Anticipated Start Date: 5/19/25 (negotiable)

Estimated Pay: $16.00/hour

Number of Jobs Available: 2

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 1:00pm, with rotating weekend shifts

Location: Lewes Shellfish Hatchery

Role Description:

Under the supervision of the hatchery manager or PI, the incumbent will be responsible for assisting in all day-to-day hatchery activities to support shellfish production. After training, the incumbent is expected to carry out necessary husbandry tasks with little to no supervision.

Primary Responsibilities:

Some examples of hatchery duties include but are not limited to:

• Inoculating and maintaining algae cultures
• Spawning oysters
• Maintaining larval cultures, nursery, and broodstock
• Collecting growth and survival data on larval and algal cultures
• General facility maintenance such as cleaning culture vessels and filters
• Assist with filling orders and communicating with growers

Qualifications:

Incumbent does not need to have prior experience in shellfish aquaculture, though the ideal candidate will have an interest working in shellfish aquaculture as a potential career path. The successful candidate must:

Highlighted questions that can be added to application 

• Have a degree or be currently working toward a degree in marine biology, fisheries, aquaculture, environmental science or related field
• Have basic laboratory experience
• Be willing to work outside in wet, muddy, humid, sometimes harsh environments
• Be able to adapt to changing work environments
• Be comfortable working with microscopes, sometimes for extended periods of time
• Good record keeping and communication skills
• Be detail oriented
• Be capable of working independently as well as part of a team
• Be willing to work weekends on a rotating schedule
• Have reliable transportation

Physical requirements:

• Be able to lift 40lbs with or without assistance.
• Be comfortable standing for long periods of time

When submitting your application, please also include contacts for 1-2 references. 

Hiring Timeline:

Review of applications will begin March 12, 2025.

Applicants must be undergraduate students at the University of Delaware. Work study eligibility can be found here. Applicants who are not enrolled as undergraduate students at the University will not be considered for this position. Employment Limitations and Exceptions