Page 7 – Seattle Aquarium

Finding empathy in “barnacle moments”

Posted on May 30, 2023February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Fulfilling our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment often starts with facilitating stronger bonds between animals and people. As it turns out, a very human emotion may be the key to better connections.

When we humans notice animals and learn about their needs, we begin to care about the quality of their lives. That feeling comes from empathy—the ability and capacity to understand the experiences of other beings. It’s a skill everyone can learn, and research shows empathy inspires us to take better care of animals.

SHARING THE CARING

Did you know that the Seattle Aquarium conducts empathy workshops for educators and members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)? At these popular workshops, attendees learn the importance of empathy in creating guest experiences that can change the lives of animals and people.

ALL HANDS ON DECO!

The Seattle Aquarium then founded Developing Empathy for Conservation Outcomes (DECO), a biannual conference where professionals from zoos, aquariums, nature centers and museums brainstorm ideas, share information and elevate best practices.

The first DECO conference was wide-ranging, thought-provoking, collaborative and chock-full of ideas. Last fall’s DECO conference turned to putting theories into action. Six working groups were formed to develop and test innovative ways to weave empathic thinking into everything zoos and aquariums do.

FROM QUESTIONS TO ANSWERS, ACTIONS TO RESULTS

Today, these groups are in the process of identifying what to investigate. For example, do experiences with touchable biofacts (such as bones, teeth, pelts and fur) stir empathy? What inspires guests to feel kinship with arthropods and invertebrates (creatures with no backbone)? What are the best ways to engage all our neighbor communities in exploring animals at Seattle Aquarium? How can we better communicate the value of empathy and conservation action?

The working group on imaginative play is already observing how the Seattle Aquarium’s new Caring Cove figures in a child’s perspective-taking and exploring narratives that strengthen a connection with animals.

Perspective-taking in Caring Cove begins with asking questions: ‘What does my animal need? How can I provide for those needs?’ and ‘How does this care help my animal and its wellbeing?'

Nicole Starr Killebrew, interpretation coordinator

Another working group is focused on ways to help guests care for less-charismatic creatures. People are accustomed to reading other people’s faces. What would spark guests’ curiosity about “animals without faces”? After all, barnacles, sea cucumbers, jellies and anemones need love too.

Once, we thought information was enough to move people to act, but they need to feel something, too. Now we understand that, while there’s a lot to share about animals and the natural world, there’s so much to learn. The work to foster empathy for wildlife and inspire conservation among our audiences now comes from a place of humility, empathy and learning from the people and communities we serve.

Sarah Brenkert, principal evaluator

DISCOVER YOUR “BARNACLE MOMENT” AT THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM!

How do people get hooked on marine life? Often it’s the moment something they thought was a rock or crusty growth turned out to be a living animal. That’s a “barnacle moment”—and a big step toward empathy.

Describing her own such moment, Interpretation Training Coordinator Cari Garand says, “It was seeing the amazing barnacle at the beach! I was fascinated to learn they live upside down in a home they built, doing headstands while eating with their legs. The complexity of a seemingly simple creature catapulted me into a lifetime of marine education and conservation.”

For more information about empathy workshops, visit our webpage. Or stay in the current with our Empathy Café web chats. And plan a visit to the Aquarium soon!

Welcoming a new cohort of Empathy Fellows

Posted on May 18, 2023August 26, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Launched in 2020, the Aquarium’s Empathy Fellowship program is designed to create pathways into careers in aquariums, zoos and the conservation field for communities of color and other marginalized communities that bear the brunt of environmental harm and historically haven’t reaped the benefits of the solutions proposed.

Throughout their one-year terms, individuals hired for these full-time, paid, fully benefited positions have opportunities to learn about local marine life and conservation efforts, develop personal and professional goals, and become effective educators, facilitators and advocates for marine conservation, empathy and their communities.

We recently welcomed the program’s third cohort: Lauren Canto, Maddy Laoprasert, Joey Ruggiero-Diehl and Cave T.

“When I came across this fellowship, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to combine my two passions: diversity, equity and inclusion, and marine science.”

As a child growing up in Seattle, Lauren Canto spent hours on the beach looking at tide pools, captivated by the plants and animals within. Her passion for conservation continued throughout college and she graduated with a B.S. in ecology and conservation biology, with a minor in wildlife resources, in 2022.

