Friday, July 10, 2009

#48: Dive Buddies - John H. Dives to the Wreck of the Andrea Doria

For me SCUBA diving is not just a job, but a way of life. So what am I doing when I'm not SCUBA diving in the Giant Ocean Tank? Diving out in the ocean of course! Over the past six years I've been training for one single experience - to dive on what's been called the "Mount Everest of SCUBA diving" - the wreck of the Italian cruise liner, Andrea Doria.

(Artist rendering of the current state of the Andrea Doria.)

Located deep in the cold waters of the Atlantic, 160 miles northeast of Long Island, the Andrea Doria is both a beautiful lady and a daunting challenge. A challenge I met on an expedition aboard the RV Garloo this past week.


(My dive buddy Micheal, a dive volunteer for NEAq, and I with enough gear for only two dives.)

(RV Garloo)

Armed with 200 lbs. of gear, five tanks filled with four different mixes of breathing gases (including a helium mix that makes me sound like Donald Duck), a lot of preparation, and a little bit of courage, I dropped off the side of the Garloo and down to 250' for a pair of visits to a piece of history.


(My game face.)

(This type of diving takes a lot of gear and putting it all on is a slow process.)

(It also takes a lot of help.)

(All that gear is heavy and cumbersome above water, but is actually pretty comfortable underwater.)

(And I'm away!)

(Doria, here I come...)

During the lengthy decompression process on the way back up to the surface, I reflected on how I had become one of only a handful of people to ever see this magnificent ship in her final resting place deep in the murky gloom, 250' below the relentless swells of the Atlantic.


(Getting out of the water is one of the hardest things.)

Still holding her 700' of luxury within her hull - mainly - she's a ship beyond normal comprehension, and she garners a humbling respect through her awesome presence. My trip was a homage to the majesty of such a vessel and a memorial to all the souls lost in one fateful day, and on subsequent ill-fated trips designed to uncover her secrets ...




Safe diving.


- John

subscribe


Labels: , , , , ,

posted by John at 10:00 AM 1 Comments



Thursday, June 18, 2009

#46: Dive Buddies - Linda

Hi!
My name is Linda. I am a senior at Northeastern University and just finished up a spring diving internship for the Giant Ocean Tank after nearly two years of volunteering and co-oping for the New England Aquarium in the Penguin and Dive departments. I fell in love with marine biology as a kid and became determined to one day get involved in aquarium husbandry.



As an intern I've been able to do some incredible things: helping with freshwater stingray dips, transporting new fish from collecting trips to their galleries, building a new feeding bucket for our Kemps ridley sea turtle Scute, and best of all getting to feed fish and the stingrays on the 2:30 dive.



Naturally an internship involves a great amount of work along with the fun, it takes a lot of cleaning to keep everything running both in the tank and behind the scenes. If I'm not on the platform feeding Myrtle or the surface fish you'll find me in the kitchen cleaning our food prep stations or in the dive room helping with the upkeep of our changing area. Many different galleries use the dive food room and gear area for work in their own exhibits so cleaning is an ongoing project, perfect for interns with a passion for sparkling counters!



Now that my session has come to a close and the dive department begins to train the summer interns, I'm taking a short hiatus from the New England Aquarium to intern at the Two Oceans Aquarium of Cape Town, South Africa. During the months of July and August (their winter!) I will be working in one of only two aquariums in the world to have a live kelp forest exhibit, as well as many other fascinating exhibits including a colony of African penguins (native to South Africa and Namibia) and both an Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean exhibit displaying the diversity of marine life to be found on the coasts of this beautiful country.


African Penguin

South Africa is bordered by two distinct currents, the Agulhas on the east and the Benguela on the West, both transporting vast amounts of vital nutrients to a wide array of sea life along the African Coast. These names may sound familiar to you seeing as we have two African penguins at the Aquarium named after these currents. I look forward to visiting many places our colony is named after, such as the cape of Goodhope, Boulders Beach, Dassen and Robben islands and Saldanha bay!



