Page 12 – Seattle Aquarium

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.

Specialist surgeon visits Aquarium to help a red Irish lord

Posted on July 6, 2021May 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

An egg-bound red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) at the Seattle Aquarium needed surgery, so a board-certified surgeon from Animal Surgical and Orthopedic Clinic (ASOC) performed the necessary procedure. Senior Veterinarian Dr. Caitlin Hadfield and Curator of Fish & Invertebrates Tim Carpenter here at the Aquarium explain more:

Q: What can you tell us about this species?

Tim: Red Irish lords are part of the sculpin family. They tend to rest on the bottom of shallow waters, down to depths of 1,500 feet. They’re common from the Bering Sea, near Alaska, to Washington, and are rarer south to central California. These fish are highly camouflaged and often overlooked by divers. Given that this species is not a common commercial or recreational fishing target, complete biological data on the species is not well-published. Based on limited fishing and other data gathered by the state of Washington, they can grow up to 20 inches long and 2.45 pounds in weight. Their maximum age is at least 6 years old.

Q: What does it mean for a fish to be egg bound?

Tim: Egg binding occurs when a female produces eggs but is not able to release them. This can lead to a buildup of eggs with each successive “clutch”, and the eggs become increasingly abnormal over time. There are many possible causes; we’re not sure why this species gets egg bound.

Q: Why was a board-certified surgeon needed to assist on a surgery for this red Irish lord fish’s case?

Dr. Hadfield: Aquarium and zoo veterinarians frequently reach out to specialists when we think it’s in an animal’s best interest. In this case, the anatomy is the main reason.

In fish like koi and salmon, the ovaries are two separate structures that sit loosely within a thin membrane and are easy to remove if they cause issues. In Irish lords, the two ovaries combine at the back, making them U-shaped, and that caudal aspect (i.e., near the tail) is tightly adhered to the body wall and the colon. Combined with that, these abnormal ovaries are very large—about 50% of the fish’s body weight—and the ovarian wall holding in all the little eggs is fragile.

These factors make this a particularly difficult surgery. We had tried environmental changes and hormones to induce egg laying but without success, and this surgery was needed to save the fish’s life. Dr. Alex Aguila, a board-certified surgeon from ASOC, and his surgical assistant, Sarah Gagliano, have extensive experience with difficult surgeries.

Alex was able to remove all the ovarian tissue, which is great news. The surgery is challenging and it is common to have to leave some of the ovarian tissue; this can regrow and cause more issues later on. Dr Aguila was also fast! This meant we were able to reduce the total anesthetic time to about 90 minutes, which also helps improve the long-term prognosis for the fish. And this was also a great opportunity for us all to work together and learn. The Seattle Aquarium has worked with ASOC for over 30 years, and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship well into the future.

Q: How does surgery happen on a fish?

Dr. Hadfield: To anesthetize a fish like this, we use a drug that is dissolved in the water. We keep that medicated water flowing over the fish’s gills through the surgery using a pump that moves the water through a big loop while we monitor the condition of the water. This lets us keep the fish’s belly out of water for the surgery. We also provide pain relief, similar to what you or your pet would receive, including anti-inflammatories, opioids, and local anesthesia around the surgery site. Once the fish is pre-medicated and on our surgical system, the surgeon can drape the site and get started. While there are differences in anatomy (like a lack of fur!), how surgery is done is similar to dogs and cats, including using the same types of sutures (stitches) to close up the body wall and skin.

Q: What happens next for the care of this red Irish lord?

Dr. Hadfield: The surgery was about a month ago, and the fish is doing great. She is eating again and looking like a healthy red Irish lord. She will get some more recheck exams and then move back to the Window on Washington Waters habitat. She has a small transponder now (just like your dog or cat), so we will be able to monitor her over time to see how she does.

Q: What are other examples of when specialists visit the Aquarium to help the animals in our care?

Dr. Hadfield: We are lucky enough to have a large support network of specialists in the zoo and aquarium field as well as in the private sector, including anesthesiologists, cardiologists, radiologists, ophthalmologists, and oncologists (lots of -ologists, really!). These specialists routinely donate their time and expertise to help improve the health and welfare of the animals under our care. One of the things that I appreciate most about this field is that we all want to learn and help each other out.

