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A six pack of soda bottles held together by plastic rings and wrapped with labels. Clamshell containers filled with berries. Two boxes of pasta with miniature plastic windows. A variety pack of single-serving yogurts. Apples and bananas, each with a plastic sticker.

Does it ever feel like a trip to the grocery store is awash in unnecessary packaging? 

As the Washington state legislative session begins, the Seattle Aquarium is working with partners to advance science-based policies and funding that will protect ocean health. Read on to learn about some of our top priorities for 2022—and how you can take action, too!

In discussions about conservation, certain habitats tend to come up as particularly important to restore and protect. Coral reefs and mangroves often immediately come to mind but feel far away from us here in the Pacific Northwest. However, there are critical aquatic habitats found right here in Puget Sound, including estuaries! Estuaries are tidal wetland environments where rivers meet salt water; these junctions are important environments for all sorts of species, from migratory birds to juvenile salmon (you can download this estuary infographic to learn more). We now have a chance to restore a key estuary in Washington: the Duckabush River estuary.

Great news: you’ll soon be able to get even more nose-to-nose with Flaherty the northern fur seal. We’ve embarked on an exciting addition to his habitat that will provide additional haul-out space!

The Seattle Aquarium is supporting the Keeping Ecosystems Living and Productive Act, or KELP Act, in Congress. This bill would establish a grant program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for kelp forest conservation, restoration and management projects. These types of projects can help us better understand what actions can support kelp forest growth and sustainability into the future—and then take those actions. 

Kelp forests are a historically and culturally important ecosystem in Washington, and vital to the health of our ocean, food security and livelihoods. Now is the time to support these ecosystems to ensure that kelp forests grow and thrive for generations to come.
 

Imagine you are a young green sea turtle. Before the storms came and the sea became very cold, you were swimming in a warmer current. In warm water, you are a strong, graceful swimmer. Your powerful front flippers propel you through the water with the ease of a bird soaring through the air. But now you’re cold. So cold that you can’t move. You’ve been floating at the surface, too cold to swim, for many days. You’re also hungry. You can’t find food because you can’t move your flippers to swim. You float, carried helplessly in a current that is getting colder and colder, waiting for something to happen. Sharks and other predators are looking for an easy meal. And right now, you are an easy target. The storms started coming about a month ago. One after another, bringing high winds to the surface waters where you need to come up to breathe. The wind, waves and currents were strong.  You couldn’t swim away when the sea became even colder. Finally, after drifting for countless days, the waves pushed you onto a beach. There you lay, weak, starving and too cold to move.
 

Our new Empathy Fellowship program kicked off last year, and the first cohort has completed their time! The capstone of these full-time, paid, fully benefited positions is to develop an empathy community action project (ECAP). The fellows research, implement and present on projects in order to apply all that they’ve learned with the Aquarium to a real-world, marine-conservation-related issue that impacts themselves and their community.

Now our first two fellows offer reflections on their experiences in the program. 

Our new Empathy Fellowship program kicked off last year, and the first cohort has completed their one-year terms! The capstone of these full-time, paid, fully benefited positions is to develop an empathy community action project (ECAP). The fellows research, implement and present on projects in order to apply all that they’ve learned to a real-world, marine-conservation-related issue that impacts themselves and their community.

Now our first two fellows offer reflections on their experiences in the program. 

The national goal to protect and conserve at least 30% of U.S. land, waters and ocean by 2030, known as 30x30, represents the single greatest conservation agenda the United States has ever committed to. Sign your name to protect coastal habitats for biodiversity, climate and equitable access to nature. 

We’re excited to announce the launch of Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home, an awe-inspiring, curated interactive exhibit—now in the Family Activity Center at the Seattle Aquarium!

Have you ever wondered about the animals under our care at the Aquarium, such as how they came to live here and why they need our care? Those are big questions, and part of the answers can be found through our accreditation with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and participation in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program. What is that exactly, and how do we participate? Let’s dive in!

Last summer, the Seattle Aquarium offered high school students the opportunity to participate in our first-ever online marine science club, an eight-week drop-in program featuring guest speakers, behind-the-scenes Aquarium tours and opportunities for participants to earn service hours by completing conservation actions. One participant, Lucas C., took those actions to the next level.