Scientist For a Day: Ichthyologist

Ages: 9-12 years

Dive deep into the fascinating world of fishes these school holidays at the Australian Museum’s Scientist for a Day: Ichthyologist full-day experience! With exclusive behind-the-scenes access to working labs and interactive activities, kids will be immersed in a fun-filled day of science.

Go behind-the-scenes at the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) to explore real lab spaces and the incredible fishes and marine collections. Meet the Australian Museum's Dr Yi-Kai Tea, Curator, Ichthyology, and Amanda Hay, Ichthyology Collection Manager, and learn how scientists study fish anatomy and uncover the mysteries of deep-sea creatures. Discover how light and colour help fish survive in the ocean’s darkest depths—and don’t forget to bring your curiosity and questions!

Perfect for curious kids who love marine life and hands-on science adventures.

Amanda Hay is the Ichthyology Collection Manager at the Australian Museum and has 25 years of experience in Ichthyological collections and research. As the Ichthyology Collection Manager since 2018, Amanda is responsible for developing and maintaining the Museum’s fish collection, facilitating access to the collection for visiting researchers and through loans, as well as providing expertise to the Museum’s public programs and answering public and scientific enquiries.

Dr Yi-Kai Tea is the Curator, Ichthyology at the Australian Museum and was recently the Australian Museum’s Chadwick Biodiversity Fellow. Completing a PhD at the University of Sydney on the systematics and evolutionary history of coral reef fishes, Kai’s research interests combine the use of cutting-edge next generation sequencing techniques with traditional methods of morphology to better understand the evolutionary history of coral reef fishes. Kai has revised the taxonomy of several coral reef fish groups, in addition to having described over twenty species as new to science.