My next chapter of the internship brings me to the National Aquarium, hosted by Holly Bourbon, the aquarium’s senior director and dive safety officer. This week, I have the privilege of shadowing her and delving into the behind-the-scenes operations of running the institution. From caring for sick animals to conducting news interviews, Holly’s wide range of responsibilities, combined with her passion and expertise, never ceased to impress me. On my first day, she gave me a tour of the diverse exhibits from the Indo-Pacific Reef to the Tropical Rainforest, and explained how their mission is to increase the public’s understanding of the natural world while also advocating for sustainable change.
Jackie Cooper, the senior aquarist, assisted me in donning my scuba gear as we prepared to dive in the Blacktip Reef exhibit to feed and monitor the health of its inhabitants. Notable species on display include reticulated whiptail rays, humphead wrasse, zebra sharks, and the charismatic green sea turtle named Calypso – the aquarium’s cherished rescue turtle that lost her front flipper in a boat strike. I also helped target-feed the sharks by tossing squid, capelin, and mackerel toward a colored buoy in the water, where they have been trained to congregate for meals.
Later in the week, I joined Holly in the Atlantic Coral Reef (ACR) exhibit – a 335,000-gallon tank – to assist in transferring several hundred fish into the newly remodeled exhibit. A team of staff efficiently moved fish from quarantine bins into acclimation tubs, where they were gradually exposed to the exhibit’s salinity and temperature through a drip line. Following this, we conducted “freshwater dips” by swiftly immersing the fish in freshwater to eliminate any potential bacteria or parasites. After assessing oxygen and stress levels, each fish was gently placed into opaque jars, which were handed to me as I floated on the surface of the massive tank in my scuba gear. We then carefully descended before releasing the fish into their new home!