Q: When has the Aquarium shared our expertise in the community or with peer institutions and other organizations or efforts?

Dr. Hadfield: This is a hugely collaborative field, and we each try to help where we can. People often reach out to us to discuss challenges they may be having with species that we have under our care, as well as programs that we are particularly well known for, such as our animal welfare assessments and conservation programs.

You can come check out our Tropical Pacific habitat and try to find a red Irish lord during your next visit to the Aquarium. Be sure to book your ticket in advance; we look forward to seeing you!

Saying farewell to harbor seal Q

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

It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of Q, one of our beloved harbor seals, at the age of 22.

Q started showing some health issues in March of this year. X-rays at the time showed a mass inside his chest. “Diagnostic tests suggested that the most likely cause was a cancer known as lymphoma,” says Dr. Caitlin Hadfield, senior veterinarian at the Seattle Aquarium. “This is seen commonly in dogs, although there are very few reports of it in harbor seals and they were all found at postmortem exams (necropsies). For Q, we could not be sure of the diagnosis without taking samples of the mass inside his chest, but he was started on treatment based on this most-likely diagnosis, and he responded rapidly.”

However, this type of cancer is incurable; treatment is really good at shrinking the cancer for a while, and Q did great for two months, but remission is always temporary with this disease. “He showed a decline again in late May,” says Dr. Hadfield, “which looked to be due to recurrence of the cancer, and he was started on a rescue treatment to try to get him feeling better.” This type of rescue is rarely successful in dogs, but we are happy to report that Q got back to his usual self for an additional three weeks.

We closely monitor how all the animals are doing, and our teams work tirelessly to give them the best quality of life we can for as long as they are in our care; this includes giving them a peaceful passing when we know that they cannot live their full lives again. Q’s care team recently saw signs that his last-line treatment was no longer working, and he was humanely euthanized on June 23, 2021.

The Seattle Aquarium also recently lost sea otter Aniak, who passed away at age 19 last week. “The Aquarium is fortunate to provide a home for some amazingly long-lived animals, and we’re extremely proud of the care they receive with us,” comments Curator of Birds & Mammals Julie Carpenter. “It’s always hard to say goodbye to one when their time comes.”

Our other elderly mammals, including 35-year-old harbor seal Barney and 21-year-old sea otter Adaa (currently the oldest sea otter in the U.S.), continue to do well.

"Q was our go-to animal for new staff to learn feeding and training as he was incredibly patient and gentle. His laid-back personality and eagerness to participate in so many health care and husbandry trained behaviors made him a very unique harbor seal that the entire Bird and Mammal Team will miss greatly."

Kelli Lee, animal care specialist for the Aquarium’s Bird and Mammal team

Q was born at Sea World San Diego and brought to the Seattle Aquarium in 2002. Over the course of his time in the Pacific Northwest, he was a wonderful ambassador for the Seattle Aquarium, including participating in a harbor seal breeding exchange with the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) in 2012. It was a successful exchange, with Q becoming the dad of Saya and Hogan (who currently resides at our Aquarium) with harbor seals Qilak and Shila, respectively, from PDZA.

“We will continue to learn a lot from Q and hope that we can use this information to help with diagnosis and treatment of this disease in other seals,” explains Dr. Hadfield. “He will be missed—and his impact will live on.”

In the wild, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) spend equal time on land as at sea, and they’re inquisitive, though sometimes elusive. They have a thick layer of blubber, which stores energy, makes them buoyant, and influences their streamlined shape. Male harbor seals are often 4–6 feet long and weigh between 150 and 375 pounds, and Q was no exception, with his weight ranging between 180 and 240 pounds. (Pinnipeds—including both harbor seals and northern fur seals—show a wide range in weight across the year as part of their normal annual cycle.)

Harbor seals are a common sight around inland marine waters like Puget Sound. You’ve likely seen them in the water when you walked along the shore or rode a ferry, and they often sit on top of buoys or piers—like around Elliott Bay, where the Aquarium is located. They also live in coastal waters and estuaries.