“During my time at university, I struggled with my identity and had to work hard to find a place where I fit in,” she comments. “I ended up joining the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Club and the UNITY multicultural executive board, where I dove deeper into my passion for social justice and had the privilege to learn from others’ perspectives.” She continues, “Throughout this fellowship, I’m hoping to create a welcoming space for all people and inspire others from diverse backgrounds to become change-makers in this field!”

“What excites me most about this fellowship is the opportunity to meaningfully connect with diverse communities by sharing space and striving for mutual understanding.”

A childhood spent exploring the mountains, forests and prairies of Colorado sparked Maddy Laoprasert’s love for the environment. Meanwhile, growing up in a Thai household within a predominantly white area, she—along with and her family—often faced prejudice and marginalization. These experiences continue to motivate her to advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for herself and others in her communities.

“The Empathy Fellowship combines several of my passions: environmental conservation, informal education, community-building and social justice—through an empathy lens,” she notes, adding, “I’m grateful that the fellowship allows us to center and amplify our own communities’ voices within this field.”

“I want to learn about the ways in which I can uplift and empower the local LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans people.”

Joey Ruggiero-Diehl previously worked with the Aquarium as a marine science instructor and was inspired to apply for the Empathy Fellowship program because of the opportunity to apply their degree in secondary science education and incorporate their passion for social justice.

“I believe that social equity and environmental justice are in many ways one and the same,” Joey comments. “The fellowship will allow me to combine these passions by developing programming that incorporates empathy, cultural responsiveness and social-emotional learning.” They add, “It will also give me an opportunity to work with my own community. I hope I can engage my community by encouraging curiosity about marine science and the connections we have with the natural world.”

“I’m thrilled to merge my many passions—including conservation, education, community-building, and gender and racial justice in my position as an empathy fellow.”

Cave T. grew up in the Pacific Northwest and became interested in marine conservation and education through experiencing firsthand the disproportionate impacts of environmental issues in their communities.

“I have a non-traditional background, opting out of pursuing higher education,” they comment. “I believe there is much knowledge and wisdom to gain from the world around us.” Cave’s many interests include music, cooking, creating art and organizing within their community. “Without their love and support, I wouldn’t be here,” they say. “La lucha sigue!”

(English: “The struggle continues!”)

If you’re interested in learning more, visit our Empathy Fellowship program page.

Giant wrymouths, whitespotted boxfish and river otters: They’re just like us!

Posted on May 7, 2023February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

The Seattle Aquarium’s latest SEAlebrities are an interesting bunch. Some hide right before our eyes; others stand out in flashy colors. Then there are those that just love to play! Sounds like some people you know, right? Let’s meet them.

Giant wrymouths: mysterious and reclusive

There are four recognized species in the wrymouth family. At over 5½ feet in length, Cryptacanthodes giganteus is the largest. (Regular wrymouths grow to around 3 feet, dwarf wrymouths to 1 foot.) With their long, narrow bodies, giant wrymouths are easily mistaken for eels. The big clue? Pectoral fins, which are characteristic of fish and not eels.

Here are two ways they’re just like us!

They like a safe, cozy home.

Giant wrymouths build their homes in the northeast Pacific Ocean, from the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska to Humboldt Bay in California. They burrow into the soft ocean floor with just their heads peeking out—hiding in plain sight from hungry seals and sea lions.

They love snacks.

It is thought that giant wrymouths live most of their lives in the sand. Only tasty treats like crustaceans and invertebrates—or a special delivery by feeding pole, as shown in the photo taken at the Aquarium—can coax them out of their cozy burrows.

Meet Belle, a giant wrymouth in our care. Look for Belle in our Puget Sound Fish habitat on your next visit to the Aquarium!

Whitespotted boxfish: what a body!

Whitespotted boxfish, Ostracion meleagris, are found throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans, where they make their homes in reef ecosystems. Although small, growing to less than 10 inches, their busy patterns and vibrant colors attract a lot of attention. Luckily, they have two sneaky ways of remaining safe from predators.

Here are two ways they’re just like us!

They protect their core valuables.

The whitespotted boxfish wields some invisible survival tools. Their body is built on a frame made of thickened and fused scale plates—a kind of armor—that protects their internal organs and gives them their characteristic shape. If a predator gets too close, the whitespotted boxfish turns on the slime, secreting poisonous mucus to repel or kill them.

They dress to impress potential mates.

Female whitespotted boxfish are tastefully dressed in black with allover white spots. Males have the same spotted back, but their sides are adorned with flashy colors—vivid blue with bright yellow bands and spots, the fish version of a custom-made, multi-hued suit. After all, it’s showtime.

