Aquarium Science

• Assess the physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring in the aquatic environment.
• Create and maintain suitable aquatic habitats.
• Properly use associated tools and equipment.
• Identify employment venues and information resources.
• Recognize major groupings of fishes and invertebrate species found in the aquarium industry and use appropriate criteria for their selection to aquarium systems.

• Prepare food for the animal collection and clean animal collection areas to industry standards.
• Assist with opening and closing procedures at the aquatic facility.
• Culture, harvest, and distribute live food organisms to the animal collection.
• Interpret exhibits and aquatic animal work areas to facility patrons in a positive and informative manner.
• Identify fishes and invertebrate behaviors.
• Design and implement a fish transport strategy.

• Apply aquatic animal husbandry skills with captive aquatic animals.
• Assess operational issues in order to improve animal care.
• Diagram the flow of water from its source to its discharge location.
• Organize and communicate system and animal observations in a clear, concise manner.

• Discuss the benefits that a zoological facility presents to the local community and to society.
• Understand and discuss the role of revenue streams and expenditures within a zoological institution.
• Identify how global or regional conditions outside of a zoological organization impact its operations.
• Understand the role of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and similar organizations in promoting the viability of zoological facilities.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Express orally or in writing, the basic elements of water chemistry in aquatic systems and the ideal ranges for WQ parameters in different types of aquatic systems.
• Have working knowledge of how WQ parameters outside recommended ranges affect the health of the system and the animals living in it and be able to express it orally, graphically, and in writing.
• Interpret water chemistry parameters and be able to develop a plan to safely manipulate and proactively manage these values in order to maintain system and animal health.
• Understand how WQ impacts natural aquatic ecosystems.
• Prepare students to take the AALSO Water Quality Technician Level 1 test.

• Demonstrate a knowledge of AAUS scientific diving standards.
• Work as an authorized scientific diving tender.
• Act as an emergency first responder in rescue scenarios.
• Independently create dive plans.
• Demonstrate adequate waterman-ship skills while working as a tender for aquatic operations.

Working under the guidance of a mentor, students would demonstrate:

• How to interpret water chemistry tests results and formulate a response plan for proactive water quality management on one or more systems.
• An understanding of the importance of proper and consistent documentation in the health of aquatic animals and life support systems.
• Identify normal and abnormal fish and invertebrate behaviors to better understand and address emerging health issues.
• How to troubleshoot and optimize life support components on assigned systems.
• Enhanced daily husbandry duties to promote optimal system and aquatic animal health.
• How to describe theories and principles of routine husbandry verbally and in writing. 
• How to develop a dietary regimen for specific species designed for optimal animal health.

Working under the guidance of a mentor, students would demonstrate:

• Enhanced interpretation of water chemistry tests results and the implantation of a response plan for proactive water quality management on one or more systems.
• A consistently practiced understanding of the importance of proper documentation in the health of aquatic animals and life support systems and how this information enhances a team approach to animal health.
• How changes in animal behavior, appetite, coloration and responses to stimuli often indicate an underlying health problem and formulate an informed hypothesis regarding the nature of the problem.
• An advanced understanding of aquatic life support components and functions, including how to properly disassemble, inspect and perform maintenance and replacement of worn parts.
• Enhanced daily, weekly, monthly and semi-annual husbandry duties to promote optimal system and aquatic animal health.
• How to describe theories and principles of advanced husbandry verbally and in writing.
• How to develop a dietary regimen for larger and more challenging species designed to promote optimal animal health, including weighing animals and charting how changes in diet affect weight, activity levels and other metrics.

• Identify basic external and internal anatomical features of fishes.
• Identify fish species using a dichotomous key.
• Recognize the immense diversity and variation among living fishes.
• Describe the effects of key factors in the captive controlled environment on respiration, metabolism, immune response, food assimilation, growth, reproduction, and behavior.
• Understand the influence of stress on fish physiology, health, and behavior.
• Describe osmoregulatory processes of marine and freshwater fishes.
• Develop and conduct a study of captive fish behavior.

