Ocean Pavilion Archives - Seattle Aquarium

3, 2, 1…Ocean Pavilion!

Posted on August 29, 2024September 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

It’s the final countdown to opening the Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion. This expansion of our campus and our mission has been over a decade in the making. Follow along as we prepare to open to the public on August 29!

Wave hello to the open Ocean Pavilion!

The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here! Our Ocean Pavilion expansion welcomes its first public visitors today. We’re thrilled to share the vibrant underwater world of the Coral Triangle with guests. Plan a trip to see these immersive reef habitats for yourself.

Wheel's in motion!

Visual artist Paige Pettibon (Confederated Salish and Kootenai) created this amazing seasonal round for the Ocean Pavilion. Depicting the cycle of life here, in the lands and waters of the Coast Salish people, it features beautiful illustrations of marine animals, phases of the moon, plants, people and more. Come give it a gentle spin when you visit!

Speak of the devil

Meet the elusive devil scorpionfish, a new resident of our closer-look habitat, At Home in the Ocean. Scorpionfish are known for their venomous spines and the canny camouflage that helps them hunt. In the wild, their prey, including invertebrates and small fish, should keep an eye out for these ambush predators.

You won't "belief" this playscape reef!

The Coral Reef Encounter at the Ocean Pavilion allows youngsters and families to explore what it might be like to live on a coral reef—discovering the sights, sounds and textures below the surface in a cozy, kid-size tunnel. You can even see what it’s like to be a clownfish, nestled within the tentacles of an anemone, in a colorful, cushioned nook! Learn more about the Ocean Pavilion’s habitats on our webpage.

The tale behind this tail

Can you identify this species that recently moved into the Ocean Pavilion? Here’s a hint: He’s often spotted gliding through the building’s largest habitat, The Reef, with his tail trailing behind. Plan a trip to the Ocean Pavilion to see all of him for yourself!

The view from her window

Not all Ocean Pavilion highlights are underwater. We’re also finishing “dryside exhibits,” as we call them, that tell stories about people inspiring hope and action for a healthy ocean. Can you guess which legendary marine scientist and ocean conservationist peered through this scuba mask decades ago? Hint: She famously said, “No water, no life. No blue, no green.”

Who's new in The Reef

An Indo-Pacific leopard shark has glided into our largest habitat, The Reef. Once abundant in the Coral Triangle, these slow-swimming reef sharks are now nearly extinct due to overfishing and habitat loss. As a founding member of the international ReShark collective, we’re working with partners to restore their wild populations to marine protected areas.

Going deep for healthy habitats

Our dive team is taking the Ocean Pavilion’s immersive experience to a whole new level. They’ve been cleaning The Reef habitat each day for weeks—even before any of the new animals had moved in—and will continue to do so after all the sharks, rays and schooling fish have settled in. Plan a visit to see the results of their hard work!

Water you looking at? Fish in The Reef!

The first fish have entered The Reef, the largest habitat in our Ocean Pavilion expansion. These fish have been busy exploring their new space. We introduce animals, like this spotted sweetlips, to new habitats through a carefully-monitored method to ensure their safety. Learn more about that process (plus creating The Reef) in our recent web story.

Check back soon for more updates!

From idea to ecosystem: Creating the Ocean Pavilion’s biggest habitat

Posted on July 30, 2024August 6, 2024 by Emma Leiser

Famously beautiful and fiercely important, coral reefs are bursting with many different forms of life, making them hubs of biodiversity. With the opening of our Ocean Pavilion expansion, the Seattle Aquarium will say hello to The Reef, a multistory habitat that mirrors an Indo-Pacific coral reef. Its warm waters will house fish, including sharks and rays. This thriving reef ecosystem will also be visible to anyone walking by the Aquarium via the building’s public oculus window.

But what does it take to transform a slice of downtown Seattle into a tropical reef? A lot, it turns out.

