Professional Development and Aquarist Training Abstracts
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Academics for Applied Science:
A Brief Overview of the Aquarium Science Program; Past, Present and Future Chris Spaulding, Oregon Coast Community College Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
The Aquarium Science Program at the Oregon Coast Community College began in the Fall of 2003. Since that time, the program has formally educated and trained numerous students for a career in the aquatic animal care profession. The presentation will discuss this one-of-a-kind program along with its unique courses and practical hands-on learning opportunities. The history of the program, including the trends of its graduates and its contribution to the industry will be reviewed, along with the plans and strategies for offering practical learning to present and future aquarists entering a progressive field in an ever-changing academic environment. |
Central Campus Revisited.... What Have We Done? Kirk Embree, Central Campus Aquarium Science Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
A new 14,000 gallon Marine Science lab was built 3 years ago at Central Campus in Des Moines, Iowa. The 25 year old academic Marine Biology course was expanded at that time to also include a brand new career and tech course entitled Aquarium Science. The goal of the Marine Science program is to interest students in the world of Marine Biology and to provide them with a hands on experience to better help them understand what careers in this field might be like. A presentation of the new facility was given at the 2010 RAW conference in Omaha with promises of greatness, but included mostly just photos of shiny new empty tanks that had not proven themselves yet. This presentation will explore what worked... and what didn't, and the reality of operating a Marine Science lab run solely by high school aged students. The good, the bad, and the ugly. |
Training the Next Generation; Developing an Intern Program Rebecca Duchild, Minnesota Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
We've all been there; the intern. Working for free, paying tuition to do all the dirty work of an aquarist, working the worst hours, etc. How do I know this will pay off, will I even get a job after this!? Now on the flip side, how should I train my intern? What do they need to learn and what should they know how to do to maximize their potential for getting a job in a market that has so very few openings, and how do I maximize their efficiency during their internship. As an aquarist for the last 13 years, intern coordinator for half of that, and with a dual degree in biology and secondary education, I have found myself asking these questions. I would like to share what I (and my coworkers) have gathered and created in that time period to answer these questions and help set our interns on a path to successful careers. |
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Full Abstract
In 2008 Flying Sharks began suggesting its clients the addition of a small fee to all invoices, which would be channeled to support research and conservation efforts. The vast majority of clients endorsed what then became the Flying Sharks Research Fund. Five years (and nearly 50.000 USD) later, multiple research programs have been made possible through this Fund. This presentation provides a quick overview of conservation efforts that have been subsidized by the Flying Sharks Research Fund, such as Ximena Velez Zuazo’s work with juvenile Hammerhead sharks in northern Peru, or the establishment of the IUCN’s Shark Specialist Group Worldwide Sawfish Strategy, or Ilena Zanella’s setup of “Misión Tiburón”, a conservation organization focusing on shark species in Costa Rica, or Valentina Di Santo’s PhD work on the effect of climate change in elasmobranch survival, or even Ismet Saygu’s Master’s thesis on elasmobranch commercial landings in Turkey, to name but a very few. This presentation, however, mostly focuses on husbandry related results from research projects funded by the Flying Sharks Research Fund, such as the collection at depth of Anthias anthias and how its ascension rate should not exceed increments in 35% of pressure reduction for maximum survivorship, amongst other interesting findings. Or multiple sealed bags simulated transports with the objective of optimizing transport conditions – while ensuring 100% survivorship – of Lipophrys pholis, Lepadogaster lepadogaster, Gobius paganellus and Diplodus sargus, which yielded optimal bioloads, for up to 48 hours, of 20, 40, 4 and 10 g/L, respectively. Or even a biological filtering media currently being devised, which is focused on tackling nitrogenous waste during short and long-term transports. These, amongst many others, are but a few examples of multiple research endeavors that have been awarded funds from the aquarium industry, which now benefit from some very significant results made possible from that research. |