Page 11 – Seattle Aquarium

A renewed look at all that packaging

Posted on January 21, 2022February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

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? Maybe it also leaves you confused about what can go in the recycling bin and what can’t. Then there’s all the packaging from online purchases and restaurant take-out containers, as well as things like toys that may be packaged with a combination of cardboard and different kinds of plastic that can be hard to separate and sort. Even packaging that is recyclable may end up in the landfill—a 2019 study in Washington found that only 58% of jurisdictions have access to curbside recycling collection.

Small pieces of plastic and other packaging add up—to a mounting pollution problem. Each year, millions of tons of plastic enter our ocean. This waste, much of it from single-use packaging, pollutes coastal ecosystems and harms marine life. Hundreds of marine species, including whales, salmon and seals, ingest plastic pellets or become entangled. Plastic pollution impacts deep ocean ecosystems as well as Puget Sound. Seattle Aquarium research finds that microplastics are ubiquitous in local waters.

We live in an era of plastic and other packaging, all designed for just a few minutes of use. In the next 30 years, we’ll produce even more plastic waste—an estimated four times more than we have now. Globally, only 9% of all plastic ever created has been recycled—the rest has been incinerated or discarded, typically ending up in landfills (or worse, out in the environment). And it’s not just plastic we’re concerned about. All kinds of packaging generate greenhouse gas emissions, end up as litter, and can be hard to recycle in the current system.

How do we solve this pollution problem? One important way is addressing packaging and other single-use products at the source. We can all take steps to reduce our environmental footprint by buying in bulk to avoid single-use packaging or choosing used instead of new products whenever possible. In addition to individual actions, however, a critical policy mechanism can help increase recycling, reduce waste and spark transformative change. This policy is called Extended Producer Responsibility.

How does Extended Producer Responsibility work?

Under producer responsibility, companies that make packaging are responsible for the costs, environmental impacts, and end-of-life of their products. The burden thus falls on those who are designing and making the packaging in the first place—rather than on the end-customer or local government. Those producers have plenty of opportunities to make their packaging more sustainable. They can also label things more clearly and accurately, so people know if and where it’s recyclable or compostable.

Producer responsibility is the norm in Canada and much of the European Union. It’s a proven, successful approach to increase package recycling. Countries with producer responsibility laws have seen recycling rates skyrocket. In 2021, Maine and Oregon became the first U.S. states to pass producer responsibility legislation. Now, Washington has an opportunity to join them.

What is the Seattle Aquarium doing?

Together with our Plastic Free Washington coalition partners, the Aquarium is working to advance the RENEW Act (SB 5697), championed by Senator Das and Representative Donaghy this legislative session to modernize and transform our recycling system and reduce waste. Through producer responsibility and funding to ensure that every Washington resident has access to convenient recycling services, Washington can once again become a leader in responsible recycling and help keep plastic and other litter out of the environment.

The Seattle Aquarium also strongly supports the federal Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which would establish similar requirements for packaging producers nationwide. The Act would also support reuse and refill programs; ban non-recyclable single-use products like plastic utensils and carryout bags; and put a temporary pause on new plastic facilities because of environmental justice and public health concerns.

Take action!

If you live in Washington, find your WA legislative district and urge your legislators to reduce plastic pollution by supporting the RENEW Act (SB 5697) in the 2022 session. Ask them to support “extended producer responsibility” legislation in our state.
Contact your members of Congress and ask them to help advance the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act (S.984/H.R. 2238) to address plastic pollution across the United States.
Choose products with less packaging. Buy used instead of new whenever possible. Buy in bulk rather than singly packaged snacks and other items. Reward corporations that package responsibly.
Check out our Act for the Ocean page for additional ways you can help the ocean and marine wildlife!

Speaking up for ocean health: 2022 priorities in the Washington legislature

Posted on January 18, 2022December 19, 2023 by Emma Leiser

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!

