitioning to complete daily algal culture tasks in addition to other required hatchery activities.