Aquarium divers feed and care for aquatic animals, clean tanks, and maintain plant life. They need SCUBA and CPR certification, physical fitness, and often a degree in zoology, marine biology, or chemistry. They may also supervise guest divers.
An aquarium diver usually performs a variety of tasks such as feeding and inspecting the aquatic animals, as well as cleaning and maintaining the aquarium tank and plant life. Not only does an aquarium diver need to be certified in self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) and often cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but they also need to be physically fit to handle the exertion required for this job. Aquariums often require, in addition to SCUBA and CPR certification, a degree in zoology, marine biology, chemistry, or a related field. Some aquarium divers may also supervise guest divers who pay the aquarium to dive the tanks and help maintain the aquariums and animals.
Caring for animals is the main job of an aquarium diver. This part of the job consists of preparing food by thawing, gutting and cutting meals into appropriate sizes for marine animals. The diver enters the tank with food in a bucket or box and manually feeds the fish or distributes the food around the tank.
During feeding, the aquarium diver will also observe the behavior of the animals to see if the marine life is feeding well or if it looks sick or injured. Animals that look or act poorly will be captured, brought to the veterinarian’s attention or observed and the behavior recorded. Occasionally, the diver performs surveys to catalog the number of animals in each tank.
The aquarium diver’s other job is to maintain the tank. This involves cleaning the algae off the tank walls using a brush or scraper. Divers will also check and clean the filtration system to ensure they are well maintained. During a dive, plants in the aquarium will also be searched. Any dead or dying plant life will be removed so it doesn’t foul the tank.
Each of these tasks needs to be done correctly or the lives of marine animals and plants could be at risk. As a result, many aquariums require their divers to have, in addition to SCUBA certification, a degree in marine biology, zoology or chemistry. A degree in these areas will ensure that the diver is able to handle and maintain the animals, plants and water in the aquarium.
Many aquariums have guest diver programs that help bring in additional funds for the facility. Aquarium divers are also often required to oversee the safety and training of guest divers. When this is part of a diver’s job, they may also be required to receive CPR training in an emergency.
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