Aquarium Science Program

Aquarium Science all-stars, past and present met up at this year's AALSO symposium in Kansas City. It's great to see our grads still out there making an impact on the industry. Looking forward to the future!

Studies show that the word "aquarium" is difficult for most people to pronounce, due the presence of a "q" and its similarity to "Aqua Man." Therefore, we have decided to rename our world-class program the much more pronounceable Underwater Zoo Science Program. This change may also bring with it opportunities to expand our curriculum to classes such as underwater basket weaving, underwater welding, and underwater polo, just to name a few. Our website will be updated shortly.

It's hard work, but somebody's gotta do it 😮‍💨

Aquarium Science Student Aquarists, Indiana Ellis and Brett Comsa have mastered the art of Octopus handling and are putting their skills to do good use in the Aquatic Animal Health Program! Aquarium Science Program

The National Visiting Committee was an absolute blast this year! Our guests of honor were (in no particular order):

Megan Olhasso, Monterey Bay Aquarium
James Collins, Segrest Farms
Steve Vogel, Oregon Coast Aquarium
Barrett Christie, South Carolina Aquarium
Chris Spaulding, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Kyle Hascall, Oregon Zoo
Richard Prince, Wonders of Wildlife
Jennie Jansen, National Aquarium
Steve Bailey, New England Zoo

Warm, sincere thanks to all who participated, visitors and locals alike. The Aquarium Science students learned so much and were inspired to reach for the stars! You all made it happen! ❤️🦈❤️

Why all the cleaning? Is royalty coming to the Aquarium Science Building? 👑 Nope! Even better! The National Visiting Committee, composed of top-notch aquarium professionals from around the country, is coming to town! Every year they come from far and wide to meet with our students, give them practice job interviews, inspect the Program, and enjoy some prime Oregon Coast seafood (not to mention the gorgeous weather 🌧️☔🌧️)
So the students rolled up their sleeves, applied some elbow grease, and spit-shined the Teaching Aquarium from top to bottom. Gotta put our best fin forward 😉🦈🐡🐠🐟!

CTE Day at OCCC and Aquarium Science is REP'N! (Yes! Those are real moon jellies! 🪼) Dr. Carla Schubiger, AQS faculty, and one of our students, Maximus, skillfully manned the booth, getting the word out about our awesome program. Many high school students also got to tour the Teaching Aquarium to learn more about what it takes to have a career in Aquarium Science. Apply now to start classes in the Fall! 🐙🐠🦞🦈🐚🦐

Midterm AQS photo dump! Can you Sea yourself here? 😉🌊🦈🐠🐡🐙
Applications are open for Fall 2026!

This field trip was for the birds. Sea birds, that is! AQS students went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium to learn all about caring for these flappy little guys in their open air aviary. Huge shout out to the Curator of Birds, CJ McCarty, for sharing her wealth of information!

Applications are OPEN for the OCCC Aquarium Science Program!
Complete the necessary materials to have your application considered for the Fall 2026 incoming class, and be prepared to dive into a career caring for animals at a zoom, aquarium or other facility in Oregon -- or across the globe!
https://oregoncoast.edu/aqs-application/

Happy Halloween from the Aquarium Science Program! 🎃

Aquarist Claire has been tracking a growth in the mouth of one of our sculpins. After a few health checks from Dr. Tim , it was decided that it was time to try to remove the growth as it was occupying a good portion of the animal's mouth. The good news is the removal was quick and the wound very minor. The sculpin is already eating again and probably enjoys meal time even more now! Photos show a sculpin under anesthesia and feeling a little loopy. An open mouth shot showing the growth and another with growth removed. Thanks to Dr. Tim and his fancy eyewear, the sculpin had a quick and easy procedure.
Dr. Tim waived the normal 10 clam copay for out of tidepool procedures.