Aquaculture Technician

MRC Fisheries

Fort Pierce, FL

Pay: $19+/hr

Shift: Full time

**Overview**

Join our small team as an Aquaculture Technician and play a vital role in the sustainable cultivation of superior quality Florida Pompano. In this hands-on position, most of the day is on the floor: feeding, harvesting, sampling water/fish, cleaning equipment, and keeping recirculating systems running.

**Responsibilities**

**Fish husbandry**

• Feed pompano on schedule by life stage, from nursery through grow-out, by hand or with feeders.
• Remove, count, and record mortalities.
• Assist with grading, sampling, tagging, and tank-to-tank transfers.
• Keep accurate feed, mortality, biomass, and inventory records in the farm logs or software.

**Water quality and system checks**

• Run the daily checklist: dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, pH, and, as trained, ammonia, nitrite, and alkalinity.
• Clean and calibrate oxygen, pH, and other probes. Do not ignore a drifting sensor.
• Watch pumps, flow, drum filters, biofilters, degassing, UV/ozone, and backup oxygen. Report alarms and abnormal readings immediately.
• Move and exchange water per SOP.

**Maintenance and housekeeping**

• Small mechanical work: screens, hoses, unions, foot valves, minor leaks, and filter cleaning.
• Keep tanks, walkways, feed room, and tools clean. Salt film and biofilm are constant.
• Follow biosecurity: footbaths, dedicated gear between areas, no outside water or fish brought onto the site.
• PVC pipe repair and construction

**Qualifications**

• High school diploma or GED, or equivalent work experience.
• Able to work a rotating schedule that includes early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, plus overtime when transfers, harvest, commissioning, or storms require it.
• Able to lift and carry 50 lb repeatedly (feed bags, salt, equipment), stand and walk on wet floors for a full shift, and work in Florida heat, humidity, and salt spray.
• Comfortable working in and around salt water and handling live fish with nets, baskets, and fish pumps
• Comfortable working in a hot, humid environment.
• Basic mechanical sense: you can spot a leak, a clogged screen, a loose union, or a pump that does not sound right, and you will stop and report it.
• Able to follow written SOPs, record feed, mortality, and water-quality numbers accurately, and use a phone or tablet for farm logs.
• Able to pass a pre-employment background check and, if required for the site, a drug screen. Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Reliable transportation. A valid driver’s license is required.

**Preferred**

• Any hands-on time with fish, shellfish, aquariums, hatcheries, ponds, or recirculating systems. Commercial experience is a plus, not a requirement.
• Coursework or a certificate in aquaculture, marine biology, biology, or a related trade.
• Experience with pumps, plumbing, filtration, pools, wastewater, or boat and marine systems. Saltwater corrosion is daily reality here.
• Forklift, skid-steer, or small-equipment experience.
• Comfort swimming.

MRC plans to significantly expand its operations in the near future and with the growth of the company will lead to growth of this position. It is a perfect time to get on the ground floor of a growing company committed to quality and environmental stewardship.

Pay: From $18.50 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person