In addition to my internship in the aquarium, I also hope to complete a personal dive in the area to experience first hand an infamous local: the white shark, a fish that has attained a rather unfair reputation around the world and actually plays an irreplaceable role in the food chain.



I anticipate many adventures to come from this trip and am so grateful to the staff of both the New England Aquarium and the Two Oceans aquarium for helping me make this final co-op of my undergraduate career a reality.

-Linda

subscribe



Labels: , , , , ,

posted by NEAQ at 3:50 PM 1 Comments



Tuesday, June 9, 2009

#45: Dive Buddies - Meet Enrique

Hello everyone, my name is Enrique Mauser, I am from Mexico City and a student at Northeastern University where I major in environmental science with a concentration in wildlife studies and a minor in biology. Currently I am in the midst of finishing my first Co-op semester here at the New England Aquarium which I am not looking forward to at all. As my last few weeks of working as a diver in the Giant Ocean Tank (GOT) rapidly approach, I look back and realize a few things.





Having the opportunity to work in the field that I am passionate about is great. This is a dream job for me, and it should be for everyone. I mean come on! I get to hand feed 8-foot-long sharks, 550-lb. turtles, stingrays so big that I could use as bed sheets, and eels with razor sharp teeth, among another 600 fish or so.








The people I work with are a huge plus in my experience here since they are not only my co-workers but also my friends. There are all sorts of personalities here at the Aquarium which makes for a great working environment since it never gets boring.












I also got to share my experience here with my family who came up from both Mexico and Argentina. My mom, being scuba certified, was able to come into the G.O.T with me which was awesome because going in there is so unique, it was nice sharing that with her.







I have learned so much about what interests me here at the Aquarium and I wouldn't have wanted to do anything else with my co-op time. Class is a great way to learn new things but there is nothing like having hands on experience to really get a feel for what life after college will be like. I will miss working around such great people and all the animals that reside in the GOT, but this is not the end of my New England Aquarium days.



-Enrique

subscribe



Labels: , , , ,

posted by NEAQ at 3:00 PM 1 Comments



Thursday, May 7, 2009

#43: Dive Buddies - Meet Andrea



Hi!
My name is Andrea
As you may have read in the last blog post, Chris B. is taking the next 5 months off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, which will lead him from California up through Oregon and Washington. During his absence I will be joining the Giant Ocean Tank dive team.

I was first introduced to the New England Aquarium as an Aquarium Guide Volunteer in 2003, where I have had the opportunity to talk thousands of visitors about all the amazing animals that call the aquarium their home. And in 2005 I got my first job at the Aquarium as a Program Educator. As a Program Educator I would to travel to schools with small tide pool animals. It was a lot of fun teaching the kids about these animals, and knowing that this day at school would probably standout in their memories for years to come.


In 2007 I became a Penguin biologist here at the New England Aquarium. Even though it is not the most glamorous job (most of the day you are scrubbing guano, or penguin poop), it is an amazing job where I get to work with more than 80 penguins who each have their own unique personalities, so every day is different and rewarding. I also have raised over 10 penguin chicks. Before working with the penguins I was a penguin colony volunteer for 3 years. (Check out this video of me on AquaKids talking about the penguins!)


This is not my first time in the GOT. As a penguin biologist I was cross trained in all the GOT feeding dives, so I already have over 30 GOT dives under my belt, including a fun dive during the aquarium's Halloween event Fish, Fun, and Fright. I incorporated my tank and BC (buoyancy compensator) as my "proton pack" and dressed up as a Ghostbuster. But I am very excited to get many many more dives under my belt and learn as much as I can about the over 600 individuals that call the GOT their home.



While I will miss my feathered friends in the penguin exhibit I am very excited for this great opportunity to help take care of the New England Aquarium's largest and very popular exhibit. The next time you are at the New England Aquarium stop by the top of the GOT and say hello.



