Blog

The Seattle Aquarium’s unique location and ongoing monitoring efforts enabled us to publish the first long-term monitoring of microparticle concentrations in an urban waterfront of the Salish Sea as a scientific paper. Our paper, titled Temporal variability of microparticles under the Seattle Aquarium, WA: Documenting the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The Seattle Aquarium is home to nearly 400 species and over 12,000 individual mammals, birds fish and invertebrates. And, just like humans, these species have their own distinct care needs that change as they age. “All animals at the Aquarium have care plans that are customized to their species and the needs of the individuals or groups,” says Senior Veterinarian Dr. Caitlin Hadfield, MA VetMB DAZCM DECZM.

By protecting and conserving 30% of land and waters, including the ocean, by 2030 (30x30), we have a chance to alter the course for biodiversity, the climate and environmental justice, and pave the way for other decisive actions needed to meet the challenges we face.

The Seattle Aquarium is committed to continued diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) learning and practices, and to using our sphere of influence to actively oppose racism within our industry and communities of conservation. We are proud today to share with you our commitment to anti-racism, as well as some further information about our ongoing DEI work.

An egg-bound red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) at the Seattle Aquarium needed surgery, so a board-certified surgeon from Animal Surgical and Orthopedic Clinic (ASOC) performed the necessary procedure. 

It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of Q, one of our beloved harbor seals, at the age of 22. Q started showing some health issues in March of this year. X-rays at the time showed a mass inside his chest. “Diagnostic tests suggested that the most likely cause was a cancer known as lymphoma,” says Dr. Caitlin Hadfield, senior veterinarian at the Seattle Aquarium. 

Have you heard of nurdles? They might sound cute, but they are actually small preproduction plastic pellets that are produced and shipped around the world to be melted down and molded into plastic products. Not only does plastic production use fossil fuels and thereby contribute to climate change, but these small nurdles often spill during transit and end up in the environment—an estimated 230,000 tons of them every year. 

We are deeply saddened to announce the loss of Aniak, one of our beloved sea otters. Aniak was a 19-year-old female born here at the Seattle Aquarium to Lootas, our former sea otter matriarch.

The Seattle Aquarium works on policies to reduce noise and disturbance impacts on the endangered southern resident orcas, which currently number only 75. Quieter waters will make it easier for the orcas to communicate with each other and find scarce salmon, while we all work to restore habitat so that those salmon are more abundant. 

This year marks Susan’s 25th year as a Seattle Aquarium board member, and we’re proud to honor her with the Scott S. Patrick Inspirational Award. Named for the late Aquarium board member and Seattle Seahawks executive who served with extraordinary passion, the Scott S. Patrick award annually recognizes the Seattle Aquarium board member whose service best exemplifies the passion, leadership and enthusiasm that characterized Scott Patrick’s life and board service. 

Coral reefs are subject to marine heatwaves caused by human-induced climate change. Long-term thermal stress can negatively affect corals and the associated marine organisms that use these areas as critical habitat by causing coral bleaching. Coral reefs provide important ecosystem goods and services such as fisheries and tourism as well as aesthetic and cultural value. 

The northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) is one of 34 species of the group of carnivorous mammals with front and rear flippers, called pinnipeds (fin footed). Northern fur seals are known for their extremely dense fur, with about 300,000 hairs per square inch (second only to sea otters) and the largest sexual dimorphism, or size difference, of any marine mammal. Females can weigh up to around 100 pounds, and males can weigh up to 600 pounds!