Job Title:  Aquarist
FLSA Status:  Non-Exempt
Reports to:  Assistant Curator of Exhibits and Curator

Job Summary:  Aquarists are responsible for animal exhibits and public programs.

Duties and Responsibilities: (Including but not limited to)

Public Programs:

• Present information about the exhibit animal during formal scheduled talks.  Engage guests in informal discussions about the exhibits and answer questions.  Aquarists are expected to bring biological information to the guests that they have learned both inside and outside of Coral World. 
• Give tours and answer questions for special events.
• Perform feeding shows in all of the exhibits, including diving in closed exhibits and the open sea, handling juvenile nurse sharks and hand-feeding sharks.

Diving:
Aquarists must be certified divers with extensive diving experience.  Diving is a fundamental skill used in carrying out may of the daily responsibilities.

Exhibit Construction:
Assist in the construction of new exhibits.  Aquarists are expected to have or learn basic carpentry and plumbing skills and display problem-solving ability.  Take responsibility for maintenance of health and appearance of one or more exhibits in the park.  This includes daily vacuuming of exhibits, algae scraping of windows and backgrounds, inventory and observation of animal health.  Long-term maintenance also includes polishing acrylic windows, repairing leaks, upgrading and repairing plumbing, installing and maintaining exhibit lighting.

Animal Husbandry:

• Food Preparation
• Disease Identification and Management
• Quarantine of New Animals
• Placement of animals in appropriate exhibit and with appropriate tank mates
• Brine Shrimp culture and collection of live mysid shrimp

Life Support System Maintenance:
Have an understanding of the life support system supplying the exhibits.  Develop the skills to trouble-shoot problems with submerged sea water pumps, plumbing and water flow, and air supply.  Install submerged seawater pumps and remove for service.  Inspect, maintain, and install flexible hoses underwater.  Construct and maintain filters.

Collecting:
Collect all sand, live rock, fish, coral and other invertebrates for exhibits.  Animal Care Specialists are expected to collect responsibly with minimal impact to the environment and to the animals being collected and to follow permit guidelines set by DFW.  Animal Care Specialists should have working knowledge of fish transport, quarantine, and disease-control procedures.