- Andrea

subscribe




Labels: , , , , , ,

posted by Andrea at 12:00 PM 2 Comments



Monday, April 27, 2009

#42: Dive Buddies - Meet Chris B

Being a Giant Ocean Tank (G.O.T.) diver, as you can imagine, is a dream job. Diving in the tank, however, is only part of what I do here at the Aquarium. First off, I got my start back in 2005 as a penguin volunteer, so I still visit them from time to time, and help out with daily tray tasks and feedings. It takes effort to remember who's who, as the colony is constantly growing, but it's very fun and rewarding.





















I received in-house dry suit dive training back in 2007, so that I could partake in outside collecting and off-site collection trips. I had a wonderful time this past Fall, during our Eastport collection trip, where we gathered specimens for the tanks of the coldwater marine gallery, one of which is where our giant pacific octopus resides.






While not underwater in Maine, I am the supervisor of 23 volunteers and interns of the G.O.T., most of which dive in the tank. It's a very fun part of my job, for we have a nice wide variety of personalities, ages and nationalities. The majority of them are in only one day per week, so every day is different!

Other minor things that I take care of include departmental purchasing (everything from shark vitamins to tile & grout brushes for scrubbing the reef), management of our walk-in freezer (storage for thousands of pounds of frozen seafood) and maintenance of the G.O.T. anodes (which prevent the tank frames from eroding).



Link
We divers, and the sharks and turtles that we take care of, are very popular with the media. I have been on TV more this past 3 years than any period previously in my lifetime, and even made it in the Sunday Boston Globe. This is me with "Chronicle" host Anthony Everett, who is feeding Myrtle the turtle after interviewing me for their Odd Jobs piece.








If you've been following our blog, you know that we like our holidays here at the Aquarium. October brings my favorite event of the year - Fish, Fun, and Fright! I rally as many divers as I can, including volunteers, interns, co-ops and other staff, and partake in the fun myself. In 2006 I dressed as a sushi chef and chased the fish around with my fake wooden knife. I think I may have scared some kids. Last year I dressed as an astronaut (here's the video).







Previous to my employment with the Aquarium, I was a fisheries biologist in Alaska, helping the National Marine Fisheries Service in regulating our fishing industry. It was a tough job, but the experience was life-changing. I spent many months out on the Bering Sea, ultimately leaving this job and ending up in Boston because I met a girl--my wife Emily.






One of my passions is long distance running, and have started and finished the last 5 Boston Marathons, as well as NYC, Seattle, Arizona, Maine, Outer Banks, Chicago and Philadelphia. I hope to progress to ultra marathons and/or triathlons in the near future.
























Hiking is also a passion of mine. In fact, so much so, that I am taking the next 5 months off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail with Emily. 2,655 miles through California, Oregon, and Washington. This will be my last post for awhile. If you want to follow our progress, you can access our personal blog via my profile page.


















Happy Trails!

- Chris

subscribe


Labels: , , , , , , ,

posted by Chris at 9:00 AM 0 Comments



Wednesday, April 22, 2009

#41: Dive Buddies - Jim and Brooks Check Out the Giant Ocean Tank

New England Aquarium Overseer Jim Andrew was a guest diver in the Giant Ocean Tank (GOT) on April 11. On that same day, his son Brooks celebrated his 8th birthday at the Aquarium with a special behind-the-scenes tour for his friends and two brothers. Enjoy their post.


Jim and Brooks

Brooks - First of all it was really fun! I got to see my dad go SCUBA diving with the big sharks and eels. It was really exciting to see the sharks collide, and then they swam right past my dad's head when he wasn't looking!

Jim - Let me start by saying that the dive far surpassed the most optimistic expectations I could imagine. Here is how it went down for me.

Frankly I was a little apprehensive about diving in the GOT. It had been almost 10 years since my last SCUBA dive and the idea of jumping into a tank full of BIG animals, with teeth no less, caused some anxiety. Thanks to help from Dan and the other Aquarium staff and volunteer divers the reality could not have been more different, or the overall effect more powerful.



