Karlyn Bearchell
Grand Rapids,MI
Summary
Experienced animal care professional with a strong management background in handling reptiles, birds, fish, and injured wildlife. Proficient in designing and maintaining diverse exhibits and collections, prioritizing optimal care for each species through a deep understanding of their natural history. Proven ability to solve problems and pay meticulous attention to detail in daily operations and emergencies.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Aquarist
Coral World Ocean Park
02.2023 - 11.2024
- Created schedule and supervised day to day responsibilities for aquarium team, bird team, interns, and volunteers
- Conducted thorough research on species-specific needs, utilizing findings to create tailored husbandry plans for individual animals
- Performed routine inventory and ordering of food items, maintenance supplies, and office supplies
- Participated in weekly meetings with veterinary and curatorial staff and coordinated communication between veterinary staff, curatorial staff, and aquarium team, interns, and volunteers
- Lead daily morning meetings with aquarium team and bird team to provide updates in animal health and behavior, exhibit maintenance priorities, company policy updates, etc
- Performed disease identification, treatment, and necropsies with veterinary and curatorial staff
- Actively participated in wildlife rehabilitation, providing care to injured birds and reptiles before rewilding
- Created and prepare daily diets for all aquarium animals and birds
- Coordinated and lead collection dives for local species of fish and sharks to place on exhibit
- Lead training of new aquarium staff in day-to-day husbandry, feedings, and all other aquarium and bird team operations
- Performed daily feedings, training sessions, and other husbandry needs for lemon and nurse sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, tortoises, fish, ducks, kestrel, lorikeets, macaws, and marine invertebrates
- Designed, implemented, and oversaw day to day enrichment programs for all aquarium animals and birds
- Delivered daily unscripted presentations to guests regarding training, anatomy, natural history, and conservation of sharks, sea turtles, reef fish, lorikeets, macaws, and stingrays
- Coordinated daily record keeping for aquarium department and bird department
- Conducted in-depth assessments of facility infrastructure, identifying areas for improvement and proposing cost-effective solutions for long-term sustainability
Aquarist
Coral World Ocean Park
01.2020 - 02.2023
- Performed daily feedings and husbandry for lemon and nurse sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, tortoises, fish, ducks, and marine invertebrates
- Designed and implemented a new enrichment program for all aquarium animals including sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, tortoises, and fish
- Delivered unscripted presentations to guests, including information on the training, anatomy, and conservation of nurse sharks, lemon sharks, green sea turtles, Caribbean reef fish, and southern stingrays
- Interacted daily with park guests, assisting them in animal interactions and answering inquiries
- Lead guests in interactive in-water programs with lemon and nurse sharks, and coordinate training of new aquarium staff to lead interactive programs
- Prepared daily diets for sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, tortoises, fish, and invertebrates
- Performed routine maintenance and cleaning of open water marine exhibits ranging in size from 30 to 80,000 gallons
- Kept daily records of husbandry information and training progress for sea turtles, sharks, and fish
- Created and posted content related to animals in aquarium collection for the Coral World Instagram and Facebook profiles
- Maintained optimal water quality by conducting regular testing and adjusting treatment protocols as needed
- Conducted thorough research on species-specific needs, utilizing findings to create tailored husbandry plans for individual animals
Sea Lions and Birds Intern
09.2019 - 01.2020
- Assisted mammal and bird training staff in daily training sessions, including husbandry, animal enrichment, and guest interactions
- Performed unsupervised protected contact training sessions with two macaws and supervised protected contact training with sighted and vision impaired sea lions
- Prepared daily diets for sea lions and birds
- Photographed guest interactions with sea lions, both in water and on land
- Participated in Trainer Lecture Series, where basics of operant conditioning and behavioral science were discussed at length
Assistant Account Executive
Extension PR
10.2018 - 07.2019
- Maintained strong relationships with members of the media to secure coverage in major local and national outlets on behalf of highprofile corporate clients
- Oversaw social media accounts for the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
- Managed two account coordinators and numerous interns across multiple teams including hiring, assigning tasks, reviewing work output and progress, and offering mentorship
Education
Associate of Science - Veterinary Technology
Penn Foster College
Scottsdale, AZ05-2026
Bachelor of Arts - English and Art History
Fordham University
New York, NY05.2017
Skills
- PADI Open Water Dive Certified
- Time management capabilities
- Public education presentations
- Animal husbandry techniques
- Habitat construction experience
- Life support systems operation
- Feeding and nutrition
- Water quality management
- Human and animal safety
- Operant conditioning
- Behavioral observation aptitude
- Animal transport coordination
- Aquarium system maintenance
Timeline
Senior Aquarist
Coral World Ocean Park
02.2023 - 11.2024
Aquarist
Coral World Ocean Park
01.2020 - 02.2023
Sea Lions and Birds Intern
09.2019 - 01.2020
Assistant Account Executive
Extension PR
10.2018 - 07.2019
Bachelor of Arts - English and Art History
Fordham University
Associate of Science - Veterinary Technology
Penn Foster College
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