Q was a beloved fixture at the Aquarium, and he will be missed greatly by all. His legacy of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment will live on in Saya and Hogan and through all those who knew him and enjoyed watching him in his habitat or on our live webcams.

We invite you to learn more about harbor seals by visiting the Aquarium in person or our website’s fact sheet, and you can view Hogan and Barney in their habitat via our live webcams.

A tribute to Aniak the sea otter

Posted on June 18, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

We are deeply saddened to announce the loss of Aniak, one of our beloved sea otters. Aniak was a 19-year-old female born here at the Seattle Aquarium to Lootas, our former sea otter matriarch. Aniak became a mother during her time at the Aquarium, giving birth to a male named Chugach in 2005, who moved to Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, and a female named Sekiu in 2012, who now lives at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

At 19, Aniak was an elderly sea otter. She had been dealing with chronic skin issues for six years, and while she continued to do all the normal sea otter things, it had been a delicate balance to maintain her comfort while also minimizing side effects from the medications needed to reduce her symptoms. Working with other sea otter veterinarians and dermatologists, we continued to adapt her care in the face of this chronic issue. In spite of the care provided, her health swiftly declined this week and the decision was made to humanely euthanize her early this morning.

This brings up the good question of how we know it’s time to provide humane euthanasia. “If an animal is in pain or distress that cannot be relieved, that decision is obvious and it is a great privilege as a veterinarian to be able to relieve suffering and provide an animal with a peaceful passing,” comments Senior Veterinarian Dr. Caitlin Hadfield. “However, just as with your dog or cat, that decision is harder with chronic relaxing-remitting health issues,” she continues. We want to give all the animals at the Aquarium the opportunity to live their best lives. To help with that, every animal at the Aquarium has regular welfare assessments to identify any opportunities to improve their well-being.

When an animal has a serious health condition or is past their expected life span, we use very frequent assessments that are tailored to that animal’s needs. For example, for a tufted puffin with arthritis, we may evaluate how well they are moving around on land and how much they explore their environment. We use these and other metrics as a base to talk about their quality of life, prognosis and the options available to us. For Aniak, we reached a point this morning where the best decision for her was humane euthanasia.

Aniak was a wonderful ambassador for her species. In addition to being absolutely adorable, sea otters are a vital part of our ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest. They feast on sea urchins, which prevents that population from eating all the kelp, which in turn offers habitat and protection to many species in our waters. Since sea otters need to eat around 25% of their body weight every day, that adds up to a lot of sea urchins, shellfish, squid, fish, crabs and shrimp.
There are around 2,800 sea otters living off the Washington coast; this is thanks to population recovery efforts after they were hunted nearly to extinction at the turn of the 19th century for their amazingly thick fur—anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million hairs per square inch, the densest fur on Earth! All that hair keeps sea otters from needing a layer of blubber to keep warm, but they do have to regularly groom their fur and blow air into it to maintain its incredible insulating qualities.

The Bird and Mammal team’s expert and diligent attention, along with the amazing veterinary care provided by Dr. Hadfield, allowed us to give Aniak the best life possible. She inspired not only our staff and volunteers but also countless people who visited her in person or watched her on our webcams. She was gentle, yet spirited, and a devoted mother, and will be dearly missed by our staff, volunteers and visitors.

We invite you to learn more about sea otters by visiting their fact sheet on our website and seeing them in person during your next visit to the Aquarium. You can also watch our sea otters in real time in their habitat via our live webcams.

Help protect endangered orcas from ship strikes

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

The Seattle Aquarium works on policies to reduce noise and disturbance impacts on the endangered southern resident orcas, which currently number only 75. Quieter waters will make it easier for the orcas to communicate with each other and find scarce salmon, while we all work to restore habitat so that those salmon are more abundant.

We have supported new requirements for slow-speed zones and vessel distance, measures to reduce oil spill risk, and state funding for the Quiet Sound program to encourage large ships to voluntarily slow down, and we’ve asked the Navy to do more to mitigate the potential impacts of sonar testing on the orcas. The Seattle Aquarium is also one of the shore-based marine mammal viewing spots along the Whale Trail.

