Recent News

Bermuda Wild Dolphin Project
Monday, August 29, 2016

Underwater mysteries - Researchers try to learn more about a marvel of the Ocean.


Video: Local Lionfish Experts On PBS Newshour
Thursday, August 25, 2016

Bermuda is featured in a PBS Newshour program about invasive lionfish, with scenes of the island shown, while local marine experts, in conjunction with visiting scientists, appear in a five minute segment that also reveals plans for a prototype lionfish-culling undersea robot.


Ocean Tech Aims To Inspire Young Women
Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Global marine research project Ocean Tech is aiming to inspire more young women into science and engineering via a media campaign that focuses on the team’s leading female scientists and engineers.


Female champions of science
Thursday, August 18, 2016

The global research project Ocean Tech, whose chief scientist is Bermuda’s Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley, is encouraging more young women to study science and engineering.


Island to become hub of marine project
Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Bermuda is set to be the hub of a new international research project intended to justify the protection of marine environments worldwide.



About

Governance
About Us
Newsletter
Latest News
Gift & Bookstore

Contact

General Inquiries

(441) 293-2727

info@bzs.bm


Latest News

All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!

Parrotfish Checkup
Bermuda Zoological Society
Wednesday, May 02, 2018

Excerpt from WILD News April 2018

When new fish arrive at BAMZ, they must first undergo a minimum of 30 days quarantine in order to diagnose any marine parasites which, if left untreated, can infect the other inhabitants of the aquarium hall tanks.

On Thursday, 22nd March, Patrick Talbot, Curator of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, with the assistance of Marine Collector, Jorge Sanchez, conducted the examination of the quarantined blue parrotfish, queen parrotfish, and rainbow parrotfish before their transfer into the display tanks.


BZS_180502_1a.jpg
Blue parrotfish going under anesthetic
 

BZS_180502_1b.jpg
Blue parrotfish being removed from anesthetic

Before each fish was examined, they were first anesthetized in a solution rendering them unconscious and insensible to any pain. The length of time it took for each fish to go to sleep, was also the approximate amount of time it would remain sedated, giving Mr. Talbot an idea of how much time he had to take samples from the fish.


BZS_180502_1c.jpg
Blue parrotfish having its gills clipped
 

BZS_180502_1d.jpg
Queen parrotfish going under anesthetic

Each fish went through the same procedure; after sedation, they were removed from the water and placed on a cushion wrapped in plastic. Mr. Talbot quickly took a scale scrape, and a gill clipping - basically taking a sample of the skin mucous covering the scales and a tiny gill biopsy. The fish was then placed in a tub of fresh water, and Mr. Sanchez bubbled oxygen in the water surrounding the gills. The fresh water acted as final medication of sorts, as it would kill most external parasites (should there be any) and the bubbled gas helped ensure the fish had oxygen during its recovery from the anesthetic. After a few minutes, the animal was responsive and returned to a separate tank to await results of the procedure.

BZS_180502_1e.jpg
Rainbow parrotfish being measured
 

BZS_180502_1f.jpg
Mr. Sanchez running oxygen over the Rainbow parrotfish gills to aid in its recovery from the anesthetic
 

Once all the fish were sampled, Mr. Talbot took the scale scrapings and the gill clippings into the laboratory to be examined under a microscope for parasites infections, such as protozoa. If a parasite was found on either sample, the fish would have to go through another two weeks of quarantine and further treatment.

BZS_180502_1g.jpg
Gill clippings on a slide ready to be examined under a microscope
 

BZS_180502_1h.jpg
Gill clippings being examined
 

BZS_180502_1i.jpg
400x magnification of gill clippings
 

Thankfully, upon completion of the examination, all three fish were parasite free and received a clean bill of health. The queen and blue parrotfish were placed in the parrotfish habitat in the Aquarium Hall, and the rainbow parrotfish was placed in the North Rock habitat.

BZS_180502_1j.jpg
Rainbow parrotfish in the North Rock habitat
 

BZS_180502_1k.jpg
Queen parrotfish in the parrotfish habitat