Washington’s shellfish population—clams, oysters and mussels—have been called the “canaries in the coalmine” for ocean acidification. Rising acidity in our local waters has already made it difficult for some shellfish populations to reproduce.
Did you get out and explore our beaches this past week during some of the lowest tides we will have this summer? Our naturalists were out every day, mingling with our intertidal neighbors and helping our visitors see and learn about even the tiniest of creatures!
Longtime Aquarium Aquarist Chris Van Damme joined forces with Associate Curator of Life Sciences Joel Hollander and Aquarium volunteer Eva Funderburgh Hollis to create a beautiful and authentic-looking piece of rockwork that was recently unveiled in our Puget Sound Fish exhibit.
“Puget Sound is such an incredible and unique treasure…people in Seattle are fortunate to see it every day. And the Seattle Aquarium is the embodiment of the treasure that is Puget Sound.” Listening to longtime Seattle Aquarium supporter Lesley Canfield talk about Puget Sound and the Aquarium, you’d never guess that she lives in California.
Last month, during our annual octopus census, Aquarium staff and divers from around Puget Sound counted 41 giant Pacific octopuses (GPOs) at 13 locations. Below is a Q&A with Senior Aquarist Kathryn Kegel about the results.
Going to work can be such a drag, right? You get up early and choose an outfit for the day…then there’s the commute…and when you finally arrive, it feels like you’re surrounded by a bunch of wild animals!
“How deep can you dive?” It’s a question frequently asked by Aquarium visitors attending one of our daily diver shows. And it prompted us to look into depths overall—specifically, what you might see at various depths in Puget Sound.
Why is the water in the Seattle Aquarium’s exhibits sometimes a bit cloudy? Because it’s pumped directly from Puget Sound, where the underwater weather report has recently included (in addition to 100% humidity) colder temperatures and partially cloudy waters.
Ever wondered where the Aquarium gets new animals for its exhibits? Not surprisingly, it isn’t simply a matter of heading to a local beach with a bucket at low tide. Below, staff aquarist Kathryn Kegel provides a behind-the-scenes peek at the Seattle Aquarium’s cold-water collection methods.
People around the world celebrated World Oceans Day on June 8—but the Seattle Aquarium expanded the festivities into two days with World Ocean Weekend on June 13 and 14. Through a variety of engaging demonstration and fun activities, Aquarium guests learned how everyone—no matter where they live—can be an ocean hero while helping to keep our marine environment clean and healthy.
