Sydney SEA LIFE attractions undergo annual stocktake to account for all aquatic residents

Two aquarists commenced proceedings by diving into Great Barrier Reef tank wearing lab coats with waterproof clipboards and pens

This January, both SEA LIFE attractions, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary, will undertake an annual stocktake of all their aquatic residents. To commence the mammoth task,  two aquarists from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium today donned lab coats, scuba-gear, clipboards, waterproof pens and of course a calculator to kick off the annual stocktake of aquatic residents that takes place annually at both attractions. 

In this incredibly meticulous task, each and every resident from both SEA LIFE attractions will be checked off and accounted for this January.  At SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium alone, it is predicted aquarists will be counting up to 13,000 marine life residents from 700 different species; the attraction playing host to the largest collection of Australian aquatic life in the world. 

The aquarists kicked off proceedings today by diving into the world’s largest Great Barrier Reef tank with clipboards, waterproof pens and a calculator which they will use to count up to 1,500 rays, sharks, turtles and other tropical-dwelling species that live inside the Great Barrier Reef exhibit. 

Amy Wilkes, Senior Aquarist, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium commented: “Due to the huge variety of aquatic life at the attraction, different methods have been implemented to most effectively account for animals as large as dugongs and as small as tiny shrimp”.

 Aquarists from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium predict the task will require 25 hours over multiple days to account for every animal at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary.