About Our Podcast
Joseph Arlotto
Joe is an aquatics engineer (BSME) specializing in Life Support System (LSS) operations and design implementation. He is an LSS operator/manager with decades of hands-on experience at multiple facilities including the Brookfield Zoo, the Albuquerque Aquarium and the San Diego Zoo. After 20 years of operations, Joe moved to the design side as an LSS engineer, managing projects worldwide. Most recently, Joe spent 3 years on site at Sea World Abu Dhabi, managing the installation, testing, startup and commissioning of over 50 LSS, including seawater intake, makeup and discharge systems, water features, wetlands, waterfalls and holding/quarantine systems.
His consulting company, Aquatic Operations Group, has teamed with owners, design engineers and contractors, providing guidance for pipe installation, LSS drawing and specification implementation, equipment installation, submittal and RFI review, start-up, commissioning, operator training and O&M manuals.
Joe is a founding member of AALSO (Aquatic Animal Life Support Operators) and was directly responsible for creating the original LSS Operator Certification Program. He lives in San Diego.
Dr. Jeff Keaffaber
Dr. Jeffrey (Jeff) Keaffaber has served as SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment’s Director of Environmental and Habitat Design since 2016. In this role, Dr. Keaffaber leads the design of dynamic environmental systems needed to support the Company’s animal habitats and their life support systems. These include the air, water, and lighting systems that extend to habitat and behavioral enrichment.
Dr. Keaffaber works closely with the corporate and park zoological teams to establish goals and opportunities that will continue SeaWorld’s legacy of designing state of the art facilities for the animals in its care.
Starting his professional career in 1989 with the Walt Disney Company, Dr. Keaffaber has over 35 years of combined experience as a corporate scientist, University of Florida professor, restaurateur, and consultant. Dr. Keaffaber received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Florida in 1989 where he continues to be active as an affiliate professor.
Recent Episodes
Featured award-winning podcasts
Ep 38 - Building for Longevity: Strategic Life Support Operations and Infrastructure
Success in aquatic animal care isn't just about water chemistry—it's about the "bricks and mortar" that hold everything together. In this episode of Inflow , hosts Joe Arlotto and Dr. Jeff Keaffaber sit down with industry veteran Steve File, a long-standing leader and former board member of AALSO. W...
Ep 37 - Inside the AZFA: Design, Environment and Aquatic Exhibit Care
What happens when the worlds of facility management and life support systems (LSS) collide? In this special episode of Inflow , hosts Joe Arlotto and Dr. Jeff Keaffaber take the show on the road to the Aquarium and Zoo Facilities Association (AZFA) conference to explore the critical infrastructure t...
Ep 36 - The Operator's Mindset: Denitrification, Ozone, and Real-World LSS Design
In this episode of INFLOW: Aquatic Animal Life Support Systems and Habitats , hosts Joe Arlotto and Dr. Jeff Keaffaber are joined by Andy Aiken, Director of Life Support Programs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, for a practical, operations-first conversation on designing and running aquarium l...
Reviews
What the people say about us
Back to the beginning
Wow Joe that was great hearing you and John linn Brought back a lot of good memories
ALSS |Manager SeaWorld Abu Dhabi
I am proud and humbled to have worked with these three men and look forward to hearing more episodes in the future. A continued focus on researching emerging technologies or best practices could lead to further enhancements in operational efficiency and water quality management.
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