Custom Marine Lift System for Safe Shark Handling and Medical Care

Custom-engineered stainless steel carousel lift designed to safely raise sharks for health assessments in a marine aquarium environment.

When a leading aquarium required a safe, reliable method to lift large sharks from their habitat for routine health assessments, they turned to Autoquip for a custom-engineered solution. The challenge was clear: design a lift system capable of operating in a fully submerged, corrosive marine environment—while ensuring the safety of both animal and handlers.

The application requirements for handling large marine animals presents a unique set of challenges:

• Corrosive Environment: Constant exposure to saltwater demands exceptional material durability.
• Animal Safety: Smooth, stable lifting is critical to prevent stress or injury.
• Sanitation & Containment: Hydraulic systems must avoid contaminating the aquatic environment.
• Space Constraints: The system needed to be modular enough to fit within existing facility limitations, including freight elevator access.
• Precision Fit: The lift had to integrate seamlessly with the pool structure.

Autoquip engineered a fully customized, marine-grade scissor lift system designed specifically for submerged operation and aquatic animal handling.

At the core of the solution is a half-moon shaped platform, tailored to match the pool’s geometry. This allows the platform to position securely against the pool wall, enabling safe and efficient transfer of the shark onto the lift for examination.

Key Features & Engineering Highlights

Marine-Grade Construction

• Built entirely from 316/316L stainless steel, ensuring superior corrosion resistance in saltwater environments.
• All weldments are pickled and passivated post-weld, enhancing long-term durability and resistance to pitting and corrosion.

Fully Submersible Design

• Every component mounted to the lift is rated for full submersion in a marine environment.
• Designed to withstand continuous exposure without degradation.

Closed-Loop Water Hydraulic System

• Utilizes a single-acting, closed-system hydraulic power unit operating with filtered freshwater.
• Prevents contamination of the marine habitat.
• Any water bypassing cylinder seals is safely expelled via capillary tubes, ensuring it does not re-enter the system.

Custom Platform & Surface

• Half-moon platform ships separately and is assembled on-site for easier transport and installation.
• Outfitted with SeaSafe GatorDeck™ FRP grating, providing a durable, slip-resistant surface.
• Precision-cut to maintain a 1.5″ gap from the pool wall, ensuring proper clearance and fit.

Stability & Installation

• Lift is secured to ballast plates with integrated rubber shims, allowing for precise leveling and vibration dampening.
• Engineered to fit within a 146″ x 114″ x 108″ freight elevator, simplifying installation logistics.

Operator-Friendly Features

• Hinged stanchions can be easily lowered and secured, allowing unobstructed access during loading and unloading operations.

The completed lift system provides aquarium staff with a safe, controlled, and repeatable method for handling large sharks during health assessments.

• Smooth transfer of animal with stable lifting
• Ensures a hygienic process with zero cross-contamination
• Withstands harsh marine conditions with minimal maintenance
• Integrates seamlessly into the existing facility