Blog: 23

Just like people, the animals at the Aquarium benefit from expert care, including regular medical exams. And recently, when three of our resident wolf eels were being relocated into new habitats, senior veterinarian Caitlin Hadfield, Vet MB Dipl. ACZM Dipl. ECZM, worked with Aquarium staff aquarists to do routine health checks.

Meadows of grass growing below the surface of Puget Sound? It may not be the same as the grass on your local playfield—but it’s there, and it serves a vital purpose.

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.

Do you know where the plastic straw you used in your iced latte or soda goes after you toss it in the trash? Many end up in landfills but others end up as part of the growing problem around single-use plastics polluting the ocean.

"No two days are the same!" That's a sentiment echoed by many on the Seattle Aquarium facilities team, which handles a broad array of tasks in the areas of engineering, maintenance, custodial, safety and security. 

Last year, scientists at Belgium’s Ghent University released a sobering study revealing that shellfish lovers may be ingesting up to 11,000 particles of microplastics along with their favorite meals each year.

Routine checkups are important for everyone—including the animals at the Aquarium. Recently, our bird & mammal team conducted routine checkups for all 15 of the alcids that call the Seattle Aquarium home.

Seattle Aquarium President & CEO Robert W. Davidson and Aquarium staff joined Governor Inslee, regional and tribal leaders, and environmental advocates at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center in support for our native southern resident orca population this past Wednesday.