Blog

The Seattle Aquarium launched yearly giant Pacific octopus (GPO) surveys in 2000 in an attempt to answer a question often heard at the octopus exhibit: how many GPOs live in Puget Sound?

The Governor’s Orca Emergency Response package, currently being debated in the state legislature, includes bills to reduce vessel noise and disturbance (HB 1580/SB 5577). The Seattle Aquarium has recently been to Olympia to testify in support of this legislation.

Jellyfish, that is! It takes a lot of moon jellies (between 150 and 200) to fill our popular Ring of Life exhibit—and that’s why we grow our own, behind the scenes in small tanks called “kreisels.” The jellies start out as polyps and, in about six to eight months, when juveniles have matured to a larger size, they can be moved into the exhibit.

In the world of animal care, “enrichment” refers to experiences that offer animals an opportunity to satisfy their behavioral needs, optimize their level of mental stimulation and create a rich, variable environment. And, lucky for us, offering enrichments to our animals also enriches the visitor experience for our guests!

Recently members of our Youth Ocean Advocates program traveled to Olympia to advocate in support of new laws to help protect our environment. The teen volunteers met with legislators to discuss various policy and to learn about the legislative process. Below is a recap from Olivia Schroeder who took a moment to share her experience participating in Seattle Aquarium’s advocacy day. Thank you Olivia!

The New Year has arrived and many of us are figuring out our personal goals to make 2019 the best year yet! We at the Aquarium are making our own resolution: to be part of the solution in the fight for a plastic-free future.

Over the past year the Aquarium has been trying to keep our readers up to date on the challenges facing our local orca population. The southern residents, better known as the J, K and L pods, are down to just 74 family members and news recently broke that two more members of J and K pods are struggling to get the food they need to survive.

What’s soft, squishy, able to spill its guts and found in most Seattle Aquarium habitats? The sea cucumber! These invertebrates (animals without backbones) can confuse or harm predators by expelling their internal organs—literally spilling their guts—along with a toxic substance, in the direction of an attack. The missing organs regenerate in one to five weeks.

Invertebrates—animals without backbones—are found in every habitat at the Seattle Aquarium. And, like all animals that make their homes with us, they need expert care to thrive.

Aggregating anemones are the most abundant species of anemone along the North American coast. Found attached to rocks, they prey on small fish, snails, crabs and other animals that they immobilize with venom from their tentacles, then devour through their mouths, located at the top center of their bodies.

Many of us have heard about the growing problem around single-use plastics and at the Aquarium we are committed to how we can take positive steps toward making a difference! Unfortunately the statistics are staggering. Globally we are now producing almost 300 million tons of plastics every year, with more than half of that being “single use.”

The Seattle Aquarium is excited to announce that we recently partnered with Whidbey Island Ice Cream Company on a new sea salted caramel ice cream bar! The ice cream which has received the Aquarium’s “Seal of Approval” will be available in a variety of local stores and in our very own Aquarium Café. A portion of the proceeds from each bar sold will support conservation and educational programming at the Aquarium. We have to admit, we got an early taste and they are quite yummy!