Reducing plastic pollution

Single-use packaging represents a major environmental problem—very little of it is recycled. Waste, including harmful plastics, accumulates in the ocean and on our shorelines, putting marine wildlife at risk. We are advocating for the RENEW Act (SB 5697) to modernize and transform our recycling system and reduce waste from this packaging. The RENEW Act would:

Make producers of packaging and paper products responsible for the full life cycle of their products.
Require that by 2031, 100% of the packaging and paper products made in or sold into Washington is reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Ensure all Washington residents have access to recycling services.

Protecting salmon habitat

Salmon are keystone species and critical for Washington ecosystems and communities, as well as for the survival of the endangered southern resident orcas. We are supporting several policies to recover salmon and protect their habitat:

Lorraine Loomis Act for Salmon Recovery (HB 1838/SB 5727) to shade rivers and streams and protect critical waterways, providing salmon the cold water they need to survive.
Identifying and addressing structures like old docks and bulkheads that are either unpermitted or have fallen into disrepair so we can restore nearshore habitat for forage fish and salmon (SB 5885).
Developing a plan to protect and restore at least 10,000 acres of kelp forests and eelgrass meadows by 2040 (HB 1661/SB 5619).
A $50.2 million state investment in the Duckabush River Estuary Restoration Project.

Addressing climate change

Alongside the commitments in our new sustainability master plan, such as building our new Ocean Pavilion to be all electric and offsetting embodied carbon for all construction projects, we are also supporting:

Strengthening building energy codes (HB 1770/SB 5669).
Expanding energy performance standards for large buildings (HB 1774).
Creating a reporting system on embodied carbon and other impacts of the structural materials used in state-funded infrastructure projects (Buy Clean and Buy Fair, HB 1103/SB 5366).
Developing a transportation system that prioritizes equity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Requiring local governments to incorporate climate resilience into comprehensive plans (HB 1099).

Working with partners and advancing environmental justice

As a member of the Environmental Priorities Coalition, we also support the other EPC 2022 priorities and Partnership Agenda, including Energy for All (HB 1490), led by Front and Centered.

Raise your voice!

If you live in Washington state, speak up about your priorities for ocean and environmental health. Email your elected officials or call the toll-free legislative hotline at (800) 562-6000 (TTY for hearing impaired [800] 833-6388) between 8am and 7pm, Monday through Friday, to leave a message for all three of your legislators at once.
Share your WA legislative district with us so we can reach out to you about supporting targeted policy actions where your legislator could cast a key vote.
Sign up to receive occasional action alerts on ocean-related policy issues.
Discover additional ways you can help the marine environment by visiting our Act for the Ocean page.

Duckabush Estuary: An important opportunity for recovery

Posted on December 16, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

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. We now have a chance to restore a key estuary in Washington: the Duckabush River estuary.

Critical habitat

Juvenile salmon spend months in estuaries undergoing a process called smoltification, when they grow and develop a tolerance for salt water. This is a rare superpower—few aquatic species can survive in both salt and fresh water—and the estuarine habitat, at the junction between river and ocean, is needed for salmon to adapt!

Unfortunately, development has eliminated or degraded 75% of river delta tidal wetlands in Puget Sound. This enormous loss is especially problematic for juvenile salmon and other fish and wildlife that rely on estuaries. Many of those species are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Salmon are keystone species, meaning their loss would reverberate throughout their ecosystems. Predators of salmon, such as orcas, birds, bears and people, are directly impacted by declining salmon runs, while other species are impacted in less direct ways. When salmon die after spawning or while traveling up rivers, for example, their bodies provide nutrients to trees and other plants along the riverbed. These trees then provide shade and keep the water cool enough for salmon eggs to survive and provide safe habitat for young salmon as they journey down the river. Trees also sequester carbon and provide habitat for many other animals. This intricate ecosystem interdependency is beautiful, but it’s at risk due to human impacts.