Look for our two SEAlebrity whitespotted boxfish, Polka and Dot, at the Seattle Aquarium in the Pacific Coral Reef habitat!

River otters: work hard, play hard, nap when needed.

Where there’s ample water, land and fish, chances are you’ll find North American river otters. Lontra canadensis thrive in both marine and freshwater habitats, frolicking in coastal estuaries, marshes and streams, as well as inland swamps, lowland marshes and small lakes. Although they can be shy with people, you might be surprised by what we have in common with these gregarious animals.

Here are two ways they’re just like us!

They like a good nap.

If you don’t see the river otters in our care at play, they’re probably napping in their den. Can you spot them? Depending on the time of year and where they live, river otters may be diurnal (more active during the daylight and less at night); nocturnal (more active at night and less during the day); or crepuscular—meaning most active at twilight! Regardless of when they keep busy, after hours of hunting, playing, building their dens and planning escape routes, a quick snooze is just the ticket.

Fun is having buddies to play with.

Otters like to socialize and when they get together it’s all about fun! Watching them speed through the water, slide down riverbanks and wrestle each other is very entertaining but this is not just play. The otters are learning and practicing survival skills that also build bonds among the group.

Don’t miss our SEAlebrity duo, Molalla and Ahanu, in the Aquarium’s river otter habitat!

The biggest threat to marine animals? Us.

You can make a difference for giant wrymouths, whitespotted boxfish and river otters. For them, there’s no hiding from trawling nets, diminishing habitats, climate change and plastic pollution. Whether or not they’re on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species™, human-caused impacts are a threat to their survival. Every animal in the ocean needs a healthy habitat to thrive—just like you do. Visit our Act for the Ocean page to learn what you can do to help preserve the health of our marine environment.

Protecting ocean health: Report from the 2023 state legislative session

Posted on April 28, 2023February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

The Seattle Aquarium spent the 2023 state legislative session working hard to advance science-based policies to protect our marine environment. We’ve been signing in “pro” on key environmental bills, delivering testimony, sharing opportunities to take action with the Washington community and collaborating with legislators and partners across the state—and many of you joined us in speaking up! Please enjoy as we look back at highlights from this session and share a preview of future efforts.

Session highlights

Reducing plastic pollution

We worked closely with our partners in the Plastic Free Washington coalition on HB 1085, which will make tangible reductions in three sources of unnecessary plastic waste—single-use water bottles, mini hotel toiletries and plastic foam-filled docks and floats. The bill:

Requires that new buildings with water fountains also contain bottle-filling stations (making it easier to use reusable water bottles!).
Phases out small plastic containers, wrappers and packaging for personal care products in hotels and other lodging establishments.
Bans soft, film-wrapped polystyrene foam dock floats to reduce pollution in the environment.

Protecting salmon and nearshore habitat

With the passage of SB 5104, the Washington Department of Ecology will conduct a survey of marine shorelines on a regular two-year cycle using new technology to capture geo-referenced oblique aerial and 360-degree, on-the-water imagery. The information collected during these surveys will fill data gaps about marine shoreline conditions to enable strategic, targeted recovery actions to benefit salmon, orcas and the marine food web. We worked closely with partners and testified in support of this bill.

We’re grateful to the state legislature for including $14 million in funding for the Duckabush River Estuary Restoration Project in the budget this year. Going forward, we’ll continue to support efforts to secure the additional state and federal funding needed to restore this vital estuary, which is prime habitat for threatened summer chum and Chinook salmon.

Recovering southern resident orcas

We were part of the group of NGOs leading efforts to pass SB 5371, which will implement the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s (WDFW’s) recommendation to create a 1,000-yard buffer from small vessels around the critically endangered southern resident orcas to help them forage more successfully and feed their young. The requirement takes effect in 2025, but you can help protect endangered orcas today by taking the voluntary pledge to keep 1,000 yards away from the southern residents at givethemspace.org.

We’re also celebrating that the operating budget includes ongoing funding for the Quiet Sound program, which will help reduce underwater noise and other impacts from large commercial vessels on endangered southern resident orcas.

Restoring biodiversity

We’re grateful to the state legislature for including $23 million in funding this biennium for WDFW’s Recovering Washington’s Biodiversity project. Senior Ocean Policy Manager Nora Nickum advocated for this funding with partners at a lobby day in Olympia. In meetings with senators and representatives, Nora highlighted pinto abalone recovery as one of the priorities that would be supported by this funding.

Advancing climate action

The Seattle Aquarium supported bills to address climate change, including HB 1181, which requires local governments to incorporate climate resilience into comprehensive plans. We’re also taking action in our own operations under our regenerative plan.

Cultural access

After three long years, cultural access legislation finally passed in Olympia. We supported and advocated for HB 1575, which would provide local governments with additional tools to support cultural access programs—many of which were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill allows cities or counties to implement a cultural access program by a public vote of the people or a vote from the majority of their city or county councils.

This new bill will help the Seattle Aquarium expand on the work we do already with our Connections program and help enhance our public partnerships and education programs to help broaden our reach within communities throughout the state.

Capital budget request

We are thrilled to have received $3 million in the capital budget for the Ocean Pavilion. This expansion of the Seattle Aquarium, located in the heart of Seattle’s new waterfront park, will provide a pedestrian connection to Pike Place Market, revitalize our neighborhood and place conservation at the center of our city. The Ocean Pavilion is scheduled to open in June 2024.

The road ahead

While we were able to make strides on several ocean health priorities, there’s still work to do. The Seattle Aquarium will continue to work with our partners toward producer-responsibility legislation for packaging (like this year’s WRAP Act).

In the next legislative session, we’ll also continue working to pass measures to report embodied carbon emissions in infrastructure projects (Buy Clean and Buy Fair) and to enable small businesses to repair electronics, which will help limit the need for new materials that may be sourced through harmful practices like seabed mining (Fair Repair Act).

In the meantime, we’ll continue to advocate for national policy priorities—including reducing plastic pollution and waste, and recovering biodiversity. Visit our Policy and Act for the Ocean webpages for the latest news and action opportunities.

Thank you!

Thank you to Rep. Berry, Rep. Lekanoff, Sen. Lovelett, Rep. Mena, Sen. Rolfes and Sen. Salomon for their leadership on these important pieces of legislation.

We also want to send a huge thank you to everyone who took part in our action alerts and spoke up for ocean health! If you didn’t receive action alerts, please consider joining our policy email list.

AI goes below the surface: Using technology to make a difference for local kelp

Posted on April 19, 2023June 17, 2024 by Emma Leiser

This story is part of our Nerdy Science Series—how we’re using research and technology in service of a healthy ocean.

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Xbox and the Seattle Aquarium joined together for a live Earth Day celebration, including a demonstration of our remotely operated vehicle, Nereo!

Kelp forests are critical for ecosystem health. They provide food and habitat for marine species of all kinds, including endangered salmon and southern resident orcas. They also sequester carbon, mitigating the effects of ocean acidification. (Watch The Kelp Highway to learn more about the importance of kelp forests in the Salish Sea.)

Bull kelp forms the “trees” in these underwater forests. It attaches to hard surfaces on the seafloor and grows with incredible speed: up to 2 feet per day, reaching lengths of up to 100 feet in a single season.

But that’s if it’s growing. Once abundant throughout the Salish Sea, kelp forests have declined drastically over the past several decades, with a reported 60% overall loss of bull kelp in our local waters since 1980, and up to 95% in some areas.

What’s puzzling researchers, though, is that kelp forests continue to thrive in parts of the Salish Sea, including sections of Elliott Bay along Seattle’s urban waterfront (and directly below the Aquarium’s pier).

Partnering with the Port of Seattle to Learn More

Now the Seattle Aquarium is partnering with the Port of Seattle to study kelp forests in Elliott Bay using a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, which we’ve fondly named ROV Nereo—short for Nereocystis luetkeana, the scientific name for bull kelp.

Research of this kind has typically been undertaken with scientific scuba divers doing surveys below the surface or via satellite imagery captured from far above. Both methods have their drawbacks: while divers can observe many species along the seafloor, they’re limited by the amount of gas they can carry on their backs and, ultimately, can’t cover much ground. Satellites, of course, can cover much larger areas—but aren’t able to capture kelp that hasn’t reached the water’s surface, or other species that live below it.

Enter the ROV. The compact ROV, that is. Historically, these machines have been large, bulky and expensive, and deployed from large vessels to explore deep water, which isn’t what’s needed to study kelp forests in relatively shallow depths.