Brooks - All my friends loved the behind the scenes tour with Jessica (above). We got to see a 21 pound lobster and an octopus that was so strong they covered it with a 50-pound cage so it wouldn't escape and eat all the fish. I didn't know there were venomous fish in the world but I was glad they were in a tank backstage and not in the big tank with my dad.

Jim - The first surprise was how much space there was in the tank. The big central reef is honeycombed with passages and open spaces where the fish (and I) could hide. The next big surprise was finding that the big fish were docile and the smallest fish, especially the nesting trigger fish were aggressive if I got in their way.



The animals were very approachable. In particular the big moray eels seemed to enjoy being petted (above). They felt impossibly soft and smooth. Myrtle the giant green sea turtle especially liked having her shell rubbed with sand from the bottom of the tank. The smaller turtles shied away.

That bottom sand held another surprise. It is full of shark teeth that these magnificent animals shed frequently. Dan helped me find 3 teeth that I slipped into my wet suit for my 3 boys.



Brooks - After dad's dive my friends and I went to the top of the tank, I got out on the platform over the open water of the giant tank and fed Myrtle some fish. She was really big but very gentle and friendly. My dad met me on the platform to watch me feed her (above). Then he reached into the wrist of his dive suit and took out a shark's tooth just for me. This was the best birthday ever. All my friends agreed.



Jim - There was something very powerful about being in such close proximity to these large, magnificent animals. All I can say is the experience made me even more convinced about the mission of the New England Aquarium, to preserve the oceans for these incredible creatures and for us.

-Jim and Brooks

subscribe



Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by NEAQ at 4:55 PM 0 Comments



Friday, January 23, 2009

#29: Dive Buddies - Volunteer Mike A.

I came to the New England Aquarium about five years ago to dive in the Giant Ocean Tank (GOT) after having won the dive at a high school fund raiser. I loved the dive, asked to volunteer and was accepted. That five years has became a lot more than just the over 600 hundred dives I have completed in the GOT.

I was born in Chicago more years ago than I like to remember and grew up in the suburbs. I did undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin in philosophy, attended graduate school in European history at University of Michigan and New York University.

I spent over a year in central Italy working on research for my dissertation. Upon my return to NYU, I was very active in the antiwar movement and worked for the graduate school government as its press secretary. Later I worked as a lobbyist in Albany, N.Y for the Student Association of SUNY.


Following the year with the Student Association, I taught various European history courses at several colleges in New Jersey as well as at one of the state prisons.

When my first daughter, Liz, arrived I became increasingly unhappy with academia and the low pay I was earning. I took my savings and started speculating in commodities, mostly gold futures contracts. I was lucky and made enough to leave academia behind forever and basically do what I'd dreamed about: learning to fly.

I received my private pilot's license in 1978 at the airport in Princeton, N.J, and it was a dream come true. After moving to Boston I completed instrument training at Norwood Airport. I had bought a Cessna 172 and spent a great deal time flying through all kinds of weather all over the eastern U.S. During this time through an acquaintance, I became involved in investing in drilling oil and gas wells in the western U.S and have been doing this continuously since.

Although I left academia I couldn't stop writing and spent years taking poetry workshops around the Boston area. I also had a second daughter, Camille. I begin to enjoy reinventing myself and trying new things. I took up swimming pretty seriously as well as kayaking and rollerblading -both of which I continue to do.

I also joined AirLifeLine, a non-profit organization that flew needy patients all over the country for medical treatment. For thirteen years I served as one of their volunteer pilots and eventually became director of operations in New England. In the late eighties, mostly because of all the swimming I'd done, I decided to go deeper and learned to dive at Mass Diving in Natick. Since then I've added to my skills working up to Divemaster two summers ago. The diving led indirectly to my joining with the Aquarium as a volunteer.

