An aquarist

An aquarist is an aquarium biologist who takes care of animals like fish, sharks, rays, turtles and marine invertebrates that are on display in the exhibits in an aquarium.

A typical day for an aquarist starts earlier than most other forms of employment, because the exhibits in the aquarium have to be cleaned and prepared before the aquarium opens for visitors. The aquarium is a hive of activity as the aquarists clean windows, siphon the exhibit substrates to remove any unwanted bits and pieces, scrub rockwork and move new fish into the exhibits or to quarantine if an animal needs extra care. Armed with an array of buckets, brushes, a wetsuit and SCUBA diving gear – the aquarist is armed to do his job effectively.

Each aquarist is responsible for certain exhibits. The main focus is on the well being and health of the animal. The water is tested every day to make sure that the highest standards in water quality are maintained. If the water parameters are out of sync – the aquarist calls on the Technical Department to make the necessary adjustments to the incoming or outgoing water flow to obtain the optimum levels.

The aquarist is also responsible for the diet or nutrition of the animals in the exhibit. Careful food portions are prepared for each exhibit in a Fish Kitchen where only the best quality food is obtained for the well being of the animals. The aquarist feeds the animals so that he can see which animals are eating, which are greedy and which are not eating. An animal that is not eating is often the first sign that an animal is not well.

Constant research by reading articles and journals on nutrition, animal health, husbandry and enrichment ensures that the aquarist stays at the cutting edge to learn from others around the world who have experienced problems with animals in their facilities.

Accurate record keeping is a major part of the daily duties. Detailed records track changes in the exhibit, the amount of food eaten by the animals, temperatures, births and mortalities in order to spot trends which indicate that something is amiss in the exhibit or that all is well.

Aquarists devise exciting and challenging ways to enrich the animals in their exhibits. Food frozen into ice blocks, hidden in shells or bottles provide challenges to the animals to obtain their food.

In the quiet times behind the scenes, aquarists work on the Research and Development of new exhibits to keep the public coming back for more. New lighting, exciting backdrops and interesting artifacts in the tanks create a feeling of achievement when new exhibits open to the public.

When a big fish move or shark move takes place, aquarists report for duty before the sun comes up, sometimes in the freezing cold on a winter’s morning. They work as a team to get the job done before the park opens to the public.

Aquarists work in the aquarium on the exhibits, in the quarantine facility or on the animal collections team to make up the Curatorial Department which is headed up by a Curator. Regular meetings and in house training make sure that the team works together and keeps abreast of developments and trends in the aquarium industry.

An aquarium functions 365 days of the year because the animals have to be cared for and fed every day. Aquarists work on a roster basis so that there areenough staff to cover the aquarium every day!

At the end of a busy day, which may have started before the sun rises, the aquarist completes a daily checklist to make sure that everything has been completed for the day or does a handover to another aquarist if he is going to have a few well deserved days off.

In order to become an aquarist, a Bachelor of Science degree is a strong recommendation. In addition to that, hard work, dedication, a diving qualification and a passion for the sea are essential requirements for a budding aquarist!