ROV Nereo from Blue Robotics is small, relatively inexpensive, customizable and maneuverable—all critically important features when navigating long ropes of kelp and floating fronds. With cameras facing forward and downward, lights and sensor equipment, it can capture images of more species over a larger area than a scientific diver. ROV Nereo is easy to deploy and pilot, and equipped with sonar—so it will stay at a consistent altitude above seafloor—as well as GPS to track real-time positioning. All that, and it’s operated with an Xbox controller! You can learn more about the ROV and see video taken along the seafloor on the ROV development GitHub.

Kelp Conservation Meets Artificial Intelligence

Since the summer of 2022, led by the Aquarium’s Research Scientist Dr. Zachary Randell, we’ve been using ROV Nereo for benthic, or seafloor, surveys at eight sites in Elliott Bay. And here’s where things get even more futuristic: we’re harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret the still images and video being captured by ROV Nereo’s cameras. Open-source AI algorithms can be “taught” to review images and identify what’s in them at a speed that simply wouldn’t be possible for a human being, or even a team of humans.

Using ROV Nereo and AI, we can learn about kelp abundance and distribution—in other words, the number of kelp plants and where they are—in Elliott Bay; see surfaces it’s growing, or not growing, on; and discover which animal species are present, competing with kelp, eating it or simply living within it.

With this information in hand, we’ll better understand why bull kelp is growing in some places but not others, and learn what conditions are needed for healthy, abundant kelp forests. That knowledge can help inform habitat restoration efforts underway throughout the region by our partners at the Puget Sound Restoration Fund and others. The ultimate goal? To reverse declines of local kelp forests, in Elliott Bay and throughout Washington waters, and develop solutions to rebuild the essential habitat that they provide.

Expanding Work

We were recently thrilled to learn that Dr. Randell and team have been awarded a grant by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead with funds originally from the Environmental Protection Agency to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Department of Natural Resources. This research, scheduled to begin later this year, will expand their work on bull kelp conservation and restoration. The team also received notice that they’d won a Sustainable Century Award in the category of “Environmental Innovation” from the Port of Seattle in April.

Superpod: A new book for kids who love whales!

Posted on April 3, 2023February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Join us for a book event on Sunday, April 16, 2023, to ask Nora some questions of your own and get a signed copy!

You can also pick up a copy at our gift shop the next time you visit us at the Aquarium, or order it from the Aquarium gift shop online or your local independent bookstore.

There’s a new book for kids ages 8–12+ about the amazing southern resident orcas, and it’s written by Nora Nickum, who leads our ocean policy program! Superpod: Saving the Endangered Orcas of the Pacific Northwest comes out April 11 from Chicago Review Press.

We asked Nora what she discovered about these iconic whales in the process of writing the book, what you’ll find in its pages, and what the Seattle Aquarium is doing to help these orcas recover.

You’ve been working on orca recovery for a long time. What’s something new you learned while doing the research for this book?

I learned that orcas are born tail-first! Their tails are floppy to start with. Getting the tail out first means it can harden in the cool water so the baby orca can use it right away to swim up to the surface for a breath of air.

I also had fun talking with Dr. Bob Otis about why orcas breach (jump out of the water). It turns out it’s still something of a mystery, but there are enough clues from his years of research that I was able to guess what was happening the time I saw an up-close breach from shore at Lime Kiln Point State Park.

Did you get to go on some fun field trips while you were writing Superpod?

Yes! I interviewed a lot of dedicated people who are working to help the orcas, and they do their work in amazing places, so I tagged along whenever possible. I went out on a boat with Dr. Deborah Giles and Eba, the scat-sniffing dog, from Wild Orca as they collected scat samples from transient orcas (see Eba in action in this video from the Seattle Aquarium!).

I also visited scientists working in a lighthouse, stopped by the Whale Trail site at Alki Beach, and went to a few spots along the Cedar River where Seattle Aquarium volunteer naturalists helped me catch glimpses of spawning Chinook salmon. I highly recommend that readers check out Whale Trail sites in the region and participate in the Cedar River Salmon Journey this fall!

There are some cool photos in Superpod—exuberant breaches, a transient orca flinging a seal pelt, and amazingly close encounters with shore-based whale-watchers. How did you gather all those pictures, and do you have a favorite?

I do love those! Some of my other favorite photos were taken by scientists from the air, showing orcas playing together and chasing salmon underwater. Those aerial photos are like a window into a fascinating and usually unseen social life beneath the waves.

I was so lucky to find scientists and talented photographers who were willing to share their images (one was Danielle Carter, who worked for the Seattle Aquarium for many years), and to be able to use public images from the Washington state archives and NOAA. It was important to list the NMFS permit numbers associated with many of the photos—researchers get permits that allow them to get a little closer than other boaters can, and to take photos while they’re there.

