Aquarist Intern, West Wing Special Exhibit (Winter 2020/2021)
Time commitment:
125 hours minimum
Summary:
Assist staff Aquarists with animal husbandry responsibilities of the New England Aquarium’s special sharks and rays touch tank exhibit, jellies exhibit, shorebirds exhibit, Blue Planet Action Center exhibits (shark nursery, reptiles and amphibians, and lobster nursery) as well as holding areas supporting these exhibits. Duties include maintaining aquarium systems, food preparation for the sharks and rays, feeding fish and jellies and possibly the opportunity, at the Aquarist’s discretion, to work with reptiles and amphibians, juvenile sharks, and shorebirds.
Duties/Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Daily care and maintenance of the gallery’s and holding area’s appearance
- Food preparation and feeding
- Observe fish, reptiles and amphibians, and invertebrates and report unusual behaviors
- Siphon tanks, clean filters, and maintain live food supplies including crickets, mealworms and algae
- Special projects as needed, which may include on-line research and offsite collecting for fish, jellies and other invertebrates
- Attend professional development sessions with the Volunteer Programs and Internships Office
Skills/Qualifications:
- Must have strong interest in Biology, Marine Science, or Animals
- Previous experience with animals preferred
- This position requires physical labor; Applicant must be able to lift 50 pounds
Organizational Description:
The New England Aquarium’s mission is to protect the blue planet through hands-on programs, live animal and interactive exhibits, public lectures and forums, and research and conservation projects.
This mission is fulfilled through exhibits and education, conservation, and research programs. Exhibits showcase the diversity, importance, and beauty of aquatic life and habitats and highlight critical aquatic conservation issues. Programs emphasize species, habitats and issues critical to New England. The Aquarium is also a pioneer in marine animal rescue and a leading ocean conservation organization with research scientists working around the globe.
The New England Aquarium serves as a responsive community resource that attracts and involves the broadest possible audience, seeks a culturally diverse staff and governing board that reflect our community, adheres to the highest standards of animal stewardship, and is committed to delivering the highest quality visitor experience in a welcoming and enjoyable manner that evokes wonder, curiosity, understanding, care, and action.
Department Description:
The West Wing staff support the New England Aquarium’s mission to protect the blue planet by creating and maintaining exhibits that encourage the public to care about the ocean and to become involved in conservation. Specifically, our Shark and Ray Touch Tank and our Shark Nursery exhibit establish a connection between visitors and these miss-understood and increasingly imperiled animals. In addition, in our Shorebird Exhibit we display birds that were injured in the wild and could not survive on their own, and we work to educate the public about bird conservation on local beaches.