Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary experts taking stock for the year ahead

Marine experts at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary have undertaken one of their trickiest tasks of the year today.
The annual Sealife Centre stock take at Scarborough Sealife Centre. Aquarist Athena Green making notes at the exhibitsThe annual Sealife Centre stock take at Scarborough Sealife Centre. Aquarist Athena Green making notes at the exhibits
The annual Sealife Centre stock take at Scarborough Sealife Centre. Aquarist Athena Green making notes at the exhibits

Experts at the centre do an annual stock-take, to ensure that they have an accurate record, and can ensure that they have the correct food quantities for their animals.

However, aquarists have admitted that it isn't the simplest of tasks to do.

The annual Sealife Centre stock take at Scarborough Sealife Centre. Aquarist Athena Green making notes at the exhibitsThe annual Sealife Centre stock take at Scarborough Sealife Centre. Aquarist Athena Green making notes at the exhibits
The annual Sealife Centre stock take at Scarborough Sealife Centre. Aquarist Athena Green making notes at the exhibits
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“It’s very hard to make accurate counts of creatures which won’t keep still,” explained aquarist Athena Green.

“Trying to count all the juvenile mullet in one big constantly swirling shoal, for example, is almost impossible.”

Due to the number of births and new arrivals at the Sanctuary during the course of a year, a thorough stock-take every 12 months is vital.

“It’s very important for calculating food quantities to ensure every individual fish, crab or other sea creature gets enough to eat every day,” said Athena.

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Athena even enlisted the aid of visitors by equipping them with stock-sheets and getting them to double check their own calculations.

“The seals, otters and penguins are easy course,” she added.

“But there are more than 100 species of freshwater and marine creature in our various aquarium displays, and we have to count everything from tiny starfish to sharks.”