You lead policy work for the Seattle Aquarium. How can policy advocacy help the orcas? And what can readers do?

There are so many things we can each do to help restore the Salish Sea and protect the orcas, like choosing sustainable seafood, following Be Whale Wise guidelines and giving the orcas as much space as possible when boating, and picking up litter at the beach. But policy change is also important because it can make large-scale improvements happen faster. We’ve been advocating for state and federal funding to restore salmon habitat; policies to protect kelp and nearshore ecosystems that support forage fish and salmon; changes in boating regulations to quiet the waters so orcas can communicate and forage more successfully; and measures to reduce toxic pollution. Readers—and Aquarium guests—can join us in raising our voices for these kinds of policies and find lots of other action ideas in the book.

New series goes behind the scenes at our Animal Care Center

Posted on March 28, 2023May 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Visitors to our Ocean Pavilion will experience underwater life on the other side of the planet. They’ll witness tropical reef ecosystems that face similar challenges to our local waters and meet extraordinary creatures who represent what’s at stake if we don’t work together to regenerate a healthy ocean.

As the Ocean Pavilion rises along our waterfront, we’re welcoming and caring for its future residents in our new state-of-the-art offsite Animal Care Center.

Introducing Animal Care Stories

Our new series takes viewers behind the scenes to see how our dedicated animal care team is preparing for the Aquarium’s historic expansion.

In the first three episodes, our team begins to move animals from the existing Aquarium piers to the Animal Care Center. The team shares their diligent planning efforts and their excitement about the role each animal will play in Ocean Pavilion ecosystems.

It Takes an (Aquatic) Village

At the Aquarium and the Animal Care Center, experts work together across multiple teams.

Animal care team: Aquarists are specialists on the fish and invertebrate species in their care. Nimble, observant and deeply committed, they get to know Aquarium residents on an individual level by caring for them every day.
Veterinary team: Every animal at the Aquarium—from tiny to very large—receives attentive and compassionate medical care from our full-time veterinary team. The approximately 110 species who will call the Ocean Pavilion home will receive the same excellent standard of care as our current residents.
Water quality team: Our expert water quality team carefully monitors animals’ environments around the clock. They use special instrumentation to track the level of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and other conditions in Aquarium habitats. As animals travel to the Animal Care Center, the team uses technology to monitor their trip in real time and does additional testing upon arrival for a holistic picture of water quality.

"The animals we care for are individuals with their own quirks and personalities. My favorite task is feeding; you’re making that connection and providing hands-on care."

Makayla T., aquarist working at the Animal Care Center

Beyond Ocean Pavilion

Even after the Ocean Pavilion opens, the Animal Care Center will provide space for important conservation work. Its facilities will allow us to grow our species recovery programs, including our participation in the global ReShark coalition, dedicated to recovering threatened shark and ray species, and our program to restore pinto abalone in the Salish Sea. It’ll also be home to our plastic pollution research and rehabilitation efforts for stranded or injured marine animals, like Shi Shi the sea turtle.

Unwrap the future: Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize winners announced

Posted on March 27, 2023February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Drum roll, please: The TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize powered by Lonely Whale just announced the winners of their global competition to develop a scalable and biologically degradable alternative to thin-film plastic polybags.

A bit of background: Tom Ford is one of the most influential names in fashion, an industry that uses almost 180 billion thin-film plastic polybags each year. It’s not yet estimated how many are used across other industries—but what is known is that thin-film plastics are nearly impossible to recycle and make up a full 46% of all ocean plastic pollution, or approximately 5 million metric tons. To help put that number in perspective, a single metric ton is equal to 2,205 pounds!

Understanding the deep and urgent need for more sustainable and nontoxic alternatives to thin-film plastics, Tom Ford partnered with Lonely Whale to launch the competition in 2020. Last spring, eight companies were named as finalists.

Each submitted their thin-film plastic alternatives for testing to determine which would meet both consumer needs—durability, flexibility and scalability—and undergo quick, safe degradation in environmental conditions. Their performance was compared to two controls: low-density polyethylene plastic film and brown kraft paper. Testing was conducted at two sites: the Seattle Aquarium and the University of Georgia’s New Materials Institute.

A rigorous—and wet!—testing process at the Aquarium

Our testing was primarily focused on biological degradation, to better understand how the materials behave in both the temperate marine environment and an organism’s internal environment—in other words, in an animal’s stomach—if they aren’t disposed of properly and end up in the ocean.