But there is more that we can do to make the waters safer for the endangered orcas, and we invite you to join us in taking action when you’re outside this summer and beyond.

When ships collide with whales and dolphins, it can cause serious injury and even death. But with timely warnings, shipmasters and pilots can slow down the ship, alter course, increase vigilance or turn off their sounders to reduce disturbance and the risk of hitting a whale. Using the WhaleReport app, we can all help ensure that ship captains know when whales are in their vicinity.

The WhaleReport Alert System (WRAS) was developed in Canada by Ocean Wise and its partners, and a few years ago Governor Inslee’s Orca Task Force recommended expanding it to Washington waters. The WRAS has already delivered over 8,000 alerts to ship operators in Canada and Washington. But the platform needs more real-time sightings reports, especially from here in Washington, to be as effective as possible.

Here’s how you can help!

If you spot a whale, dolphin, porpoise or sea turtle—from shore, a ferry or a boat—report it via WhaleReport as soon as possible (in addition to any reporting you’d normally do to a local sightings network). It only takes a couple of minutes, and there are two ways you can do it:

Fill out the short form at report.wildwhales.org. (The first time you go to the page, it will ask for your details.* If you are on your personal computer, you can ask the browser to store your information so that you only need to enter this information once.)

Use the WhaleReport app, available for download on iOS and Android smartphones.

Note that sightings data reported to the WhaleReport Alert System is only shared with the operators of large ships, tugs, ferries and government agencies. The data is not available for public use. The Whale Museum is responsible for data collection in Washington state and also uses the reports for conservation-oriented research.

If you would like to learn more about how the system works, visit wildwhales.org/wras.

Thank you for taking action to protect marine wildlife!

*Ocean Wise researchers will only use your contact information to ask you any follow-up questions regarding your sighting reports to aid in our research efforts and will not contact you for any promotional reasons. Your details are protected under Ocean Wise’s Privacy Policy.

Q&A with Susan Gates, winner of the 2021 Seattle Aquarium Scott S. Patrick Award

Posted on June 15, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

This year marks Susan’s 25th year as a Seattle Aquarium board member, and we’re proud to honor her with the Scott S. Patrick Inspirational Award. Named for the late Aquarium board member and Seattle Seahawks executive who served with extraordinary passion, the Scott S. Patrick award annually recognizes the Seattle Aquarium board member whose service best exemplifies the passion, leadership and enthusiasm that characterized Scott Patrick’s life and board service.

Susan joined the Seattle Aquarium board of directors in 1996 and sits on the finance and project oversight committees. She’s a regional credit administrator for Beneficial State Bank, and her previous experience includes being senior vice president of AmericanWest Bank, Key Bank and several other local and regional banks. She also works on several boards for bank trade associations and community nonprofits, as well as on the College of Business and Economics advisory committee for Western Washington University.

Susan’s lifelong and deep love of the ocean, along with long-held commitments to conservation and environmental justice, are reflected in her many contributions to our organization. We asked about her impressive tenure and valuable insights below:

Q: When did you first fall in love with the ocean, and how has that shaped your life?
A: My husband, Jack, and our grown kids, Margaret Ann and Elk, are longtime sailors and have sailed all over the Salish Sea. We love seeing orcas, humpbacks and minkes from a proper distance; Dall porpoises; and seals and otters. We’ve snorkeled with tropical fish and sea turtles in Hawaii and sailed and snorkeled in the British Virgin Islands and Croatia. All of that has inspired an awe of our one world ocean and a strong urge to protect it, as we have seen fewer and fewer sea creatures over the years inhabiting our area.

Q: What inspired you to join the Seattle Aquarium’s board of directors?
A: The “wow” moment for me was when our family traveled to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago after they opened their Pacific Northwest exhibit in 1991. I had never seen such an amazing exhibit with all of “our” PNW aquatic critters, and I was really struck with the idea—Why isn’t this in Seattle? When we got home, I saw that the Seattle Aquarium was planning an expansion, so I pitched them on using KeyBank (my employer at the time) for the anticipated bond financing. That particular expansion and the bonds never happened, but one thing led to another, and I joined the membership committee, then the board—and the rest is history.

