5 Questions With SEA LIFE Michigan’s Curator {+ Auburn Hills Grand Opening Date!}

I know many of you are just as excited as I am for the SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium to open to the public. We’re in the final countdown with less than a month to go! The attraction will open to the public on January 29, 2015 in Great Lakes Crossings in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

My kids love learning about the ocean and its many creatures through books, so I know it’s going to be a huge hit and amazing learning opportunity for families across southeast Michigan.

In fact, now you can nab tickets at special pre-opening rates. Visit the website for more information and to purchase tickets or passes in advance –> http://bit.ly/SEALIFEMItickets

I recently had the opportunity to e-chat with SEA LIFE’s displays curator, Lucy Handel. I loved learning about her role and passion for marine life. Makes me excited to see what’s in store for the newest location! Check out her thoughtful responses below.

1. Please explain in detail your role at SEA LIFE Michigan.

My role is displays curator, and this encompasses all aspects of animal health and welfare. At the current stage we’re in {setting up the aquarium}, my role is to manage the set up of the animal displays, ensuring they meet each animal’s requirements in relation to space and environment. Experience guides me into what species work well together and the environment they need to be in. We replicate natural habitats for our animals, and this can require some additional research on occasion.

Animal acquisition is a large part of this phase. We focus on captive bred animals and work hard with trusted suppliers and breeders to ensure we have animals that will amaze people. We want to educate and instill a passion in our visitors, and we choose species that will make you want to protect our oceans, not just “entertain” you.

Long term health care is something I love about my job – diet plans, target training animals, research projects and breeding species are also amazing parts of the job. The hours can be long and occasionally unsociable, but when you get to do the stuff we do, it never matters!

A big part of my role is development of the aquarium and my team. We are innovative and fast-moving. We’re constantly asking: how can we get people more inspired, how can we get them to interact more and bring them even closer to the environment?

Research is a large part of my role, whether it is looking at interactions of fish species, the best temperate and lighting to get corals to spawn or what our guests want to learn about the most. We produce many projects across the department.

Life support systems, pumps, filters and water chemistry are also a huge part of the job {the behind the scenes’ things that go on}. The goal is for each species to have a perfect environment to live and flourish in. This isn’t just in the main aquarium – our behind the scenes areas are a vital part, too. Setting up breeding facilities and projects is a really fun thing to do, and one of the most rewarding.Education and conservation are also a major role in my position. We must always be moving forward and doing conservation projects, then reaching out to the community to get their help. An aquarium without education and conservation does not provide anything except entertainment, and SEA LIFE truly places an emphasis on conservation. We’re always striving for more!

2. What path do you recommend children who are interested in marine life take?

I am often asked this question by budding aquarists, and it is so lovely to know young people have a passion for the environment. At school, I worked very hard, but was not naturally top of the class. However, hard work pays off. My advice is to think carefully about the classes you take. Science based subjects such as biology are important for a base line understanding of topics, like the nitrogen cycle and animal biology. Other important subjects are geography – learning about how things link together, such as rainforests and reefs, increasing populations and decreasing turtle numbers.Scuba diving is a huge advantage. It’s important to keep our animals’ environments clean, and diving is often the best way to do this, so having a qualification will make you more desirable to hire. It will also aid research, animal health checks and transportation.

While I would never discourage anyone doing a relevant science based degree, for me, nothing beats hands-on experience and passion. This job can require long hours, unsociable hours, lifting, carrying and working in all sorts of conditions, so it is vital you are passionate.

Volunteer where you can – this is also critical. It is a difficult industry to get in to, and there may not be aquarium volunteer jobs available, but take another position – even if it’s working at a dog kennel feeding people’s pets and cleaning their kennels. It may seem a world away from fish, but animal health and welfare are relatable, and a lot of skills you’ll learn are transferable. When I look at people’s resumes, if they have any animal experience, I know they have dedication and passion.

3. What can families expect to see at SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium?

One thing I love about working at a SEA LIFE aquarium is the totally immersive environment. We replicate the animal’s natural environment within our tanks, but you will find yourself completely submerged in that area, whether you’re in a rainforest area surrounded by trees and a waterfall, or in a shipwreck with wooden beams around you and sharks swimming overhead. You cannot help but be completely drawn into a journey and a story! Be prepared to be wow’ed with some incredible facts and species. Make sure you listen to our talks and watch the feeds to learn some amazing facts. People ask me why I work in an aquarium. Where else can I walk under the middle of the ocean, see amazing tropical sharks and tiny native seahorses, put my head up in a tank full of shoaling fish, and then have a guided tour of behind the scenes animal care areas and see colorful amazing animals I may never otherwise have the chance to see?

4. Conservation seems to be a major factor for the SEA LIFE brand. Why is conservation so important to you?

Conservation is at the heart of what we do, and it’s why I choose to work for Merlin Entertainments. Our approach is Breed Rescue Protect, with a focus on conservation, not exploitation. The sea is so misunderstood, along with many of its inhabitants. Unfortunately, the seas and oceans are not taken care of as they should be.

The impact of losing species that are endangered in our oceans is phenomenal, and we must work to educate people to protect these animals. Without seeing animals and being amazed by them, we have no hope of encouraging people to protect them.I have been scuba diving since I was 12 years old, and when I first dived in the Red Sea at this age, I saw sharks on every dive. It was incredible! Now, 15 years later, in a week’s trip to the Red Sea, I did 22 dives….I didn’t see a single shark. The guide I was with said in a lot of the sites we dived in, there used to be 30 sharks in one spot. This is why conservation is important. We are losing vital animals in our ecosystem. More than 700,000 sharks are killed each year for their fins. I want to marvel at their beauty when I go scuba diving.

5. Just for fun — what is your favorite species at SEA LIFE Michigan?

This is so difficult! I am a huge shark nut, but I have to say I am very excited about our Giant Pacific Octopus. This species has such varying personalities, and you really do care for them as individuals! Their biology fascinates me. Did you know they have three hearts and blue blood? Getting a big, wet hand shake from one of the ocean’s most intelligent, alien-looking species cannot fail to make my day.

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Be sure to follow SEA LIFE Michigan’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more updates.

I am a SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium Parent Ambassador and will be receiving an exclusive first look at events leading up to the attraction’s grand opening and complimentary tickets. All opinions expressed are my own.

Will you be visiting SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium when it opens? Which species are you most excited to see?