Duckabush Estuary Restoration Project

The Duckabush River estuary is located on the western shore of Hood Canal. Highway 101 runs right over it, giving drivers access to the Olympic Peninsula. When this segment of the highway was designed in 1931, 12 feet of fill was used to support the new roadbed. Most of us probably aren’t thinking about what’s under the road we drive on, so long as it’s flat and stable. Unfortunately, all the fill, dikes and road infrastructure block water channels and limit critical habitat that fish rely on, including threatened Hood Canal summer chum and mid-Hood Canal Chinook salmon. Water bottlenecks created by the current highway also cause seasonal flooding.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, has proposed a project to elevate the highway and restore the estuary so that it is once again prime habitat for fish and other species. There is a unique opportunity for a federal-state partnership to share the cost of this project: $50 million in state funding would unlock $30 million in federal funding. Check out this video from WDFW to learn more about what’s being planned.

For this important project to move forward, we need Washington legislators to secure funding in this state legislative session.

Join us in taking action!

Updated February 2023: If you live in Washington state, please call or email your state legislator and ask them to support a $41 million state investment in the Duckabush River Estuary Restoration Project during the 2023 state legislative session! Email your elected officials or call the toll-free legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000 (TTY for hearing impaired 800-833-6388) between 8am and 7pm, Monday through Friday, to leave a message for all three of your legislators at once. This is an opportunity to make a real difference for threatened salmon and a vital ecosystem.

Aquarium fellows reflect on the Empathy Fellowship program’s inaugural year, part 2

Posted on November 23, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

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. (Interested in applying? Visit our Empathy Fellowship page for details.)

Now our first two fellows offer reflections on their experiences in the program. Below we hear from Astrid Moncaleano with her thoughts. (You can read the first installment by Jules Rader here.)

Part 2 of 2: Empathy Fellow Astrid Moncaleano

It’s incredible to think that a year has passed since I started this journey as a fellow. I couldn’t imagine how I would do this first work experience in the U.S. and the changes it would bring. Fortunately for me, I came to an organization and a team where I always felt welcomed and valued from day one. I found dedicated, gentle, relatable and passionate people; a new work environment; a new way of working with a different management style; new ways of learning; and the freedom and confidence to complete my tasks.

Part of why I consider this a unique experience was that learning from different approaches—through books, documentaries, films, TEDx Talks—gave us a broad spectrum of knowledge about empathy for people and wildlife. It incorporated a better understanding of diversity and inclusion in our work in order to generate transformative changes in our workplaces, communities and society.

For my ECAP topic, I implemented ideas aligned with my professional purpose. The result was the Latinx Empathy Workshop, with the invaluable participation of Aquarium professionals and Latinx professionals as role models, allowing Latinx youth to explore new professional development perspectives in the conservation movement. Creating this space where the professionals shared their personal and professional stories and experiences was an emotional and inspiring moment to empathize and recognize the struggles, challenges and moments of joy of being a professional in conservation. The audience was connected and represented with the storytelling, and presentations broadened their vision on job search, strengths, skills, values, environmental justice and climate action.

I learned from all aspects of the workshop planning. Promoting and putting together a team to achieve the proposed goals is an enriching learning process that makes you grow as a professional, gain confidence, acquire new skills and empower you to generate better ideas.

*(English translation below.) En mi interminable lista de cosas por las que agradezco al Programa de becas Empathy (EFP) está la oportunidad de trabajar generando contenido bilingüe. Logre incorporar contenido en español e inglés en el taller y colaboré en la traducción al español de materiales de divulgación utilizados en diferentes programas como Cedar River Salmon Journey y Beach Naturalists. Participar en la interpretación del tour virtual en español fue también una experiencia de satisfacción que me ayudó a formarme en nuevas habilidades y pensar en nuevos horizontes profesionales. Es muy satisfactorio creer que estos materiales servirán a nuestros públicos y comunidades y se convertirán en valiosas herramientas de trabajo en diferentes actividades y programas dentro del acuario, logrando la educación en conservación más inclusiva.

