Aquarium Curators
Megan O'Hearn
Career Information
- An aquarium curator manages and maintains the aquatic exhibits at aquariums.
- Aquarium curators typically work long hours and weekends because they handle all aspects related to the facility, fish, and displays. This can be a stressful environment because there are often deadlines and a push to keep the facility perfect for the public.
- These members of an aquarium staff may spend part of their day in the water, working with the displays and the fish directly, and they may spend part of their day in their office, performing research or meeting with other members of the aquarium staff. Curators are in a managerial role, but they also get their hands dirty alongside their staff.
- It requires a bachelor degree but most aquarium curators often have a master's degree or higher. It is preferred that the degree be in biology or a related science, but any coursework or background within this type of science, or with fish directly, can be quite helpful.
- Salary ranges from $28,000-$86,000 depending on the type and size of the aquarium and current job prospects in this field are fair. They may work toward a position with greater responsibility, such as a director position, though many curators wish to stay in this role throughout their career.
Aquarium curators at work
Career info cont.
Pros:
- expect to receive medical coverage and paid vacation, sick days, and holidays, as well as some sort of a retirement account
- get to spend your day working with sea animals
- long hours
- stressful
- would not be able to have functioning aquariums without them
- to have clean and healthy exhibits for the sea life
- to have beautiful displays set up for the public
Conference room in an aquarium
Aquarium
Aquarium curator testing a turtle
Equipment used
Scuba suit
Used to set up or clean aquariums.
Net
Used when adding or removing sea life from the aquariums.
Computer
Used when doing office work.