Planning it out

With the Ocean Pavilion, Aquarium leaders wanted to create a window into the Coral Triangle, a region of unmatched marine biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific. Guests would experience both the stunning natural beauty of the area and learn more about the connections between the Coral Triangle and our local marine ecosystems—and the challenges both regions face. After the experience, guests would be motivated to take action to regenerate the health of Earth’s one ocean.

Throughout the Aquarium’s years-long planning process, the decision of which animals could live in The Reef and how to design the habitat were intertwined. Over several years the Aquarium’s animal care, engineering, and engagement teams worked alongside the Ocean Pavilion architect (LMN) and habitat designer (Thinc) teams to create environments that support animal wellbeing and facilitate connections between the animals and guests.

That collaborative process resulted in plans for The Reef to include an open swimming area, crevices created by corals and rockwork, and flat, sandy enclaves. Each area provides critical habitats for the different tropical animals that comprise a reef ecosystem. The open swimming area gives animals, including spotted eagle rays and other cartilaginous fish known as elasmobranchs, plenty of room to move freely. The sandy areas give bottom-dwelling elasmobranchs, like Indo-Pacific leopard sharks, a place to rest. And the corals and rocks—including a large rock wall near a central viewing window—provide the kinds of protective spaces that smaller fish naturally seek out.

Populating The Reef

Our teams designed The Reef with the animals in mind. Animal care experts knew the habitat would need to support resident species throughout their lives. And all these different species needed to coexist, so large predator species would not be a good fit. Finally, we focused on getting these animals through sustainable means. All of the elasmobranchs in The Reef came from other zoos and aquariums or were diverted from the commercial fish trade.

Corals presented an animal care concern. Reef-building stony corals need an intense amount of light, which is difficult to simulate and maintain deep in an aquarium habitat. Stony corals also need water with high levels of calcium and other supplements, which is challenging to replicate in a closed environment with other animals. Ultimately, the team chose to include only handmade corals in The Reef, representing about 40 different species. Over 30 species of living corals will occupy other habitats in the Ocean Pavilion where they can safely thrive.

The animal care work for the Ocean Pavilion began over two years ago when the first animals came to the Aquarium’s off-site Animal Care Center. Since then, our aquarists have become very familiar with the needs of these fishes, invertebrates (animals without backbones) and even mangrove trees!

Prepping the habitat

Unlike our habitats at Piers 59 and 60, the Ocean Pavilion has a closed loop system, meaning once water enters the building, it generally stays and recirculates. The water comes in from Elliott Bay and completes a treatment process that includes heating, filtration and disinfection so it can safely mimic the water found in the Coral Triangle. But before animals can safely swim in the water, a different group of organisms needs to set up shop: bacteria!

Two different types of nitrifying bacteria break down ammonia-rich animal waste. The first type transforms ammonia into nitrites. The second turns nitrites into nitrates, which are safer to have around. The Aquarium’s Water Quality team cultivated populations of these bacteria in about a month by creating the ideal conditions for them to reproduce and thrive.

Before animals enter the habitat, the Engineering team thoroughly tests elements of the life support systems, which maintain all habitats and water throughout the building. These tests make sure the temperature regulation, filters, pumps, pipes and more run smoothly. The team always has failsafe redundancies built into habitat systems and backup plans in case of an emergency to ensure animal wellbeing.

Moving in

Habitat? Check. Water? Check. Systems? Check. Time for the animals!

The team starts by carefully planning the transport of each animal to the Animal Care Center so they can quarantine. This is an important time to help the animals settle into their temporary habitats and assess their health status.

When fish are ready to move into The Reef, the team starts by introducing groups of small schooling fishes. These smaller fish need ample time to get to know their new home and find the hiding spots where they feel most comfortable. Then we move on to introducing larger fishes, with the elasmobranchs brought in later in the lineup.

Moving animals into The Reef is an unhurried, carefully monitored process. Each new addition requires a period of observation to make sure the animals are adjusting well. Once the animal care, veterinary, water quality and engineering teams agree that the animals and the habitat are doing well, the next wave of animals can come in.

This highly involved process can take weeks or even months, but it is the best way to ensure animal wellbeing.

