Senior Aquarist

Company Description

Anglesey Sea Zoo Marine Conservation Centre is a unique aquarium on the bank of the Menai Strait exclusively showcasing only British marine species, with seawater sourced directly from the sea, and focussed on education, conservation, animal rescue and sustainability. We are renowned for our conservation efforts, including breeding programs for endangered native species like both species of British seahorse, lobsters and spiny lobsters, aiming to eventually restore wild populations.

We have been leaders in sustainability, organising beach cleans, litter surveys, and providing support to local community initiatives for over 19 years. We are working with local fishermen and other stakeholder groups and contributing towards seagrass restoration around our coasts. We also rescue, rehabilitate and release stranded or injured marine animals and most recently we have started rescuing cold‑stunned turtles washed up on our coasts for long‑term rehabilitation and release back into the wild.

Senior Aquarist

Anglesey Sea Zoo

Full time, Permanent (averaging 37.5 hours per week)

£27,300

The Senior Aquarist will be responsible for maintaining a high standard of animal husbandry and welfare, assisting the aquarium Curator in managing the aquarium team, helping to develop new and existing displays and visitor interactions, and ensuring aquarium admin and zoo licence compliance is kept up to date.

• Ensure day to day management of animal husbandry.
• Develop animal welfare and husbandry practice improvements alongside the Curator.
• Ensure correct monitoring, management and recording of exhibit water parameters and water quality.
• Help to maintain and repair exhibit life support systems, including regular maintenance checks, service and record keeping.
• Assist Curator in modifying existing life support systems and pipework, or installation of new systems.
• Monitor nutrition, preparation, feeds and food storage for animal stocks, including regular review and updating of feeding regimes alongside the Curator.
• Assist the Curator and veterinary consultants with veterinary examinations, procedures and record keeping.
• Assist in the design and creation of new exhibits, as well as updating existing displays.
• Assist the Curator in ensuring all aspects of zoo licensing are complied with and that all records are complete and in the specified formats.
• Assist in the captive breeding programs for Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus, including brood stock maintenance, fry collection and fry husbandry.
• Assist with and facilitate the rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation of cold‑stunned turtles and other injured or stranded animals through our on‑site rescue facility.
• Assist in the breed and release programme for European lobsters, including brood stock husbandry, larval collection and rearing, juvenile husbandry and juvenile release.
• Assist in local collection of live food, as well as new livestock animals.
• Assist in the safe transportation, health checking and quarantine process for collected and new livestock.
• Assist in updating and maintaining signage and interpretation around exhibit displays.

• Assist the Curator in the management of aquarium staff and volunteers in accordance with company procedures and policies, including recruitment, induction, training and development.
• Help to co‑ordinate volunteer and work‑experience programmes and internship/training programmes.

• Must be courteous, pleasant and approachable at all times when dealing with the public and confident with customer interaction as a senior member of staff.
• Deliver scheduled informative talks and feeding displays to the public, as well as tours and educational packages to school groups.
• Attend scheduled events and outreach programmes as a representative of the Anglesey Sea Zoo.
• Help to develop public talks, feeding displays, educational packages and other interactive events.
• Assist with coverage of the admissions desk, including cash handling and customer service representation.
• Assist with the creation of social media posts on…