Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Kathleen Webster

Jersey City,NJ

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience

Work History

Lead Aquarist

SeaLife Aquarium New Jersey
02.2020 - Current
  • Maintain variety of fish, elasmobranchs and invertebrates within approximately 190,000 gallons of water.
  • Closely monitor health and welfare of collection.
  • Work closely with veterinarian to determine proper health care management of collection.
  • Assist curator with inventory and purchase orders.
  • Improving our record keeping of animal behaviors and concerns, water quality parameters, exhibit maintenance and feeds into Teams as well as OERCA software.
  • Mentor fellow team members with tasks that they may not be familiar with or unusual circumstances that arise.
  • Train new team members on standard operating procedures, safety protocols, and animal handling techniques for smooth onboarding process.
  • Evaluate current husbandry practices regularly, recommending updates or adjustments based on industry advancements.
  • Responded to emergencies, providing first aid to injured animals and implementing preventive measures for future incidents.
  • Assist with daily animal diet preparations and water quality testing.

AQUARIST

NATIONAL AQUARIUM INSTITUTE
01.2014 - 01.2020
  • Maintain 11 exhibits and 7 back-up systems, which include temperate to tropical marine and freshwater systems, with temperatures ranging between 9⁰C - 26⁰C
  • Closely monitor the health and welfare of a wide variety of taxa including several species of fish as well as turtles and invertebrates (i.e
  • Anemones, shrimp, crabs and giant Pacific octopus)
  • Work closely with veterinarians to oversee the health and wellness of these animals
  • Establish proper nutrition for a wide variety of taxa that meet their complete nutritional profile
  • Maintain and support water quality parameters
  • Perform routine maintenance on life support systems
  • Mentor and evaluate interns and volunteers
  • Manage the inventory and procurement of kitchen cleaning supplies, as well as assigning kitchen cleaning duties
  • Execute renovations and plumbing projects of exhibits and back-up systems, working intra, and interdepartmentally
  • Plan exhibit upgrades, including associated life support systems and lighting
  • Accomplish training projects with giant Pacific octopuses (Enteroctopus dofleini)
  • Complete multiple SCUBA dives per year in various systems with depth ranges between 4 feet and 13 feet
  • Interact with, and educate, guests through public talks with a question and answer session
  • Improve gallery standards for AZA re-accreditation through pre-checks and staying on top of changes required for the gallery
  • Improving our data input and utilizing more features via TRACKS Software
  • Reducing our paper usage by creating laminated Daily Log Sheets that can be cleaned off at the end of day.

AQUARIST TRAINEE

NATIONAL AQUARIUM INSTITUTE
01.2013 - 01.2014
  • Shadow the prior aquarist to learn the normal operation, potential issues, and daily operations of the various exhibits and back-up systems of the gallery
  • Perform routine maintenance on life support systems
  • Determine proper nutrition and update feeding protocols as necessary.

AQUARIST AIDE

NATIONAL AQUARIUM INSTITUTE
06.2012 - 12.2012
  • Provide coverage to various galleries when primary aquarist was out
  • Help and support aquarists in accomplishing projects in a timely fashion
  • Provide medicated baths or food to quarantined or sick animals; record treatments provided
  • Participate in collecting trips, moving and acclimating animals, and animal physicals
  • Assist in completing routine maintenance for exhibits and/or back-up systems
  • Assist in providing diets to the exhibits and/or back-up systems
  • Assist in monitoring animal's health and welfare.

Education

BACHELOR'S DEGREE - BIOLOGY AND ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

TOWSON UNIVERSITY
05.2012

ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE - GENERAL STUDIES

HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
05.2007

Skills

  • PADI certified Open Water and Dry Suit diver
  • Familiar with beach seining, fyke netting, and trawling
  • DAN First Aid Training
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office and TRACKS software
  • Moderately proficient in OERCA software
  • Works well individually and when working in teams, both within and between departments

Timeline

Lead Aquarist

SeaLife Aquarium New Jersey
02.2020 - Current

AQUARIST

NATIONAL AQUARIUM INSTITUTE
01.2014 - 01.2020

AQUARIST TRAINEE

NATIONAL AQUARIUM INSTITUTE
01.2013 - 01.2014

AQUARIST AIDE

NATIONAL AQUARIUM INSTITUTE
06.2012 - 12.2012

BACHELOR'S DEGREE - BIOLOGY AND ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

TOWSON UNIVERSITY

ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE - GENERAL STUDIES

HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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