Protecting wild coral

The Reef at the Ocean Pavilion may have taken years to come together, but wild coral reefs take even longer. Large reef systems, like barriers and atolls, can take millions of years to fully form.

Reef-building corals—which are animals that live in large groups called colonies—use calcium carbonate to build their stony skeletons. Build rates vary from species to species, but in the Coral Triangle, even the fastest corals add less than an inch per year to their skeletons.

Despite the fact that they take up less than 1% of the seafloor, coral reefs are incredibly important marine ecosystems. They support about 25% of known marine life, providing crucial habitat space and other resources. Humans benefit too because these reefs protect shorelines and provide food, medicine and more. Unfortunately, corals face many threats including climate change, rising ocean temperatures, pollution and unsustainable fishing practices.

When you visit the Ocean Pavilion, you’ll experience the wonder of coral reefs and learn more about how people around the world are working to restore these ecosystems. No matter where you are, from the Coral Triangle to the Salish Sea and beyond, you can join them today.

To reduce your carbon footprint, try walking or taking public transit. You can even pick up litter when you see it on the beach. Keep our waterways clean by limiting fertilizer usage in your greenspaces. Some sunscreens have chemicals that hurt corals. Choose reef-safe formulas to protect yourself and corals! Visit our Act for the ocean page to learn more.

Quiz: Who’s your tropical reef alter ego?

Posted on July 17, 2024July 19, 2024 by Emma Leiser

To celebrate the Ocean Pavilion’s August 29 opening, we created a fun quiz. Meet some of the amazing species that will call the Ocean Pavilion home, and discover which is most like you!

How will the Ocean Pavilion model sustainable design?

Posted on May 15, 2024May 26, 2025 by Emma Leiser

This summer, the Seattle Aquarium’s campus will expand when our new Ocean Pavilion opens.

As we began this project, we asked ourselves a key question: How can a technically complex building like an aquarium—which must keep animals healthy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—model sustainable design?

Navigating that answer has spanned years and included architects, regenerative designers, engineers, builders, animal experts and many others! Dive in with us:

The Ocean Pavilion’s sustainability features

When it’s complete, the Ocean Pavilion will be owned by the City of Seattle. It will serve as a living laboratory dedicated to ocean health. With that in mind, we designed the building to use energy, water and materials efficiently and with care. The Ocean Pavilion will:

Operate 100% fossil fuel free.
Recirculate 96% of the salt water in its habitats—meaning that once water enters the building from Elliott Bay, it remains in the building.
Recapture heat from the warm-water habitats to warm the building.
Feature carefully chosen materials, like the Alaskan yellow cedar exterior panels on the building’s west face, which are Forest Stewardship Council-certified and come from an Indigenous-led company.
Use large windows to reduce the amount of electricity needed for indoor lights.
And much more!

Explore salt water in the Ocean Pavilion: The Ocean Pavilion’s saltwater habitats are what’s called a “closed-loop” system. Watch our video to learn more:

Get nerdy with us: Learn how our Water Quality team uses science to maintain healthy saltwater habitats.

What “green building” certifications is the Ocean Pavilion pursuing?

The Ocean Pavilion will be LEED Gold-certified (update, May 2025: certification received!). We’re also targeting Zero Carbon Certification from the International Future Living Institute (ILFI), which includes requirements beyond LEED.

The ILFI is a global nonprofit that certifies advanced sustainable and regenerative buildings. ILFI Zero Carbon Certification is a rigorous international standard for buildings that are highly energy efficient and have fully neutralized their carbon emissions, meaning that they do not add any net carbon to the atmosphere.

Earning this certification requires neutralizing both operational and embodied carbon:

Operational carbon comes from emissions required to heat, cool and power the building.
Embodied carbon is different. It refers to emissions generated by raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation and installation of building materials (in other words, the emissions generated by creating the building’s materials and constructing it).