Thanks to the fellowship, I feel that I’ve become a more empathetic person, more confident of my skills and able to face new challenges, and I better understand how workplaces function in the U.S. and how I can adapt myself to this culture. I see future possibilities for working with professionals of diverse cultural origins and with other organizations, creating spaces with different purposes of empathy for people and marine life, building community, exchanging experiences and connecting with multicultural audiences. I hope many professionals like me will receive this opportunity to enrich their work environment with the new perspectives that migrants bring wherever we go.

*(I’m grateful to the Empathy Fellowship for an endless list of reasons, and among them is the opportunity to create bilingual content. I incorporated Spanish and English content into the workshop and collaborated on the Spanish translations of outreach materials for programs like the Cedar River Salmon Journey and Beach Naturalist. Participating in virtual tours as a Spanish interpreter was also a satisfying experience that helped me develop new abilities and expand my professional horizons. It’s very satisfying to think that those materials will serve the public and community and become valuable tools in different activities and programs within the Aquarium, achieving higher inclusivity of conservation education.)

Aquarium fellows reflect on the Empathy Fellowship program’s inaugural year, part 1

Posted on November 22, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Now our first two fellows offer reflections on their experiences in the program. Below we hear from Jules Rader with their thoughts. (You can read the second installment by Astrid Moncaleano here.)

Part 1 of 2: Empathy Fellow Jules Rader

As this fellowship comes to an end, I can honestly and gratefully say I am sad to leave. I learned so much and am leaving the position with an even stronger conviction that empathy and equity must always lead my approach to conservation work.

My ECAP was an eight-week digital program called “The Aqueerium: a marine conservation club for LGBTQ+ youth.” Twenty-three LGBTQIA+ youth (ages 13–17) joined from across the U.S. to participate. We also had six wonderful volunteer mentors from the LGBTQIA+ community helping in the program.
The main goals of my ECAP were to:

Create a supportive, affirming community space for LGBTQIA+ youth at the Aquarium, so they feel welcome and safe and can see themselves represented in marine science and conservation.
Empower LGBTQ+ youth to feel they can pursue a career or continue to advocate for marine conservation and be their full self in this space—seen and respected for who they are.
Inspire empathy for marine invertebrates, specifically by feeling connected to nudibranchs. Use empathy as a tool for conservation.
Encourage LGBTQ+ youth to advocate for animals and the environment, and subsequently feel empowered to advocate for themselves, others and their communities.

I set out to create this program because I found my community in LGBTQIA+ activist spaces and wanted to foster a space that would engage with and uplift LGBTQIA+ youth and also make learning and science fun and approachable! I left STEM because I did not feel celebrated, seen or represented by my science teachers, and I didn’t see social justice and equity being prioritized. In this program, I hoped to empower young people to pursue their interests and hear from many different LGBTQIA+ folks in conservation.

During the first meeting we came up with community guidelines—an important way to set the tone for creating an inclusive and welcoming space together.

Over the following three weeks we split into groups, each choosing a nudibranch mascot to research and present to the rest of the Aqueerium. (A key takeaway was the importance of relationship-building and designing a program with specific community and participant needs in mind, as well as being open to learning from our participants and working together. With ongoing feedback from anonymous surveys after each meeting, we could make changes and improve the program as we went along.)

On the fifth week, we hosted a virtual panel, LGBTQ+ in Conservation, featuring five panelists and 38 attendees—including Aqueerium participants and mentors, Aquarium staff, and young LGBTQIA+ folks interested in conservation. In addition to communicating and building understanding with panelists beforehand, a key part of showing our respect for them was providing fair and equitable compensation for their time and work. We received very positive feedback from our panelists, who recognized the Aqueerium space as welcoming and healing. One panelist even commented that they wished a club like the Aqueerium had existed when they were young. That is exactly why this project felt important.

The feedback we got from an anonymous survey at the end of the program showed that this really was a welcoming and inclusive space, and that the program met everyone’s expectations for what they hoped to learn. We found:

Half of the participants had never participated in an aquarium or conservation program before.
Half had never joined a group for LGBTQIA+ youth before.
Half had not found other opportunities to connect with the LGBTQIA+ youth community over a shared interest (such as marine conservation, activism, art, etc.)