Q: The Scott S. Patrick award recognizes strong leaders on the Aquarium’s board. What advice do you have for students and young adults who want to become effective leaders?
A:

Be curious, ask lots of questions and observe at school, at work and in your community to find out how things work, and follow your passions.
Think actively about examples you see of good, inspiring leadership and ineffective leadership and keep a list about both. You’ll likely find that different leadership styles work with different people/levels of experience/backgrounds/knowledge levels.
Get feedback from team members—it’s vital.
Find a mentor and get their insight while sharing yours.
Volunteer on a nonprofit project. Once you see how that works, volunteer to lead a project. Over time it may lead to a board position where you have to take a broader perspective for the organization.
I’ve found it’s often easier to gain leadership experience in volunteer roles—where the stakes are possibly a bit lower than at work—and find ways to gain more responsibility. Then you’ll have more experience and practice leading when you step up in work roles.

Q: You’re one of the top five longest-tenured Aquarium board members. What keeps you coming back?
A: Through all of these years, there have been interesting challenges for us on the board—always some knotty issue, expansion plans, funds to raise/keep track of, bonds to repay, budgets to balance, events to inspire, guests and members to stir to action, and staff members to encourage and empower.

This past year was awful, but we’ve been resilient and mercifully have had wonderful support from our amazing team members, board and community.

Q: You have an extensive background in finance. Has that perspective given you any particular insight when it comes to supporting conservation of our marine environment? What has that specific perspective made clear to you or brought to your attention?
A: For an organization to continue do good and improve the environment, and more specifically our marine environment, it needs to be on a sound financial footing or it won’t be around to fulfill its mission. And, while there are financial considerations, there is also the human side of running an organization like the Aquarium. We need to be kind and thoughtful with our teammates at the Aquarium; bear in mind how our decisions impact the animals in our care and our mission; and also be mindful of our sustainability as an economic entity.

Q: What excites you about the future of the Seattle Aquarium?
A: We have such a bright future as an organization, starting with the new Ocean Pavilion to expand our marine conservation story and reach. Our recognition of historic inequities in our communities and rededicating our organization to reaching and serving all of our diverse communities and telling their stories and lived experiences is so important. I especially am looking forward to our continued work with the Coast Salish peoples, amplifying Indigenous art and stories as we seek to inspire love and appreciation for our one world ocean.

Climate resilience in coral reef fish communities

Posted on June 9, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Fish assemblage structure before and after a marine heatwave in West Hawaiʻi

Guest blogger Amy Olsen began her time at the Seattle Aquarium as a volunteer diver in the Underwater Dome habitat. She is now a laboratory specialist/research technician in the Conservation Programs and Partnerships department. Her Master in Marine Affairs program is in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington.

Coral reefs are subject to marine heatwaves caused by human-induced climate change. Long-term thermal stress can negatively affect corals and the associated marine organisms that use these areas as critical habitat by causing coral bleaching. Coral reefs provide important ecosystem goods and services such as fisheries and tourism as well as aesthetic and cultural value. Healthy coral reefs have been estimated to add $477 million annually to Hawaiʻi’s economy through tourism and subsistence, recreational and commercial fisheries (Cesar & van Beukering, 2004).

For my master’s thesis project, I examined coral reef resilience to climate change by analyzing changes in fish assemblages (i.e., which species exist in the same area at the same time) after a marine heatwave. I analyzed 11 years of subtidal video survey data in three areas in West Hawaiʻi, capturing a marine heatwave event from 2014 to 2016. Fish were counted and identified to species, then assigned to one of seven functional groups: predators, secondary consumers, planktivores, corallivores and three herbivore groups—scrapers, grazers and browsers.

The dataset I used was collected by my supervisor, Dr. Shawn Larson, curator of conservation research at the Seattle Aquarium. This work falls under climate resilience, one of our three organization-wide conservation priorities along with sustainable seas and clean waters.

