#1 Mark Simmons on swapping SeaWorld for software

Al Leun is the owner and president of Aquatic Exhibits International (or AEI). Specialists in turnkey aquarium projects across both the private and public sectors, AEI has a diverse team with over 45 years combined experience in aquarium design, installation, project management and professional animal care. In this episode we chat to Al about the origin of filtration, the process of designing and setting up a commercial filtration system, and why operating a filter is a bit like being a bacteria farmer!  You can learn more about AEI here, and you can also find them on Facebook and LinkedIn by searching "Aquatic Exhibits International" -- go show them some love! ------ ➤ Aquariums Explained is a monthly podcast from the International Zoo & Aquarium Review, hosted by Joe Lavery & Johnny May. We're on a mission to demystify the world of public aquariums. If you want to learn more about what we do, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram. And if you enjoy what we do, you can buy us a virtual coffee to support our work. I know it seems small, but it really helps! ➤ We’re sponsored by OERCA, creators of the Animal Welfare App. The Animal Welfare App is a full-featured, web-based, aquarium & zoological recordkeeping system. It was created by animal professionals as a comprehensive and simple to use animal welfare management application, with integrated health & clinical records, a powerful environmental suite, and extensive alerts, analysis and reporting. We love what they do, and we're thrilled to be partnered with them. You can learn more about the Animal Welfare App here.

Jerry Smith is the founder and president of American Sealants Inc., or ASI as they're more affectionately known. They're a worldwide supplier and installer of everything acrylic, and they've been around for years. In this episode, we talk to Jerry about the industry rotation from glass into acrylic, the process of forming acrylic into shapes, and what acrylic actually is! You can learn more about ASI here, and you can find them on Facebook, Insta, Twitter and YouTube by searching "American Sealants" -- go show them some love! ------ ➤ Aquariums Explained is a monthly podcast from the International Zoo & Aquarium Review, hosted by Joe Lavery & Johnny May. We're on a mission to demystify the world of public aquariums. If you want to learn more about what we do, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram. And if you enjoy what we do, you can buy us a virtual coffee to support our work. I know it seems small, but it really helps! ➤ We’re sponsored by OERCA, creators of the Animal Welfare App. The Animal Welfare App is a full-featured, web-based, aquarium & zoological recordkeeping system. It was created by animal professionals as a comprehensive and simple to use animal welfare management application, with integrated health & clinical records, a powerful environmental suite, and extensive alerts, analysis and reporting. We love what they do, and we're thrilled to be partnered with them. You can learn more about the Animal Welfare App here.

Kevin Turner is Managing Director of Aquarium Technology Ltd., one of the world's most prolific and well known aquarium tank builders. ATL has been around for almost thirty years, with Kevin joining the company very early on during a particularly exciting time of expansion. Their expertise and first mover advantage has seen them work all over the world on wide range of projects, and they are now a one stop stop for everything from the design, construction, installation of aquarium tanks, to the fabrication and installation of stunning tank decor and large scale filtration. In this episode, we talk to Kevin about their shared lineage with Merlin Entertainments, their self-taught process of tank construction, and their secret collaboration with one of the worlds most renowned contemporary artists . You can learn more about Aquarium Technology Ltd. here. ------ ➤ Aquariums Explained is a monthly podcast from the International Zoo & Aquarium Review, hosted by Joe Lavery & Johnny May. We're on a mission to demystify the world of public aquariums. If you want to learn more about what we do, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram. And if you enjoy what we do, you can buy us a virtual coffee to support our work. I know it seems small, but it really helps! ➤ We’re sponsored by OERCA, creators of the Animal Welfare App. The Animal Welfare App is a full-featured, web-based, aquarium & zoological recordkeeping system. It was created by animal professionals as a comprehensive and simple to use animal welfare management application, with integrated health & clinical records, a powerful environmental suite, and extensive alerts, analysis and reporting. We love what they do, and we're thrilled to be partnered with them. You can learn more about the Animal Welfare App here.