Clearly, these kinds of programs are still hard to come by, and that is exactly why we need more of them. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work on something so important to me, and so needed in an infinitely difficult time, when many LGBTQIA+ young people have been isolated from one another. I leave this fellowship eager to continue working in conservation education, and certain of the urgent necessity of centering empathy and equity in this field.

Animal care at the Seattle Aquarium: The AZA’s Species Survival Plans

Posted on November 1, 2021May 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

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!

According to the AZA, “an AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program strives to manage and conserve a select and typically threatened or endangered species population with the cooperation of AZA-accredited institutions. SSP Programs develop a Breeding and Transfer Plan that identifies population management goals and recommendations to ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied population.”

Staff at the Seattle Aquarium participate in several SSPs as well as the Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs), which select the SSP Programs. All four mammal species in our care are in an SSP: sea otter, harbor seal, northern fur seal and river otter, though the SSPs for the last three are led by staff at other facilities. We participate in five TAGs—aquatic invertebrate, marine mammal, Charadriiformes (shorebirds, auks, gulls, and related species), freshwater fishes and marine fishes—and 10 SSPs: North American river otter, northern sea otter, southern sea otter (although we don’t provide a home for this species at the Aquarium), harbor seal, common murre, horned puffin (also not currently a resident at the Aquarium), tufted puffin, lined seahorse, spotted eagle ray and bowmouth guitarfish. (The spotted eagle ray and bowmouth guitarfish will be part of the new Ocean Pavilion habitats!)

Seattle Aquarium Curator of Birds and Mammals Julie Carpenter explains more: “For species that are part of a managed SSP, we work cooperatively with the SSP coordinator and studbook keeper* to meet necessary reproduction and transport plans to best suit the animal’s needs and conservation initiatives set forth by the TAG and Regional Collection Plan.”

*(Not sure what a studbook is? Keep reading!)

“Lined seahorses, for example, are cared for by many AZA organizations,” says Curator of Fish and Invertebrates Tim Carpenter. “It is the job of the SSP coordinator and studbook keeper to be sure any inter-facility trades and reproduction support the long-term sustainability of the genetics in the AZA collection as a whole. As many institutions care for this species, it is a complex and detailed job to manage the program.”

You may wonder: When does the Seattle Aquarium get picked to lead an SSP program or manage a studbook, versus a different AZA-accredited institution? Julie notes, “An individual keeper, aquarist, biologist, trainer, registrar, etc., can apply for a vacant SSP coordinator position or studbook role and must have support of the facility via permission of their direct manager and CEO. It’s a lot of work and is done on top of your regular job.”

The studbooks Julie refers to are part of the AZA Regional Studbook, which is part of the SSP program. The AZA’s website explains that “an AZA Regional Studbook dynamically documents the pedigree and entire demographic history of each individual in a population of species—they’re invaluable tools that track each individual animal cared for in AZA-accredited institutions.” Studbooks keep track of information such as age, significant events like births or deaths, parentage, taxonomy and any unique individual history.

Aquarium staff have managed studbooks for over 10 years and are currently managing five: northern and southern sea otter, tufted puffin, horned puffin and common murre.

“I find managing a species studbook to be extremely interesting,” says Julie, “and it helps me see the care and welfare of the species in a new light. It also allows me to work with each facility that cares for that species and provides me with a deeper appreciation of the amazing work each accredited zoo and aquarium does to support our common missions.”

Interested in learning more about animal care at the Aquarium? Read our previous post on what it’s like to care for the 12,000 individual animals entrusted to us.

Glossary

AZA: Association of Zoos and Aquariums
SSP: Species Survival Plan through AZA
TAG: Taxon Advisory Group through AZA

Local youth taking conservation action: Meet Hermione “Drain”ger

Posted on October 25, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

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. After learning about his local watershed, he completed the suggested activity of counting storm drains in his neighborhood and noticed that some had stencils on them—and some of those were pretty faded. So went home and did a little research, learning that stencil kits are available by request from the City of Seattle. “The stencil says ‘DUMP NO WASTE—DRAINS TO PUGET SOUND,’ “ says Lucas, “Which I thought was perfect after learning about the watershed and researching how pollutants get into and out of our water.”

