Aquarists at work - A Fascination for Fish: Adventures of an Underwater Pioneer - page 211

BEHIND THE SCENES
By February 1984 construction of the building had progressed to the
point where non-construction workers like us were finally permitted
access. Now we could start setting tanks in place and connecting them
to the water systems. In preparation for this day we had added sta¤ to
the husbandry department. Most were brought on in the position of
all-around-aquarist, although some were specialists.
Roger Phillips, who had a degree in phycology (the study of ma-
rine algae), was responsible for our centerpiece exhibit, the Kelp For-
est. When preparing his aquarium business cards, the printer assumed
Roger had misspelled his title, so he “fixed” it: “Sta¤ Phycologist” be-
came “Sta¤ Psychologist.” Just in case Roger ever decides to change
his profession and give us all psychotherapy, he has his business cards
ready.
Bruce Upton and Randy Hamilton were hired for their experience
with the culture of oysters and abalone. Pat Quinn came from the SPCA
Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center; she had primary responsibility for
the sea otters and the shorebirds. Julie Hymer's past experience with
mammals at a zoo prepared her well for her work with sea otters. Freya
Sommer, coming to us from Hopkins Marine Station right next door,
was highly recommended for her knowledge of local marine inverte-
brates. And finally, Neil Allen joined us to be the assistant to our col-
lector, Bob Kiwala.
Outsiders often wonder what exactly aquarists do. Feed the fish? Well,
yes, but there's a whole lot more. The number one requirement of a
good aquarist is to have a fascination with nature and, in particular, a
love of animals and a feeling for what they need. This means, simply,
that an aquarist must have an indefinable ability to “read” an animal
and to tell just by looking how it's doing.
Beyond that, it is the responsibility of an aquarist to set up and main-
tain interesting, healthy exhibits that provide accurate glimpses into
the lives and environments of aquatic creatures. This simple-sounding
goal involves a wide variety of essential tasks.
First, the creatures in an exhibit, whether they're mammals, birds,
fishes, invertebrates, or plants, need to be obtained—either by being