James Wright

Experience

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  Stanley Tools

  Jan 1991 - Jan 1994

  Apprentice Mechanical Engineer

  I secured this upon leaving school and was training up as a Toolmaker specialist using lathes, horizontal and vertical millers, horizontal and cylindrical grinders, Shapers, welding, fabrication and heat treating skills. After the one year basic training I moved around the three factory sites working in the toolmaking workshops.

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  First Choice Holidays and Flights Limited

  Nov 1999 - Apr 2000

  Bar Supervisor

  I set off to enjoy my passion for snowboarding by doing a winter season now I had my BSc under my belt. I worked in the very small, very French resort of Les Orres and had a great time!

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  Inghams

  Nov 2000 - Apr 2001

  Bar Staff

  I returned again to France for another winter season but this time with a bigger company and a bigger resort. Working in one of the largest and busiest bars in the Three Valleys Resort of Meribel.

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  Inghams

  Nov 2001 - Apr 2002

  Bar Manager

  For this season I was the manager of a bar in the resort of Courchevel 1550 during the changeover of currencies from the Franc to the Euro. I also turned around what had been a loss-making bar for the last two seasons to make a healthy profit this season around.

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  National Marine Aquarium

  Nov 2003 - Mar 2006

  Aquarist/Diver

  Upon completing my research for my Masters of Research Degree a position had become vacant at the NMA, where I had been conducting my research and I was successful in securing it. I worked mainly in the area known as BioZone and was a tropical marine specialist on these smaller and more delicate and demanding exhibits and species drawing on my extensive hobby and aquarium retail shop experience.

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  Cayman Turtle Farm: Island Wildlife Encounter

  Apr 2006 - Nov 2006

  Biologist

  Looking to develop my skills and experience in the early years of my career I looked for interesting employment opportunities. I secured an amazing chance of a role on Grand Cayman and build the quarantine facility for Boatswains Beach (now Cayman Wildlife Encounter) this provided a perfect opportunity to increase my knowledge and skills. We imported from Dynasty Marine Inc all the livestock needed for the public exhibits, quarantined and introduced them to their exhibits.

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  Blue Reef Aquarium

  Nov 2006 - Mar 2008

  Curator

  I arrived to this aquarium as it was in a state of restructure in terms of the husbandry team, this was a great opportunity to implement new working protocols and practices with the new team. The unregulated breeding of Asian Short Clawed Otters was as concern. So we reduced the group size by rehoming some of the individuals and also implemented birth control. We then set about condition training the group to be more easily worked with as they had become quite unruly.The next challenge was to build a new chilled system to house a Giant Pacific Octopus as this site had not held one previously. The back ground of these was also dealing with all aspects of running a husbandry team at a medium sized public aquarium whilst remaining on budget and keeping staff motivated. Show less

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  National Marine Aquarium

  Apr 2008 - Nov 2018

  Curator & Dive Officer

  I always felt the NMA had much more to offer and so I was keen to return, I was initially tasked with focusing on the exhibit delivering and also the approach to the way the exhibit diving was being conducted. Due to my performance in my time I was promoted eventually to Curator and Dive Officer.I was instrumental in the dramatic improvement of the flagship display at the NMA of the 2,500,000 litre exhibit clearing of the "temporary" livestock, then retheming of the exhibit with the installation of a full-scale model seaplane, the chartering of a Boeing 767 to relocate the livestock from an aquarium closing down in Barbados and then the installation of the Jellyfish public display and support lab.An internal promotion led to me taking on the 110 Bishopsgate project in London which had come on-line just after the time another senior member of staff managing it, had left. It took some effort to get it ready in the time frame I had but this was achieved and with the satisfactory managing of it ensured we were successful in gaining a further three-year incremental management contracts so it is still operated by the NMA today. This included delivering a full refurbishment in 2018 which was outside of the normal operational contract and delivered a significant profit margin on a £275,000 project. Notable exhibit developments at the NMA on a small budget, were the conversion of a once fresh water tank to create a “Moon Pool” with a walk over acrylic viewing windows. Another area developed was a previously blank corridor to create the “Saving Seagrass” exhibition area. During my time at the NMA I managed to put the NMA back on the European stage with involvement in EAZA and BIAZA programs, attendance at EUAC and IAC. We were the second aquarium to be breeding Ocellated Eagle Rays in conjunction with the ESB. There was steady improvement of the husbandry team, the animal collection and external contract work under my leadership at the Plymouth site. Show less

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  110 Bishopsgate

  Nov 2009 - Nov 2018

  Project Specialist

  The 80,000 litre aquarium in the lobby of 110 Bishopsgate (Heron Tower then Salesforce Tower) was the largest privately owned aquarium exhibit in the UK.As part of my NMA role I was the project specialist overseeing the initial set up, stocking and running of the exhibit. There was an on site team of three staff so we could form a commercial dive operation to maintain the 4m deep exhibit, which was a four sided acrylic aquarium in the lobby of the tallest building in the City of London.The day to day management included procuring livestock, quarantine and delivery to site. Later in the project time a full refurbishment of the aquarium was carried out. Show less

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  Bristol Aquarium

  Jan 2019 - Jul 2019

  Assistant Curator

  This Aquarium stands in the heart of the water front area of Bristol with a number of other attractions on the site of the old @ Bristol millennium project. A very well laid out and aquarium with vast potential.My first challenge was to recruit and train a new team, introduce good working practices and prepare the site for a full zoo license inspection. This full inspection went smoothly with the license being awarded with no conditions.Working with the General Manager we also brought the operation of the main LSS back into the Displays team for better continuity rather than it being under a building maintenance team.I ran a team of five including myself to maintain and develop the mixed freshwater, marine, reptile and amphibian exhibits. As well as support the horticulturist in the two walk through tropical houses. Show less

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  Merlin Entertainments

  Jul 2019 - now

  • Senior Curator

    Apr 2021 - now

  • Displays Curator

    Jul 2019 - Apr 2021
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  DEFRA

  Nov 2022 - now

  Zoo Experts Committee member

  All members sit in a personal expert capacity and do not represent any particular body. Members are selected for their expertise on areas such as conservation and education in zoos. My specialism is to give an Aquarium professionals input to guidance laid out.