He adds, “Most storm drains direct water and pollutants to a nearby steam, lake and/or Puget Sound. A stenciled drain reminds neighbors and other community members that what goes down the drain will end up in our local waterways—which directly affects wildlife, marine life and the people in our community. When people see the stencil, I hope it reminds them to not dump pollutants like soap (from car washing), paint, antifreeze and used motor oil into storm drains.”

But did Lucas stop there? He did not! “I started to wonder who actually takes care of the drains,” he says. “Some have lots of leaves and other debris in them.” He found that, while city workers do some maintenance, community support is needed to keep drains clear. “Because my street has a natural spring running down it, I watched to see where that water goes,” Lucas continues. “Turns out it flows directly to a storm drain at the base of the hill next to my house.”

But was Lucas done? He was not! With an assist from his mom, he registered to adopt the drain that’s next to his house. “There were actually quite a few that I could have adopted, but I’ll start with one and see how it goes,” he says. “They ask you to clean out the drain and report back every three months on how it’s going.” (Interested in adopting a drain yourself? Get the details on drain adoption!)

Lucas also learned that adopting a drain comes with naming privileges. And with that, we proudly introduce you to…Hermione “Drain”ger! As of this writing, Lucas had been caring for her for a couple of months. “She’s doing great,” he says. “The first time I cleaned her out it was all really old debris and lots of cobwebs and garbage. With the leaves falling down now, I check her weekly to make sure she’s not clogged. I’ve filled a few buckets of leaves over the last several weeks. Sometimes a car gets parked on top of her cover and I don’t think she likes that very much but I’m still waiting for the sign that says she’s been adopted so people know she’s there.”

Adopting Hermione isn’t the only action that Lucas and his family have taken on behalf of the marine environment. “We’ve all made the switch to refillable water bottles instead of single-use bottles,” he says. “Learning about microplastics and what they do to our water and the marine life really made us think about how we were contributing to the problem and how we could do our part by making that change.”

“Marine science camp really opened my eyes to how even small changes can make a difference,” Lucas adds. “I think trying new things like the Aquarium’s marine summer camp is really good for broadening your horizons and shows you there are so many different jobs and things that might interest you if you just give them a try.”

Many thanks to Lucas—and his family—for making a difference for our local watershed, Puget Sound and all the animals that make their homes there!

Interested in volunteer opportunities for youth at the Seattle Aquarium? Visit our Youth Ocean Advocates page to learn more.

Microplastics pollution along Seattle’s waterfront: Effects of pandemic detected

Posted on September 24, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

This story was written by guest writer Lyda Harris, Ph.D., microplastics fellow at the Seattle Aquarium.

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, is available online.

Human-generated (or “anthropogenic”) debris on the ocean’s surface, within seabeds and on the beach is up to 80% plastic. Microplastic, or small plastic less than 0.2 inches (five millimeters) in size, is widespread in the marine environment and within every group of marine organisms that has been studied. Once ingested, microplastics can cause multiple health issues in marine animals, such as lower birthrate and increased susceptibility to disease. It isn’t just the physical properties of microplastics that negatively affect animals, however. Due to plastic’s petrochemical origin (fossil fuel), plastic particles act as a sponge and transportation method for persistent organic pollutants and other chemicals that are toxic.

We define “microparticles” (less than 0.2 inches, or the size of a sesame seed) as a single umbrella term to encompass all suspected micro anthropogenic debris, including microplastics.

We still don’t know what the baseline concentrations of anthropogenic debris are and how they shift seasonally, which is critical information for researchers to determine how local species, including humans, are impacted by shifts in microparticle loads. Thus, it’s important to measure long-term microparticle concentrations to establish a baseline across time, document anomalies and help researchers understand if there are certain times (e.g., seasonal rains, combined sewage overflows, tourist seasons, etc.) when the Salish Sea is more at risk from microparticle pollution.