Even though I was busy with all the above activities I found time for one more reinvention: music. I'd never learned an instrument and decided it was time. I started lessons on the blues harmonica about two years ago determined to get into a band, which I succeeded in doing last fall. I'm still getting used to all the demands a band makes on a performer but am enjoying it nevertheless.

Back to Aquarium life. Dive volunteers are responsible not only for preparing all the food which is consumed by the animals but also for helping maintain the cleanliness of the GOT. Vacuuming the detritus that accumulates on the bottom of the tank is an important task, and I take great pride in doing a good job. Here are some photos of my work:


Here, the sand separator I'm holding is attached to a hose that runs all the way to the top of the tank, where it is connected to our overflow skimmers. The siphon is a simple gravity-fed operation, where water and debris run to a sump in the mechanics' shop directly below the GOT.



Being a volunteer is a great physical and organizational challenge. The dive team works daily on a tight schedule punctuated with frequent special projects. Helping with this work brings together many of the skills I've aquired over the years for the benefit of an organization which is of great benefit to the Boston area. Perhaps one of the best aspects of my affiliation with the Aquarium are the interesting people I've met and all I've learned. I deeply appreciate the respect I feel I've received from the Aquarium staff who are very sensitive to the contributions volunteers make and the value we bring to the institution.

In short, I can't think of a better place to volunteer for anyone who appreciates the importance of the sea and the educational value the New England Aquarium's GOT imparts to local residents and visitors - many of whom may never have the opportunity to visit a tropical reef environment like the one the GOT simulates right here in Boston.

-Mike A.

subscribe



Labels: , ,

posted by Dive Buddy at 1:07 PM 2 Comments



Monday, November 10, 2008

#18: Dive Buddies - Co-op Student

My name is Stephany and I am the Northeastern University co-op student for the New England Aquarium dive team. Every 6 months the Aquarium takes on college student from Northeastern as a full time staff member to help manage and care for the Giant Ocean Tank (GOT). This is such a unique and exciting experience and I am so fortunate to have been chosen for these past 6 months. I work for school credit and it's a nice break from school for a while, not to mention that I get to dive in the GOT everyday! I also understand what a great help I am to the staff and that is very fulfilling.


Me with my gear

It's so much fun to be able to feed the top predators in the GOT, including green morays, sand tiger sharks, and our ferocious nurse shark Bimini. (Just kidding, she's actually a big baby that sometimes sits on your lap so you wont forget to feed her).


Bimini the nurse shark



Feeding Galilee, one of the sand tiger sharks



Feeding a cownose ray


Not only did I get to partake in management of the GOT, but also in the healthcare of some of our turtles. I was able to help out and observe our annual turtle exams and help bring our smallest turtle, Scute, who is a Kemp's ridley, to Tufts Veterinary Hospital.



A picture from Scute's medical exam


It's also an amazing job because I get to meet a myriad of people from different cultures which means a lot to me. I was born in Venezuela and am fluent in both Spanish and English. I also learned Portuguese several years ago, allowing me to socialize and teach a larger, more diverse group of people which is a great experience. I enjoy teaching people about the 600+ fish and the 130+ different species in the GOT - it is incredibly rewarding. My language also allows me to help out at the Aquarium. For instance, I helped translate for a new media tour that will be put in place soon at the Aquarium. You can download the tour onto your iPod or other mobile device and get the inside story on the Aquarium's exhibits. You can check it out on this NEAq Insider page.



Feeding Myrtle the green sea turtle

My experience has been unforgettable and has helped me learn so much about myself and what I want to do in the future. It also has taught me how to lead a blue lifestyle and that "It's easy to make a difference for the oceans by making small changes in your daily life", in Spanish, "Es fácil mejorar los océanos al hacer pequeños cambios en nuestra vida diaria.", or in Portuguese, "É fácil melhorar os oceanos fazendo pequenas alterações em sua vida diaria".