• Identify commonly kept species of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays).
• Identify proper nutrition, commonly encountered health conditions, and common behavior associated with elasmobranchs in captive environments.
• Discuss factors necessary for the safe handling, immobilization and transport of elasmobranchs.
• Discuss factors influencing the long-term success in keeping elasmobranchs in controlled captive environments.

• Recognize and identify internal and external features of commonly kept and cultured aquatic invertebrates.
• Discuss the important physiologic characteristics of aquatic invertebrates including reproduction, locomotion, and osmoregulation.
• Describe the natural life history of commonly kept and cultured aquatic invertebrates.
• Identify the husbandry requirements for selected aquatic invertebrates.5.Design a culture system suitable for selected aquatic invertebrates.

• Understand the basic husbandry requirements of diverse captive species with specialized needs.
• Discuss the broad taxonomic groups represented in public aquarium collections.
• Identify high risk stages in the life history of selected species.
• Determine and describe a suitable habitat for selected species.
• Prescribe appropriate husbandry protocol for selected species.
• Relate legislative and husbandry issues to the care of diverse captive species.

• Identify common reproductive strategies of selected fishes and invertebrates.
• Construct an environmental protocol to induce gamete maturation in commonly cultured fishes and invertebrates.
• Apply rearing techniques for the care of offspring of commonly cultured fishes and invertebrates.
• Formulate a suitable dietary and feeding program for aquatic animals.

• Identify water quality parameters impacted by life-support systems and relate the use of associated equipment to evaluate aquatic environments.
• Identify the functions and the relationships of life support system components in maintaining a balanced aquatic system.
• Size and select appropriate life support system components and equipment for an aquatic system.
• Troubleshoot and remedy faulty life support system components.
• Diagram the flow of water from its source to its discharge location.
• Design and build an aquatic life support system.

• Explain the role of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee or similar entity that is responsible for monitoring the quality of animal care at a research facility.
• Distinguish between animal rights and animal welfare perspectives.
• Develop a Standard Operating Procedure for the transport, acclimation, quarantine, feeding and husbandry of a healthy population of fish for research purposes.
• Discuss the responsibilities of the aquarist or animal husbandry technician as it relates to fish husbandry and welfare.
• Implement measures to reduce workplace hazards.

• Serve as a contributing member of an exhibit planning team, supporting the process of creating an exhibit and the roles of others on the team.
• Apply the principles of interpretation to the programs that husbandry staff are frequently asked to perform.
• Identify criteria, considerations and components for the design and implementation of aquarium tanks, lighting, interior tank habitats, and live animal collections.
• Write effective interpretive material for exhibits, newsletters, and brochures.
• Describe what makes an effective exhibit, and evaluate exhibits and interpretation using industry standard criteria.
• Apply industry related information resources to the design and development of aquarium exhibits and interpretation.

• Identify the common signs of disease in fish and invertebrates.
• Describe the common infectious and noninfectious diseases associated with captive aquarium fish.
• Demonstrate proper use and maintenance of laboratory instrumentation.
• Demonstrate proper necropsy and sample collection techniques.
• Formulate a health management and biosecurity plan based upon the results of diagnostic testing, water quality measurements and professional consultation.
• Perform common treatment methodologies.

• Apply aquatic animal husbandry skills with aquatic systems and captive aquatic animals.
• Evaluate and participate in the delivery of aquatic animal nutrition, sanitation and biosecurity programs at an aquatic animal care facility.
• Enter data and extract information within record keeping and databases used by the industry.
• Discuss historic and current animal health management of captive aquatic animals within an aquatic animal care facility.
• Evaluate and participate in the delivery of water quality management program within an aquatic animal care facility.
• Identify components, configuration and operational requirements of life support systems within an aquatic animal care facility.
• Identify and discuss aquarium exhibits in regard to their design, thematic delivery and operational requirements at an aquatic animal care facility.