Initially, the Seattle Aquarium set out to establish baseline microparticle concentrations and seasonality in Elliott Bay through ongoing water column sampling. Our study period, 2019–2020, occurred prior to and during the global COVID-19 pandemic with associated reductions in human activity, presenting an unprecedented opportunity to capture pre- and mid-pandemic contamination baselines.

Our goals were two-fold:

Describe long-term microparticle contamination data, including concentration, particle type and particle size.
Determine if seasonal microparticle concentrations are dependent on environmental or tourism variables in the Salish Sea’s Elliott Bay.

We sampled 26 gallons (100 liters) of seawater at depth (approximately 30 feet) under the Seattle Aquarium every two weeks in 2019 and 2020. Environmental and tourism data from public sources such as precipitation, Duwamish River effluent (outgoing water), wastewater effluent, and tourism were used to explain changes in microparticle concentrations. Lastly, 10% of microparticles were subsampled to test for plastics at Oregon State University.

Findings:

Microparticle concentrations ranged from 0 to 3.4 particles per gallon (or 0–0.64 particles per liter).
Fibers were the most common type observed.
A drastic decrease in microparticle concentrations occurred on April 10, 2020, and was identified as a breakpoint, separating two distinct time periods.
The observed change in microparticle concentrations was found to be correlated with a decrease in tourism that occurred along Seattle’s waterfront at the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
All microparticles that were analyzed for plastics were either anthropogenic (reminder: “human generated”) in material (80%), plastic (16%), or possibly anthropogenic or natural (4%).

Overall, we found a decrease in concentration as well as a potential change in the microparticle source. Decreased tourism from pandemic shutdowns led to a smaller urban population, which may have additional effects on human movement, wastewater effluent, and waterfront activity. All of these anthropogenic factors can affect both the concentration as well as composition of microparticle pollution in Elliott Bay.

The decline in tourism and subsequent lack of activity on the waterfront decreased the quantity of microparticle pollution we observed. However, the long-term COVID-19 effects on marine debris remain unknown. The microparticles we found were primarily fibers and likely not from single-use plastics, but rather from the washing and shedding of clothing (e.g., fleece, leggings, rain jackets, etc.).

While the quantity of microparticles found in this study decreased with the onset of COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders, global single-use plastic consumption increased substantially. When plastic enters waterways, it is degraded by UV rays and broken apart by physical forces, such as wave action, over time. As single-use plastic consumption remains high throughout the pandemic and the foreseeable future, it is possible that as these plastics break apart, they will begin to appear in future water samples.

While microparticle contamination along Seattle’s waterfront is relatively low and mostly consists of fibers as of 2020, future conditions are likely to worsen due to a return of tourism and current consumption and waste of single-use plastics.

Expert care for hundreds of species and thousands of animals

Posted on September 7, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

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.

Being responsible for so many species and individuals means that animal care at the Seattle Aquarium is a team effort. Our veterinary and husbandry staff monitor the health of the animals every day and work together to provide the best life possible for them. “That’s the essence of good animal welfare,” notes Dr. Hadfield.

What’s it like being the doctor in charge for so many mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates? “It’s a mixture of routine preventative care—like wellness exams and environmental quality assessments—and reactive care, where we respond to changes we’ve seen in the animals or their environment,” says Dr. Hadfield. “With so many animals, we rely heavily on our professional staff and animal records to identify anything of concern, then work together to understand the situation and identify the best solution if needed. Because of the variety of species, I often reach out to colleagues with different fields of expertise so that, together, we can provide a great quality of care.”

Long (long!) lives

Here’s a fast fact: The average life span of a male Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) in the wild is 26 years¹. Longtime Seattle Aquarium favorite Barney is now 36 years old, well above the average in the wild population. “Like any elderly animal, including us humans, he has some health issues, but is enjoying life,” says Dr. Hadfield.

