What Do Aquacultural Supervisors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Aquacultural Supervisors directly supervise and coordinate activities of aquacultural workers. They also record the numbers and types of fish or shellfish reared, harvested, released, sold, and shipped.

Other tasks include:

• Supervise the artificial spawning of various salmon and trout species.
• Direct and monitor worker activities, such as treatment and rearing of fingerlings, maintenance of equipment, and harvesting of fish or shellfish.
• Observe fish and beds or ponds to detect diseases, monitor fish growth, determine quality of fish, or determine completeness of harvesting.
• Plan work schedules according to personnel and equipment availability, tidal levels, feeding schedules, or transfer and harvest needs.
• Train workers in spawning, rearing, cultivating, and harvesting methods, and in the use of equipment.
• Confer with managers to determine times and places of seed planting, and cultivating, feeding, or harvesting of fish or shellfish.

We asked Aquacultural Supervisors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

---

62% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 57% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Aquacultural Supervisors observe fish and beds or ponds to detect diseases, monitor fish growth, determine quality of fish, or determine completeness of harvesting. They direct and monitor worker activities, such as treatment and rearing of fingerlings, maintenance of equipment, and harvesting of fish or shellfish.

A typical day for a Supervisor of Aquacultural Worker will also include:

• Engage in the same fishery work as workers supervised.
• Assign to workers duties such as fertilizing and incubating spawn, feeding and transferring fish, and planting, cultivating, and harvesting shellfish beds.
• Plan work schedules according to personnel and equipment availability, tidal levels, feeding schedules, or transfer and harvest needs.
• Perform both supervisory and management functions, such as accounting, marketing, and personnel work.
• Direct workers to correct problems such as disease, quality of seed distribution, or adequacy of cultivation.

We asked some Aquacultural Supervisors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	83% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	34% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	92% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	12% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	40% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Aquacultural Supervisors also requisition supplies. They may also record the numbers and types of fish or shellfish reared, harvested, released, sold, and shipped.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Aquacultural Supervisors Maintain workers’ time records. They might also Train workers in spawning, rearing, cultivating, and harvesting methods, and in the use of equipment.

In addition, they Plan work schedules according to personnel and equipment availability, tidal levels, feeding schedules, or transfer and harvest needs.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Assign to workers duties such as fertilizing and incubating spawn, feeding and transferring fish, and planting, cultivating, and harvesting shellfish beds.

To some Aquacultural Supervisors, it is also their responsibility to Supervise the artificial spawning of various salmon and trout species.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Supervisor of Aquacultural Worker, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/farmers-ranchers-and-other-agricultural-managers.htm

http://www.usda.gov/newfarmers

https://nifa.usda.gov/program/beginning-farmer-and-rancher-development-program-bfrdp

http://www.cfra.org/