The Seattle Aquarium has been conducting video-based reef monitoring surveys every year in Hawaiʻi since 2009. The goals of this monitoring project are the following:

Document changes in fish diversity and abundance over time.
Determine coral cover (how much of the ocean bottom is covered by coral versus rock or sand), identify coral species and calculate percentage of coral bleaching over time.
Collect environmental data such as bacteria, nutrients and microplastics.

I used statistical tests to evaluate how the fish communities changed after the marine heatwave. All three areas in West Hawaiʻi were found to be different in the years after the heatwave. Interestingly, regardless of how differently these areas are managed or how different the habitat is, all three communities became more similar to each other.

This has been previously described in the literature where climate changes in the marine environment favor small, generalist, algae-eating fish that are able to adapt to these changes. This is called biotic homogenization and has been cited as a pressing global biodiversity crisis (Dornelas et al., 2014, Magurran et al., 2015, McGill et al., 2015).

Kona, the Marine Life Conservation District with the highest level of fishing protection among our sites, showed the highest total fish abundance and least variation over time in abundance over the study period, suggesting ecosystem stability. These sites had the highest diversity values and also documented the highest coral loss. While the fish assemblage was significantly different after the marine heatwave, the observation that fish abundance remained high could indicate this area has higher resilience than the other two areas, and may suggest more stability to new or unusual environmental conditions (Bernhardt & Leslie 2013).

Marine protected areas can be an effective management strategy to prevent overfishing, protect diverse species and provide a refuge for life stages that are more sensitive, but they do not prevent warming of the ocean surface or coral bleaching. However, management policies that prevent overfishing of herbivorous fish, such as browsers or scrapers, can prevent phase shifts from healthy coral reef systems to algal-dominated systems which has been found to aid reef resilience (Hughes et al., 2003).

Protected reefs lead to higher abundance and biodiversity of reef fish (McLean et al., 2019). Coral and fish species responses to thermal stress is highly variable, so networks of marine protected areas require thoughtful place-based approaches for effective implementation. Success is dependent on an effective combination of science-based management, public support and political will (Bellwood et al., 2004).

Understanding how marine heatwaves impact coral reef communities can guide decision-making for effective coastal management. Continued long-term monitoring is necessary to evaluate disturbance impacts on the coral reef ecosystem, as we anticipate climate change and marine heatwaves will continue into the future.

Take action!

To help protect coral reefs from these stressors, the Seattle Aquarium is supporting policies such as the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act (S.46 and H.R.160). This act would provide new federal grants to support state coral reef management and restoration and respond to coral reef emergencies and disasters. You can help! Visit this Aquarium Conservation Partnership quick action page to encourage your members of Congress to co-sponsor this bipartisan legislation.

References:

Bellwood DR, Hughes TP, Folke C, Nyström M (2004) Confronting the coral reef crisis. Nature 429:827–833.

Cesar HSJ, van Beukering PJH (2004) Economic valuation of the coral reefs of Hawaiʻi. Pacific Sci 58:231–242.

Dornelas M, Gotelli NJ, McGill B, Shimadzu H, Moyes F, Sievers C, Magurran AE (2014) Assemblage time series reveal biodiversity change but not systematic loss. Science (80- ) 344:296–299.

Hughes T, Jackson J, Kleypas J, Lough J, Marshall P, Palumbi S, Pandolfi J, Rosen B, Roughgarden J (2003) Climate Change, Human Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs. Science (80- ) 301:929–933.

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Governor Inslee signs ground-breaking bill at the Aquarium

Posted on May 21, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

On Monday, May 17, Governor Jay Inslee came to the Seattle Aquarium to sign a new law (SB5022) that will reduce plastic pollution and improve recycling in Washington. The Aquarium worked closely with partners to help pass the bill, which helps protect the health of our ocean by cutting back on harmful and unnecessary single-use plastics. Enjoy a few photos from the big event!

Governor Jay Inslee signing a document on a clipboard held by a young boy. — Governor Inslee signing SB5022 with the assistance of Representative Liz Berry’s son, George.

Representative Berry speaking at a podium. — Representative Berry speaking about how Washington is a leader on the issue of plastic pollution.