-Stephany


subscribe

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by Dive Buddy at 10:20 AM 0 Comments



Friday, October 10, 2008

#13: Dive Buddies - A Day in the Life of A Dive Volunteer (Don)

Today started out as every day--arrive at 8 a.m. and start food prep. First feeding is at 10 a.m. and it's the biggest feed, so lots to do. Shark food to prep, turtle food to prep, fish to chop, shrimp to clean. In total about 30 pounds of food to get ready for the day's feedings in the Giant Ocean Tank.


Ten a.m. dive and I am on the dive platform helping the staff divers get ready to do the first feed of the day. I am also getting ready to feed the barracudas, the needlefish, porcupinefish and, yes, of course, Myrtle the green sea turtle.

All the feeding I do is from one of two platforms over the top of the Giant Ocean Tank. The first platform is the one from which the divers enter and exit the tank. From this platform, barracudas, needlefish and porcupinefish are my feeding responsibility. Both barracudas look hungry this morning, and since they are one of the apex predators in the tank, I want to make sure they get fed right away.



This, of course, upsets the self-proclaimed queen of the tank, Myrtle, the Green Sea Turtle who circles impatiently awaiting her first food of the day. Feeding the barracudas is one of my favorite activities of the day. You get their attention by slapping the surface of the water. I guess it makes them think there is an injured fish nearby. Both have very different feeding personalities.

The little barracuda stops and remains motionless in the center of the tank at the surface awaiting a capelin tossed a foot or so in front of her face. As soon as the fish hits the water, she (or he, not sure what sex either of them are!) darts forward quickly grabbing the fish just as barracuda do in the wild. But the big barracuda is lazy. He (or she) hears the slapping on the water's surface and swims directly toward the dive platform. But if the capelin isn't placed right in front of his face, and only a few inches in front for that matter, he will swim right by the fish. The first attempt is about two inches above his mouth and not on target, so he swims right by and the capelin glides right over the top of his head. A permit swims by and grabs the wayward fish. I guess the permit isn't as fussy about where he gets his or her food!


Second attempt to feed the big barracuda is on target. I hold the capelin about six inches below the surface of the water and release it just before the big barracuda gets to it. Chomp! Down it goes. About 10 capelin later both barracuda are full and no longer circling the dive platform. Finally, it's Myrtle the Green Sea Turtle's turn to get fed and boy is she not happy that I have been so slow to pay attention to her.



I leave the dive platform and head over to the smaller platform that is used exclusively for feeding Her Majesty, the Queen of the GOT. A pound of Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage, a third of a pound of fish and squid and a third of a pound of Myrtle's special gelatin mixture are gone in no time and she still could eat more, but that will have to wait for the next feeding dive at 11:15 am.

All the while as I am feeding, I am answering questions from visitors to the Aquarium. There's the usual questions: Why don't the sharks eat the other fish? (They're too full from all the food we offer them.) Aren't the divers afraid of the sharks? (No, Sand Tiger Sharks look ferocious, but are fairly docile animals and our three Sand Tiger Sharks are accustomed to having the divers around.) How old is Myrtle? (About 70-75 years old.) How much does Myrtle weigh? (about 540 lbs last time we weighed her.) It is a busy day for school groups. At one point I have twenty 9- or 10-year-olds firing questions at me three at a time and barely giving me a chance to answer any of them. But I love it. The kids (and most of the adults) are great to interact with and if I can answer their questions, get them interested in the marine world and maybe just stimulate some thoughts of pursuing a career that will help save the marine environment, then my 12 years here as a volunteer will be a great success.

The best part of my day today (and most Fridays) is the 1:15 dive. This is my chance to get into the GOT. No feeding, but various maintenance tasks to perform. Today it is scrubbing algae off the artifical coral. It may sound like a tedious task, but it's not. There is something satisfying about seeing a section of the artificial reef encrusted with a thick growth of red algae at the start of the dive and then, after creating a billowing cloud of red and watching the angelfish swoop in for a bite of the newly released algae chunks, looking at that same brightly colored yellow and purple and maroon and white reef section at the end. Who knew that there were colors on this artificial reef other than red!

