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Aquarist I
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, CA, USA
USD 25-28.37 / hour
Posted on Oct 2, 2025
At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. We firmly believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices, working together, increases our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission. We welcome people from all backgrounds into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.
Priority deadline for applications is October 22, 2025. Due to the volume of incoming applications, the role may be closed earlier than October 22, 2025.
Job Summary:
Under moderate supervision, care for and maintain our living collection and live animal exhibits with responsibility for overall animal health and well-being, water quality of assigned exhibits and galleries, routine maintenance of exhibits and associated infrastructure, documentation and record-keeping, animal and plant acquisitions in the field, and population and community management. Work collaboratively with a team of husbandry professionals to manage a gallery of live exhibits and associated holding systems. Maintain the highest animal care and exhibit maintenance standards that continually meet or exceed all AZA accreditation standards. Perform other duties as required.
Core Activities:
- Perform daily animal husbandry duties including but not limited to diet preparation, feeding, and live exhibit maintenance.
- Conduct regular observations of animal health, behavior, and welfare to include disease detection and formal animal welfare assessments.
- Monitor and analyze water quality of exhibit, animal holding, and quarantine systems. Implement changes to husbandry protocols where necessary to maintain accepted water quality parameters.
- Document husbandry tasks, animal observations, animal health records, animal welfare assessments, and other pertinent animal transactions into the Tracks software database in accordance with departmental standards.
- Perform exhibit maintenance SCUBA dives.
- Perform collections of plants and animals in the field via tidepool collections, plankton tows, SCUBA diving, and/or boat operations.
- Manage plant and animal communities within assigned live exhibits, making routine stocking decisions with general curatorial supervision.
- Perform routine inspection and maintenance on critical water and mechanical systems and equipment, including but not limited to, fractionators, mechanical filters, UV sterilizers, small pumps, recirculation loops, and exhibit lighting systems.
- Assist in the design, development, and construction of exhibits, holding aquariums, and life support systems.
- Oversee the work of husbandry volunteers, interns, and more junior husbandry staff members.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs):
- Bachelor's Degree in Biology or related field or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- A minimum of 1 year of animal husbandry experience.
- Ability to work with aquarium chemotherapeutics and other chemicals.
- Ability to perform precise chemical measurements and dosing while adhering to all safety protocols.
- Knowledge of the basic taxonomy of marine fish, invertebrates, and plants.
- Demonstrated understanding of basic animal food preparation, nutrition, and feeding techniques.
- Demonstrated understanding of water quality chemistry as it pertains to aquarium systems (including the nitrogen cycle, pH, dissolved gases, temperature, etc.).
- Understanding of the operation of aquarium life support systems and various mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration components.
- Basic understanding of fish and invertebrate disease, parasites, and animal health management and welfare.
- SCUBA certification highly desirable; ability to pass an occupational dive physical highly desirable.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
- Proficiency or the ability to quickly learn the Tracks animal database systems.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and desire to work in a productive team environment.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
- Aptitude for analytical and problem-solving.
- Aptitude for using basic hand and power tools.
- Ability to work within, and maintain Monterey Bay Aquarium's Core Values.
Physical Requirements to Perform Essential Job Functions:
- Typical office equipment, basic hand and power tools, MBA vehicles, small boats
- Extended periods of standing, walking, climbing, bending, and squatting
- Occasional unassisted lifting up to 50 lbs.
- Typical office, main aquarium, aquarium exhibits, animal care spaces, outdoor field work (boats on open ocean, coastal habitats, tidepools, etc.).
Hourly Compensation Range:
$25.00- $28.37 USD per hour. Starting rate will vary based on previous experience and relevant skills/knowledge set.