by Ilze Berzins, PhD, DVM

About Her Story

"The two animals in the acrylic tank gradually began to sink toward the bottom—precisely as we had hoped. There were a few “thumbs up” gestures from the patients in the chamber. Phew, I thought, maybe we can save these little guys after all."

About the Author

Though she grew up in the Midwest, Ilze K. Berzins chose to pursue a career in marine biology. She attended Stanford University, earning her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biology, and then earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley, with an emphasis on marine invertebrates and behavioral ecology. While assisting with field studies on parasitism in shorebirds, Dr. Berzins became interested in combining aquatic biology with veterinary medicine. She attended veterinary school at the University of California, Davis and completed an externship at the Minnesota Zoo.

After several years in private practice, she enrolled in a three-year fellowship program in comparative pathology at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and then returned to Minnesota to set up a consulting business in exotic and aquatic animal medicine. For the past ten years, she has served as Veterinarian and Vice President of Biological Operations at the Florida Aquarium, where she oversees animal health, husbandry, conservation, research, and dive programs, and is responsible for over 15,000 animals including small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. The motto “Leap and the net will appear” has kept her moving forward on an unusual and exciting career path.