Also, during reef scrubbing, I am not far from the windows and waving to the kids, making faces at them and generally acting goofy to make them smile is all part of the job. And that part makes it fun.



A simple wave to a three year old brings a big smile to their face, while a wave to another toddler evokes a trembling lower lip followed by a wail and grasp for their parents. They didn't realize their was something in the tank that could see them! That always makes me laugh and flood my mask (and usually makes the parents laugh as well).

Near the end of the dive I head into the big sand tray--a large open area at the bottom of the tank. In this area one of the four pipes that shoot clean water into the Giant Ocean Tank is located, concealed in a fake sponge on the bottom. I call this cleaning station time. I pile up a bunch of the gravel from the bottom of the tank and hold handfuls of the gravel in front of the effluent pipe and it blows out into the water column. This always attracts a large crowd of various fish. Today, one of the large hogfish comes down, mouth wide open to allow the gravel to blow across its body and through its gills. The bar jacks descend to join the crowd, as do a number of angelfish and tangs. They all position themselves to let the blowing gravel sweep across their bodies. I think it is kind of like a back scratch for them!


The rest of the day is spent mostly on the dive platform doing surface feedings of the needlefish and answering the questions of the visitors. Hundreds of questions a day. Many the same, but all asked with the same curiousity. And all answered with the same enthusiasm. Yes, it does sometimes get tiring answering the same question for the 100th time in a day, but I wouldn't trade this job for anything. Come on in and see me some Friday. I'll tell you why the sharks don't eat the other fish.

-Don

subscribe




Labels: , , , , , ,

posted by Dive Buddy at 3:45 PM 5 Comments



Friday, August 15, 2008

#5: Dive Buddies - The Summer Interns

Each summer, we bring on a small number of interns to assist us in taking care of the Giant Ocean Tank (G.O.T) and its many inhabitants. They come from all over, from North Carolina to Vermont, as well as from local Boston schools. We've even had one from Portugal. Having them is a great boost for us, and it's a great opportunity for them to get some hands-on experience in marine science.

Our interns are responsible for prepping the many pounds of food for over 600 G.O.T. creatures, doing surface feedings, helping with animal acclimation and sea turtle exams, and much more.



SCUBA certified interns also have the privilege of diving in the G.O.T., where they become part of the team that maintains the tank, scrubbing algae off of the artificial reef, vacuuming the gravel, and cleaning the windows so that the visitors are able to see inside. Along with this, they get to feed some of our animals underwater, a coveted privilege. They dive 1 of the 4 feeding dives, at 2:30, when we target feed our southern stingrays and cownose rays their favorite food, shrimp. We couldn't survive the summer without them. Meet Sam, Cara, and Christine... our interns of Summer '08.





"Working as a Giant Ocean Tank intern is a work experience like no other. Every day brings new and exciting adventures and challenges. Whether feeding Myrtle, a 548-pound green sea turtle, or scrubbing coral, everything is a blast ... and then you get sprayed in the face by squid guts!" -Sam



"My experience at the New England Aquarium has been a remarkable and life-changing opportunity. I have always been enthralled by marine life but my internship experience has allowed me to focus my knowledge towards specific marine species and habitats. I have fallen in love with this job and cannot imagine any other career path for myself after just three months at NEAQ." -Cara




"Hey! My name is Christine and I am one of the trio of magnificent interns diving in the Giant Ocean Tank this summer. My experience at the aquarium has been nothing short of amazing and I am already sad to be leaving this job (How could you not miss diving with sharks and giant sea turtles everyday?!). The staff is an entertaining and wily bunch and working with them has made this great job even sweeter. It's a dream come true for any intern to work for people who treat you like an equal staff member and not just the newbie to give the dirty jobs to (though there was no shortage of that!). In short, this has been one of my best summers and has inspired me to consider a career in marine sciences and especially aquaria. Any chance I get to dive is OK with me!" -Christine

subscribe



Labels: , , ,

posted by Chris at 2:28 PM 3 Comments