Water Quality Lab technician piping water into vials.

Water is at the core of our operations, with our animals residing in more than 840,000 gallons of water across both the North and South Buildings, as well as our Darden Marine Animal Conservation Center (DMACC), where Stranding Response operates. From the water temperature to salt, chemical, and mineral content, our staff carefully monitors and controls the water in which our animals live to provide them the healthiest habitats possible. The key to managing the health of our aquatic spaces is our Water Quality Lab, a facility located at our South Building, staffed by a group of technicians who test and analyze more than 230 water samples weekly from across our facilities.


Meet the Team

The Water Quality Lab team currently consists of one full-time technician, two part-time technicians, and a lab manager processing water samples seven days a week. Although the team is small, they’re growing, with another full-time technician joining soon.

The education and experience required to work with the Water Quality team isn’t restrictive – any scientific background can help someone snag a role in the lab. Prior knowledge of water quality testing isn’t needed so long as a technician is good with technical learning. One of our technicians, Allegra, has been a full-time member of the Water Quality Lab team for three years. Her first experience working at the Aquarium was as a volunteer, eventually becoming an employee within the Horticulture Team before moving into her role in the lab.

“I was originally going to be a teacher when I went to school and was going to teach science. I wanted to do the equivalent of high school-style experiments all day,” she shares. “I got a degree in Earth and Environmental Science, and I was surprised we had a Water Quality Lab.”

Part-time technician, Dave, has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and has worked in various roles as a chemist and power grid operator, working in a laboratory for the energy industry. He relocated to our area to support his daughter while she pursued a doctorate degree and found the Water Quality Lab position open.

“I only saw an auto analyzer [a water testing device] one other time [before joining the lab],” Dave says. “It has been a challenge, but I learn more about its care and feeding every day.” He also appreciates the benefits of working with the Aquarium, and enjoys being able to contribute to our animal residents’ well-being.

Our newest technician, Sydnee, works part-time and graduated from Coastal Carolina University two years ago with a Marine Science degree. “A big goal after I graduated was to gain work experience in my field," she shares, adding it was what led her to the Virginia Aquarium. “I was referred and encouraged to apply by guest educator, Sarah, whom I met and became good friends with during my time at Coastal." The open position in the lab stood out to her because she enjoyed chemistry in school, and has enjoyed learning from her colleagues and helping keep the animals healthy.

Lab manager, Daphne, is an Old Dominion University graduate who learned about our lab and the manager position through the City of Virginia Beach. She has held positions in different industries, from raw materials testing for over-the-counter consumer products to wastewater treatment and environmental testing. In terms of her work, she says “It is nice so many of the visitors who come in are actually interested in what we are doing.”

Though the nature of work in the lab is static, the team has fun with it – they often have a music playlist on to keep things lively throughout the day. They’ve recently been enjoying the Ultimate Hit List, as well as Miles Davis, some jazz, and show tunes. The computer with the speakers is located next to the autoanalyzer, so whoever is running that machine gets to choose the music!

Water Quality Lab technician pipes water into a bottle of solution.

What’s In Our Water?

Every day, our Aquarium staff brings the lab team vials of water taken from animal habitats in the North Building, South Building, and DMACC. Most of these samples are taken by animal keepers and aquarists, though some samples come from our Life Support team, which monitors and maintains the life support infrastructure for aquatic exhibits. Water Quality receives vials of water from animal holding areas behind-the-scenes, the water taps at the two Aquarium buildings, our underground storage tanks, and Owls Creek, from which we draw and process to use in our exhibits.

Our lab team tests for the following:

Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate: Animal wastes introduce ammonia to the water, which can be toxic to gill breathers even at low levels. Our Life Support team manages ammonia levels with special “nitrifying” bacteria that converts it into nitrite. However, nitrite can also be toxic to gill breathers at low levels, so the bacteria must process it further until it turns into nitrate. Unlike ammonia and nitrite, nitrate is almost completely non-toxic except at very high, chronic levels. The Life Support team can allow nitrate to build up in the water over time and will monitor the levels to decide when the water should be replaced.

Orthophosphate: This substance consists of phosphorous molecules that enter the water from wastes like food. It’s present in tap water and can cause algae growth in our exhibits. Some corals are sensitive to orthophosphate, so our team must control levels for the health of our Coral Aquarium and Coral Lab residents.

pH, Salinity, and Alkalinity: pH refers to how acidic or basic a substance is, and is measured on a scale of 0-14, with 0 being most acidic and 14 being most basic. Freshwater is at 7 on the pH scale, which is considered truly neutral, while seawater is around 8. Our exhibit water should measure between 6 and 8.5. Salinity refers to how much salt is dissolved in the water – different species of animals can only thrive within a small range of salinity, while others can tolerate a much broader range. Alkalinity refers to how well water can resist becoming acidic, helping to buffer our water against potentially dangerous shifts in pH.

Calcium and Magnesium: These minerals are necessary for corals and invertebrates to build the skeletal structures in their bodies!

Chlorine and Bromine: These elements can be introduced to exhibits from tap water and harm mammals and fish by damaging fur, eyes, mucus membranes, and gills, though mammals can stand higher levels than gill breathers. Levels are best kept very low.

Turbidity: Water gets turbid, or cloudy, when there are lots of particles suspended in it. It’s important to evaluate not just the water’s contents, but also the visibility in it for the benefit of our animals and our dive team who maintains the exhibits.

Copper: Although it’s an essential nutrient for animals in low quantities, higher levels can be toxic.

Fecal Indicator Bacteria: This refers to how much bacteria is in the water from animal feces, namely total coliform (specifically, E. coli) and Enterococcus. It’s a good indicator of overall water quality and must be monitored for the health and safety of both animals and divers. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) require monitoring levels of fecal bacteria for marine mammals and sea turtles in professional care.

How the Lab Works

Each morning, the Water Quality team checks water temperatures, tidies up the lab, then begins calibrating their instruments for the day, including their autoanalyzer, pH probe, and conductivity probe, which puts electricity through water to test its salt content. Afterwards, samples start arriving to the lab from around the Aquarium, and water testing begins.

Guests can watch our Water Quality Lab through the observation window at the South Building throughout the day. In the window to the far left is our spectrophotometer, an instrument that passes light through sample solution and measures how much light is absorbed. This method of measuring the light intensity through the solution helps determine the water’s color and turbidity, and tests for concentrations of bromine, chlorine, and copper. There’s also an autoanalyzer, located in the far right of the window, that tests multiple water samples for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and orthophosphate. These tests can take hours to run, with pH, alkalinity, and salinity tests requiring three hours, and ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate testing taking at least four hours or more.

In the middle of the lab is an island countertop, the left side of which is dedicated to testing pH, salinity, and alkalinity titration (or concentration). On the right side of the island, lab technicians are testing for bacteria. On the far-right wall of the lab, the team evaluates calcium and magnesium levels in our samples.

There is also a microphone and speaker outside of the lab window to allow guests to ask the lab technicians questions. Guests often ask what the team is doing, from information about the autoanalyzer and the tests they run to where the water samples come from to who collects them.

Stop by and observe the Water Quality Lab at work during a future visit to the South Building – you may just get the chance to say hello!

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