Our team of marine plastic scientists and scientific divers conducted testing in two locations between April and December of 2022. One was off the back of our pier, in the temperate waters of Elliott Bay (with temperate waters representing the vast majority of the planet’s marine waters) at two different depths: near the surface, and near the bottom.

The other was our Clean Seas research laboratory, using first-of-its-kind modeling designed to approximate the effect of the materials on the health and well-being of marine mammals, specifically gray whales, if the materials were ingested.

And the winners are...

Test results were written into a final report and delivered to the prize’s scientific and technical advisory board—which included our own Vice President of Conservation Programs and Partnerships Dr. Erin Meyer—and team of judges, who determined the winners.

In first place is the American company Sway; with Zerocircle, based in India, in second; and Notpla, based in London, in third. All three developed seaweed-based plastic alternatives. As described on Sway’s website, seaweed grows up to 60 times faster than land-based crops and can sequester up to 20 times more carbon per acres than forests, and cultivating it is inexpensive, requires no pesticides or fertilizers, and uses little equipment.

The winners will collectively receive a $1.2 million dollar prize purse—as well as continued support from Lonely Whale and the early adopter coalition, including companies such as TOM FORD, Nike, Stella McCartney and J. Crew. Coalition members have agreed to test the winning materials within their supply chain, making a real difference right now.

What can individuals do?

Not a major fashion designer or a research scientist? You can still help! Here are a few ideas:

Pick up litter on a local beach or, better yet, organize a group of friends or family members to join a local beach cleanup.
Switch to reusable dishes and utensils. Bring your own reusable mug or bottle when you get coffee or water. Skip the plastic utensils and straws when you get takeout food.
Choose products with less packaging. Pay attention to how much incidental plastic comes with what you buy. Strive to cut down on your daily plastic consumption, buy used instead of new whenever possible and reward corporations that package responsibly!
Buy in bulk rather than individually packaged items. Some stores even allow personal containers, like Mason jars, for bulk products including grains and spices.
Shop local to reduce shipping and packaging plastics.
If you live in Washington state, contact your legislators and ask them to pass policies to curb plastic pollution and reduce waste. Visit our Act for the Ocean page to learn how to get in touch.
Sign up to receive our occasional action alerts on ocean-related policy issues like plastic pollution.

National Geographic captures a milestone in our work to “ReShark” the ocean

Posted on March 20, 2023March 11, 2024 by Emma Leiser

In January, years of planning culminated in a hopeful moment on a beach in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. That moment centered on two baby sharks: Charlie and Kathlyn.

First Charlie, and next Kathlyn, were gently cradled in the water by marine scientist Nesha Ichida of Thrive Conservation.

A Seattle Aquarium team, Indonesian government officials, Kawe tribal community members and other conservationists watched closely. Photographers Jennifer Hayes and David Doubilet were nearby to capture the moment for National Geographic.

Nesha grasped each shark in her hands for the final time. Then she let go.

“I’m happy. And excited. And hopeful.”

Dr. Erin Meyer, Seattle Aquarium chief conservation officer in National Geographic

Charlie and Kathlyn are beacons of hope. As Indo-Pacific leopard sharks (Stegostoma tigrinum and also called zebra sharks), they belong to an endangered species. Due to commercial overfishing, these sharks have nearly disappeared from their home waters in the Coral Triangle. And despite a series of protective measures added in recent years, their numbers haven’t come back.

Hatching an ambitious plan

Sadly, our ocean is losing sharks and rays at an astonishing speed: More than 37 percent of species are at risk of extinction.

We and our global ReShark partners are working to change that story.

Dr. Erin Meyer of the Seattle Aquarium first discussed the idea of an international partnership in 2018. She helped assemble and lead a group of founding members that has grown to include more than 70 organizations in 15 countries—aquariums, local governments, conservation nonprofits and many others.

Professor Charlie D. Heatubun, head of the Raja Ampat Research and Innovation Agency and the namesake of baby shark Charlie, calls ReShark’s success “proof of the tight collaboration between all the parties.”

Aquariums offer expertise—and eggs

ReShark’s innovative model begins at aquariums.

The eggs that hatched into Charlie and Kathlyn were laid at the SEA LiFE Sydney Aquarium in Australia. They were then transported to Raja Ampat. Charlie and Kathlyn hatched at a special nursery built and managed by the Raja Ampat Research and Conservation Centre located at Papua Diving’s Sorido Bay Resort.