Barney is just one example of how animals in human care at zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), including the Seattle Aquarium, tend to live significantly longer lives than those in the wild. “Over the Aquarium’s history, lessons learned and the application of new, innovative technologies designed for animal care have enabled our team to provide a good quality of life well beyond the expected life span for their counterparts in the wild,” notes Director of Life Sciences Grant Abel.

Speaking of Barney…where did he come from?

Visitors often ask about the origins of the Aquarium’s birds and mammals (and not in the “birds and bees” way!). Barney was born right here, in 1985—as was sea otter Aniak, in 2002. In fact, every marine mammal and bird in our care was either born in a zoo or aquarium, like Barney and Aniak, or rescued and deemed non-releasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service, like sea otters Adaa and Mishka. Rescued animals that are deemed non-releasable either have a health issue or stranded too young to be able to survive in the wild.

Stay tuned for our upcoming blog posts for details about how we care for aging animals, as well as the AZA species survival plans for maintaining healthy, genetically diverse populations of animals within accredited zoos and aquariums.

Lastly, another fast fact: The Seattle Aquarium was first accredited by the AZA in 1979 and, like all accredited members, is subject to a thorough on-site inspection every five years to renew that accreditation.

¹ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Phoca_vitulina/#A79C1289-12A8-441B-8408-D30C2A18F1BE

Seattle Aquarium’s commitment to anti-racism

Posted on July 26, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

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.

The Aquarium views diversity as a strength and recognizes that we can only achieve our mission by including the skills and varied perspectives of all people. In 2019, we formed a DEI Council to guide and support the application of time and resources to create an inclusive Aquarium culture across all dimensions of diversity. The purpose of the DEI Council is to bring staff at all levels together to define, prioritize, and implement actions that foster a welcoming and equitable culture that reflects the multiple dimensions of diversity within our community. Recently, the council finalized an anti-racism statement for the Seattle Aquarium that is shared on our website and among all staff and volunteers.

The Seattle Aquarium’s commitment to anti-racism:
The Seattle Aquarium respects and celebrates the vitality and strength of the ethnic and cultural diversity that thrives in our neighborhood and surrounding communities. We recognize that we can only achieve our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment by including the skills and varied perspectives of our entire community. To include the entire community, we must be a welcoming and inclusive organization making the conscious decision to identify and challenge racism daily. This requires on-going self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through our daily operations and plan for the future.

The Seattle Aquarium honors our location on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, who stewarded these lands and waters for generations and continue to do so today. As an organization striving to be anti-racist, we are making ourselves more aware of how racism has affected the lived experience of Black, Indigenous and People of Color and in what ways we are playing a role in those experiences. We know that racism is systemic and has been deeply ingrained in society throughout history. We understand that too many people knowingly and unknowingly participate in racism and perpetuate white-dominant norms. Using our sphere of influence the Seattle Aquarium is actively opposing racism within our industry and communities of conservation by committing to:

Facilitate mandatory in-house diversity, equity and inclusion workshops for all our staff.
Address internalized racial and implicit biases.
Commit to be a learning community that identifies, implements, and adapts best practices on how to create a welcoming and inclusive space for Black, Indigenous and People of Color staff, volunteers and guests.
Actively continue to evaluate and implement more inclusive hiring practices, as well as retention and promotion strategies, with the goal of our workforce representing the diverse community in which we are located.
Operate an institutionalized, sustainable DEI Council with the authority to guide and support the Aquarium in the application of time and resources to create an inclusive culture.

These commitments, while not an exclusive list, represent the Aquarium’s commitment to continued diversity, equity and inclusion learning and practices. The DEI work currently underway at the Seattle Aquarium is grappling with the unconscious perpetuation of inequity and reinforcement of stereotypes and implicit, or unconscious, bias. The Aquarium is currently creating a DEI strategic plan that will guide our next steps as we continue to evaluate our organization through an anti-racist and inclusive lens.

We know that there is more work to do and we are hopeful that through institutionalized, sustainable, action-oriented systems we will keep moving forward to the inclusive, anti-racist organization we strive to be. We will continue to share updates as we continue this work and we thank you for being part of the journey with us.