Daily chores, water changes, nutrient additions, and any equipment malfunction or maintenance are important to record. As you get later in the season and you start to see visible kelp growth, having notes on spool quality is important for determining when or if a spool is ready for outplanting. Simply jotting a few general notes each day on what occurred in the hatchery can prove to be very illuminating should anything go awry. 

It’s important to know your water temperature and salinity, as these are essential for keeping your seed healthy. A daily check of water temperature—either manually with a thermometer or via a reading of your chillers—should be incorporated into your daily checklist and recorded in your hatchery log. Salinity can be checked with each water exchange with a handheld refractometer to make sure your seawater source is in the range of 28-32 ppt. If there is any concern about pH and DO levels within your tanks, adding those measurements to your work plan should be incorporated as well. 

Finally, annual milestones, such as the timing of sorus collection, how many days it took from spore release to outplant, and the steps needed to fully shut down your hatchery, can help establish the full picture of your hatchery season timeline and allow you to make an accurate plan in future years.