Over the next few episodes, we're doing a mini-series on "how to build an aquarium". We had great fun chatting to Steve & Tej about Aquarium at the Boardwalk in the last episode, and we decided to put aside some time to explore exactly what goes into building a public aquarium from the ground up. ------ ➤ Aquariums Explained is a monthly podcast from the International Zoo & Aquarium Review, hosted by Joe Lavery & Johnny May. We're on a mission to demystify the world of public aquariums. If you want to learn more about what we do, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram. And if you enjoy what we do, you can buy us a virtual coffee to support our work. I know it seems small, but it really helps! ➤ We’re sponsored by OERCA, creators of the Animal Welfare App. The Animal Welfare App is a full-featured, web-based, aquarium & zoological recordkeeping system. It was created by animal professionals as a comprehensive and simple to use animal welfare management application, with integrated health & clinical records, a powerful environmental suite, and extensive alerts, analysis and reporting. We love what they do, and we're thrilled to be partnered with them. You can learn more about the Animal Welfare App here.

Tej Sunder & Steve Bitter are the brains behind Aquarium at the Boardwalk, America's newest public aquarium in Branson, Missouri. Although this is Tej's first foray into the public aquarium world, he's opened (and operates) a number of successful attractions across the United States through his family business, Kuvera Partners. Steve has been in the public aquarium industry for a number of years, having opened 7 public aquarium attractions and worked on the design and delivery of many more. He's no stranger to the stresses of aquarium construction! In this episode, we talk about their role in bringing America's newest public aquarium to life; we talk about everything from financing the attraction, designing the guest experience, and what it takes to create a seawater environment almost 600 miles from the nearest ocean. You can book tickets to Aquarium at the Boardwalk here. ------ ➤ Aquariums Explained is a monthly podcast from the International Zoo & Aquarium Review, hosted by Joe Lavery & Johnny May. We're on a mission to demystify the world of public aquariums. If you want to learn more about what we do, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram. And if you enjoy what we do, you can buy us a virtual coffee to support our work. I know it seems small, but it really helps! ➤ We’re sponsored by OERCA, creators of the Animal Welfare App. The Animal Welfare App is a full-featured, web-based, aquarium & zoological recordkeeping system. It was created by animal professionals as a comprehensive and simple to use animal welfare management application, with integrated health & clinical records, a powerful environmental suite, and extensive alerts, analysis and reporting. We love what they do, and we're thrilled to be partnered with them. You can learn more about the Animal Welfare App here.

João Correia is a man without an off switch! As a scientist and SCUBA diver, he completed early training with Dr Sam Gruber in the Bahamas, and went on to a successful career curating zoo collections and lecturing as a professor in marine biology. He then went on to found the internationally renowned company Flying Sharks, a live marine animal brokerage based in Portugal, and publish the side-splitting auto-biographical book series, Sex, Sharks and Rock & Roll. You can find out more about Flying Sharks here, and you can check out João's book volumes, Sex, Sharks and Rock & Roll, here. ------ Aquariums Explained is a podcast from the International Zoo & Aquarium Review, hosted by Joe Lavery & Johnny May. To find out more, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram.

Mark Simmons is an industry heavyweight. He's an animal behaviourist, an author, a businessman, and a conservationist. In this episode, we talk to him about his career at SeaWorld, his role in the Keiko Release Project, and starting a global software company. You can find out more about the Animal Welfare App at their website, and you can check out Mark's book, Killing Keiko, here. ------ Aquariums Explained is a podcast from the International Zoo & Aquarium Review, hosted by Joe Lavery & Johnny May. To find out more, you can visit our website, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram.

We launched a podcast! Aquariums Explained is a passion project by two public aquarium professionals. We've got some incredible guests lined up over the next couple of months, so if you're into your aquariums, give us a listen! www.internationalzooaquariumreview.com