Meet the Team: Aquarium

With the addition of Sobela Ocean Aquarium, two highly qualified teams have been instrumental in ensuring the 650,000-gallon facility runs smoothly and successfully. The Aquarium is home to about 8,000 new animals, each species requiring its own specialized care.

For the aquarium care team, duties range from diet preparation to diving in order to clean the habitats. One of the biggest sections requiring care is the Pacific Reef, a 365,000-gallon habitat that features incredible species like the sand tiger shark, moray eel, and Maori wrasse.

While daily tasks can vary, the to-do list for the aquarium team is an extensive one and includes:

• Cleaning & maintaining habitats (scrubbing algae, cleaning the sand/substrate at the bottom, removing uneaten food, changing filters, water changes)

• Monitoring water chemistry parameters to ensure they are suitable for the animals

• Diet preparation & feeding

• Observations of animals and monitoring the dynamics between individuals in the habitats

• Creating and offering novel enrichment items

• Plumbing new habitats or making alterations to existing systems to improve the welfare of the animals and staff.

The life support team is an essential aspect of the care we provide the aquatic residents. From ensuring that the water quality meets strict AZA and USDA standards to maintaining specialized equipment, these individuals help establish a clean and healthy living environment for everything from the polar bears to sea otters, and from the giant Pacific octopus to sharks and jellies. Just inside the Aquarium, there are more than five miles of pipes in the state-of-the-art life support system.

“Our teams have come from all parts of the U.S." said Stuart Clausen, Aquarium curator. “They've brought with them a wealth of experience. They have also brought a contagious energy that has carried them through many late nights and early mornings spent building the Aquarium and caring for our new animals. The Zoo is immensely proud of the amazing contributions they have made to our institution. We couldn't have done it without them!”

The KCZoo is so appreciative of these incredible teams, and we can’t wait for you to meet them!