There, the siblings were cared for by a local team of aquarists who proudly consider themselves “shark nannies.” After growing into healthy pups, they’d been brought to marine-protected waters for release.

Charlie and Kathlyn’s journey from an aquarium to marine-protected waters will be repeated many times over. ReShark’s plan is to release 500 baby Indo-Pacific leopard sharks over the next several years.

“If we do what we’re planning to do … within 10 to 20 years, we see them coming back to an absolutely healthy, genetically diverse population with zero chance of extinction,” says Dr. Mark Erdmann of Conservation International and a ReShark founding partner.

“We have species disappearing off the face of this planet at a rapid rate, and in some cases the only place we have the genetics left or we have the species left are often in aquariums.”

Jennifer Hayes, photographer for the National Geographic story speaking on Good Morning America

ReShark and the Ocean Pavilion

When our new Ocean Pavilion opens, it will be home to a small number of Indo-Pacific leopard sharks. As a result, we’ll not only continue to play a leadership role in ReShark’s growth—we’ll also be able to directly breed these sharks and send their offspring to Raja Ampat for release. And visitors to the Ocean Pavilion will see these exceptional animals, understand what we’re at risk of losing and learn how they can help.

Learn more

Two new policies to reduce packaging waste and plastic pollution

Posted on February 17, 2023February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

The Seattle Aquarium has been working to reduce sources of plastic pollution in the environment—in 2020 we helped pass the Reusable Bag Bill to eliminate thin, single-use plastic bags in Washington state and in 2021 we worked with our partners to ban certain expanded polystyrene foam products like recreational coolers and packing peanuts.

This year, two of our top priorities for the 2023 Washington state legislative session aim to address the problems of recycling and packaging waste (SB 5154/HB 1131) and plastic pollution (HB 1085).

Modernizing and transforming our recycling system

The Washington Recycling and Packaging (WRAP) Act (SB 5154/HB 1131) will establish a producer responsibility program which will reduce unnecessary packaging and paper, fund statewide recycling services, and ensure that materials are actually recycled. Under producer responsibility, companies that make packaging are responsible for the costs, environmental impacts and end-of-life of their products, so the burden doesn’t fall on the end-customer or local government. It’s a proven, successful approach to increase package recycling and the norm in Canada and much of the European Union.

In 2021, Maine and Oregon became the first U.S. states to pass packaging producer responsibility legislation, and Colorado and California joined in 2022. Now, Washington has an opportunity to join them.

Walking the talk in our gift shop

The Seattle Aquarium’s gift shop, operated by our partner Event Network, has been working to reduce the hard-to-recycle packaging and unnecessary packaging waste they receive by reaching out to their individual vendors to collaborate on more sustainable alternatives. Here are a few examples of packaging switches that our gift shop has made so far:

Eliminating and replacing plastic bags and plastic foam with eco-friendly or reusable alternatives.
Removing plastic windows from cardboard boxes that are then recyclable.
Eliminating “box-within-box” packaging—smaller, lighter-weight packages reduce emissions and pollution associated with transportation.
Requiring items to be shipped between layers of recycled paper sheets instead of individually wrapped in plastic bags.

We’re so glad to have Event Network as a partner and sustainability champion, and we’re excited that they have managed to convince producers to switch more than 70 gift shop items to more sustainable packaging. But they have found this way of making change to be time-consuming and resource-intensive. That’s where the WRAP Act can help! The policies in the WRAP Act will address this problem more efficiently statewide by establishing incentives with graduated fees and requiring packaging producers to meet targets associated with things like reusability and recyclability.

Reducing sources of plastic pollution

HB 1085 will make tangible improvements in reducing plastic pollution by addressing three sources of unnecessary and hard-to-recycle plastic waste: single-use water bottles, mini plastic toiletries and thin-walled or soft-shelled foam-filled floats for docks. Read more about the sustainable alternatives required by this bill in our previous blog post on our 2023 Washington State Legislative Session policy priorities.

Take action!

If you live in Washington, find your WA legislative district and urge your legislators to transform our recycling system by supporting the WRAP Act (SB 5151/HB 1131) and reduce plastic pollution by supporting HB 1085 in the 2023 session.
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!

Thank you to the Washington state legislators who are fighting ocean plastic!

We thank Sen. Rolfes, Rep. Berry and Rep. Mena for being the lead sponsors of these bills to transform our recycling system and reduce plastic pollution, and we also extend our thanks to all of the co-sponsors.