Robert Davidson and Governor Jay Inslee standing in front of a monitor and having a conversation. — Governor Inslee meets with Seattle Aquarium President & CEO Robert W. Davidson to learn more about the Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion.

Governor Jay Inslee, Susan Bullerdick, Robert Davidson, and Bob Donegan standing on the pier and smiling. — From left: Governor Jay Inslee; Seattle Aquarium Director of Capital Projects Susan Bullerdick; Seattle Aquarium President & CEO Robert W. Davidson; Ivar’s President and Seattle Aquarium Immediate Past Board Chair Bob Donegan.

State Senator Mona Das speaking at a podium in front of the Window on Washington Waters habitat. — State Senator Mona Das (who sponsored the bill).

Big wins for ocean health: Report from the 2021 state legislative session

Posted on May 6, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

The 2021 legislative session looked different this year due to COVID-19. All legislative committees and votes were held virtually, and the capitol campus was closed to the public. Even with the switch to remote advocacy, the Seattle Aquarium was able to successfully advocate for science-based measures to protect our marine environment. Join us as we take a look back at some highlights from this session.

Wins for a healthy ocean

Reducing plastic pollution

We worked closely with partners to pass Senate Bill 5022, which helps protect the health of our ocean by cutting back on harmful and unnecessary single-use plastics.

This bill bans expanded polystyrene foam (plastic foam) food service ware, packing peanuts and recreational coolers starting in 2023.
Beginning in 2022, food services businesses may provide single-use utensils, straws, condiment packets and cold-beverage lids only when the customer confirms they want them. This will significantly reduce unnecessary plastic waste. While five other states have addressed plastic straws (through bans or opt-in policies), Washington state is the first to take this action on the other single-use items.
Manufacturers of plastic beverage bottles, trash bags and household cleaning and personal-care containers will be required to use post-consumer recycled content.

Protecting nearshore marine waters

With the passage of SB 5145, Washington state prohibited seabed mining leases for hard minerals—like gold, titanium and more—in state waters. Seabed mining is an emerging global threat that would devastate fragile marine ecosystems. We joined our partners in testifying in support of this bill.

Supporting orca recovery

We are grateful to the state legislature for an operating budget that includes funding for Quiet Sound, which will help reduce underwater noise from ships and make it easier for the critically endangered orcas to find scarce salmon. Our ocean policy manager, Nora Nickum, advocated for this funding in a Quiet Sound op-ed in the Seattle Times with NRDC’s senior advocate for Quiet Seas, Regan Nelson.

Advancing environmental justice

The Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act (SB 5141) adds an essential racial-equity lens to the environmental program work done by the state, and we were glad to endorse it. It also creates an Environmental Justice Council that will work with state agencies to ensure equitable community engagement. We congratulate Front and Centered on the passage of the HEAL Act—a vital step to ensure a healthy environment for all.

Mitigating climate change

The transportation sector is responsible for nearly half of our climate and air pollution in Washington. We joined partners in urging the legislature to adopt a Clean Fuel Standard (HB 1091) and support a transportation system that prioritizes equity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. We celebrate the passage of the Clean Fuel Standard, which will protect our climate and clean our air.

Looking ahead

This session was a huge success, but there is still more work to do to protect the ocean.

In the next Washington state legislative session, the Seattle Aquarium and our partners will promote additional measures to reduce plastic pollution and improve our recycling system. We will also continue working to advance salmon recovery and push House Bill 1117 across the finish line. This bill, which would ensure that salmon recovery is integrated with local land use planning under the Growth Management Act, passed the House this year but did not get a vote on the Senate floor in time.

In the meantime, we will continue our work on federal policy—collaborating with aquariums across the country—in areas like plastic pollution, climate change, orca recovery, coral reef restoration and more.

Thank you

Thank you to Senators Das, Saldaña, Van De Wege and Stanford and Representatives Berry, Fitzgibbon and Lekanoff for sponsoring these important bills to protect the health of our ocean.

We also want to extend a huge thank-you to everyone who participated in our action alerts. Constituent calls and emails helped get bills passed! (If you didn’t receive our email action alerts, please consider joining our policy email list.)