Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables places the competency in context and allows for differences between enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The range of variables also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

Culture:
· micro-algae and seaweed (various species)
· aquatic plants
· infusions and bio-fouling
· rotifers
· copepods
· Daphnia
· brine shrimp (Artemia and Parartemia)
· zooplankton
· mosquitos, beetles or other insect adult or larvae
· polychaetes and other worms
· nematodes
· feeder fish, usually goldfish or other inexpensive fish
· inoculation or starter culture, usually an axenic monoculture.

Production schedule:
· written instructions and SOPs
· culture method to be used:
· batch
· semi-continuous
· continuous
· enrichment of natural waters
· production vessel or structure to be used
· types of cultures, including species, sizes and ages
· quantities (i.e. cells/ml, organisms/ml) or weights
· quality, including bacteria free, growth rate, size and age.

Production vessel or structure:
· glassware
· fibreglass or plastic tanks
· plastic bags
· plastic-lined pools
· concrete or earthen ponds.

Other equipment:
· aeration
· lights
· production vessel holder
· green or hothouse
· temperature-controlled room
· washing and sterilising equipment
· autoclave
· water filtration equipment
· counters and microscopes
· pipettes and syringes
· measuring cylinders
· flexible tubing
· bottle plugs
· air filters.

Treated water:
· preconditioning (left to stand with or without aeration)
· micro-filtration
· chlorination and dechlorination
· aeration
· chemical (change pH, hardness)
· ultraviolet and ozone
· heating or cooling.

Nutriments:
· nutrients, fertilisers or other chemicals
· feeds, including micro-algae, pellets, powders and emulsions
· enrichment formulae
· green water.

Physio-chemical requirements of the culture organism:
· chemical, mechanical or biological filtration
· dissolved oxygen
· temperature
· salinity
· pH
· hardness
· water flow
· carbon dioxide
· nitrogenous wastes and contaminants
· light.

Culture period:
· several weeks for micro-algae
· one to several days for brine shrimp.

Indicators of culture health:
· density of organisms (i.e. numbers per litre or millilitre)
· physical appearance
· swimming activity
· colour
· feeding activity
· floculation of culture medium
· growth
· contaminants, including ciliates, males in rotifer cultures and unwanted species in micro-algal cultures.

Wastes:
· dead or dying organisms
· uneaten nutriments
· other contaminants, including soil and organic debris.

OHS requirements:
· codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes that may apply in a jurisdiction
· enterprise-specific.

Harvesting equipment:
· collection vessels
· micro-algae:
· buckets
· pumps
· siphons
· live feeds:
· nets, sieves or screens (mesh size generally below 100µm)
· buckets
· continuous centrifuge
· washing sieves
· counters
· pipettes and measuring cylinders.
· ESD principles:
· managing effluent waste and reducing contaminants
· preventing the introduction of live culture organisms into environment
· disposing of dead plant or animal matter.

Government regulations:
Relevant local, State or Territory and Commonwealth legislation, regulations and orders.

Each unit of competency has an evidence guide that relates directly to the performance criteria and the range of variables. Its purpose is to guide assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program. The following components provide information to assist this purpose.

Underpinning knowledge
The essential knowledge and understanding a person needs to perform work to the required standard include:
· purpose of, and operating procedures for, algal or live-feed culture production and harvest equipment
· culture periods and life cycles of culture organisms
· purpose of nutriments
· physio-chemical requirements of the culture organisms
· procedures for producing and harvesting algal or live-feed cultures
· ESD principles.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standard include:
· operating and maintaining production and harvest equipment
· adding inoculation cultures and nutriments to production vessels according to enterprise procedures
· harvesting algal or live-feed cultures
· removing waste and maintaining water levels according to enterprise procedures
· recognising and reporting on obvious problems associated with the culture-growing environment and culture health
· axenic transfer of parent cultures
· using a microscope
· counting or determining density of algal or live-feed cultures
· giving verbal report to the supervisor.

Literacy skills used for:
· reading production schedules and labels
· reading manufacturers' guidelines
· recording workplace data related to the production of algal or live-feed cultures
· understanding warning and safety signs.

Numeracy skills used for:
· reading gauges and meters
· calculating culture periods
· counting or determining density of organisms
· estimating weight of small quantities of chemicals
· diluting to reach desired salinity
· measuring chemical volumes and weights for sanitation.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· produce algal or live-feed cultures under routine conditions
· follow SOPs and supervisor's instructions for the production process.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· basic process for effective production of algal or live-feed cultures including setting up, initiating and breeding, monitoring health and growth, harvesting and cleaning up activities.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed after/with:
· No recommendations.

Context of assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment. It should cover the entire process of production, from establishing the culture through to harvesting.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
· written or oral short-answer testing
· project work
· observation of practical demonstration.

Resources required for assessment
Resources may include:
· production schedule
· production vessels
· production and harvest equipment
· treated water
· inoculation cultures and nutriments
· SOPs for producing algal or live-feed cultures
· records for documenting algal or live-feed culture production.