Keepers of Montpellier Mare Nostrum Aquarium

Maintaining the aquariums and providing daily care to the 30,000 marine animals who live at Mare Nostrum occupies a team of 9 permanent aquariologist staff.
So that Mare Nostrum can delight its visitors every day and welcome them in the best conditions, our keepers have to be ultra flexible:

Cooks

Depending on the diets of each species, they prepare fresh and frozen foods (fish, shellfish, molluscs, vegetables) in order to feed the animals completely, according to the required frequency.
They complete their animals diets with vitamin supplements, because research undertaken by INRA has proved that animals held in captivity demonstrate an increased need for vitamins.

Analysis technicians

These staff members monitor the physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters of the aquariological networks every day: temperature, salinity, pH of the water.

Leaders and scientific explainers

Their work during the opening hours of the aquarium may include leading events, such as dives or feeding time, so that these become special attractions for the visitors.

Nurses and biologists

Every day they observe the animals and provide them with the care they require in their pool or in quarantine.
They use drugs only very rarely because their work on maintaining the pools and supervising the animals diet means that the development of disease is avoided. Also, the systematic use of cleaning fish and of various invertebrate detritus devourers contributes to maintaining good biological equilibrium.

Divers

They work both from the surface and underwater to maintain the aquariums, add cuttings to the lagoon or observing the animals. This is why they are all submarine diving professionals.

Managers of the hydraulic network

Each in turn they deal with maintenance of the filtration system and check that pumps, filters and pipes are working correctly.