Zero Carbon Certification requires us to offset 100% of the building’s operational energy use with new renewable energy. Some buildings meet this requirement by adding rooftop solar panels, but our rooftop will be a space for the public to enjoy. So, instead we’re working on an agreement that will add additional renewable energy capacity to Seattle’s electric grid.

The best part? This additional capacity will meet our needs and provide additional renewable energy that others can use. Stay tuned for more details on that step.

Many green building experts consider ILFI certifications like Zero Carbon Certification to be especially challenging. Why? They’re based on actual performance over 12 consecutive months—not plans or estimates. We’re proud to be the first aquarium building in the world to pursue an ILFI certification. We hope to be the first of many.

A growing number of organizations are adopting this certification:

Climate Pledge Arena here in Seattle (world’s first arena to be certified)
Google’s 6 Pancras Square office in London (world’s first building project to be certified)
Microsoft’s Puget Sound and Silicon Valley campuses (pursuing certification)

Why the focus on carbon?

We all impact the ocean through our actions. The Aquarium is no different!

Too much carbon in the atmosphere is warming the ocean and planet. These changes are wreaking havoc on delicate ocean ecosystems. As coastal storms intensify and seawater levels rise, human communities are feeling the impacts too.

Since 2012, the Aquarium has been carbon neutral, meaning that we’ve offset any emissions we’ve produced so that we don’t add net carbon to the atmosphere. And since 2014, we’ve offset more carbon than we emit for scope 1 and 2 emissions. In 2020, we took that further by also offsetting more than we emit for select scope 3 emissions. (Learn more about scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions on the EPA website.) When purchasing carbon offsets, we work with a climate consultant to select options that are third-party verified and align with our values.

Plans are in the works to revitalize the other buildings on the Aquarium’s campus—and we’ll continue challenging ourselves to meet tough green building standards. This goal complements the work we’re doing every day to conduct marine conservation research, advocate for ocean-friendly policies, rescue animals, provide exceptional animal care and restore endangered species—all of which are possible with support and engagement from our community members—like you!

Watch our care team welcome a critically endangered bowmouth guitarfish in need of a safe home

Posted on February 26, 2024February 23, 2024 by Emma Leiser

It’s difficult to describe a bowmouth guitarfish. It’s even harder to see one in the wild.

The bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostomus) has been in its current form for millions of years—and it shows. These prehistoric-looking, blueish-grey fish appear to be part ray, part shark and even part dinosaur. They sport gills on their undersides, a telltale sign that they are, in fact, rays.

Elusive and endangered

Though they live close to shore, sightings are rare. The bowmouth guitarfish is classified as “Critically Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species®, meaning they have an extremely high risk of extinction.

Earlier this year, the Seattle Aquarium had an unexpected opportunity to provide a safe home to a bowmouth guitarfish pup. And next summer, visitors to the Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion will have the chance to be part of her surprising story.

And then there were nine!

The pup’s mother was caught in a commercial fishing set net off the east coast of Taiwan. What happened next surprised everyone: while in a holding pool at the fishing center, the mother gave birth to nine live pups.

Our conservation partner in Taiwan, Fred Fan of Fred Fan Aquatics, quickly diverted the animals to a safe place. He then contacted the Seattle Aquarium to work on finding them a long-term home. There are no marine-protected areas where the mother was caught, and fishing for bowmouth guitarfish is legal throughout many regions of Asia. As a result, releasing the mother and pups would have put them at risk of getting caught in another net.

Pups provide hope

The existence of nine bowmouth guitarfish pups in one place felt both miraculous and daunting.

Fan and the Seattle Aquarium contacted additional conservation partners in the region and North America, knowing that accredited aquariums have animal care and species recovery expertise.

Late one night in January 2023, the pups—donated by Fan—arrived from Taiwan to the Seattle Aquarium’s offsite Animal Care Center. There, eight pups would quarantine and receive care for several weeks before moving to teams at the Georgia Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium and Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment. And one female pup would remain in Seattle.

No time to waste

Globally, around 400 species of elasmobranchs—sharks and rays—are threatened, largely due to overfishing. In fact, an estimated 100 million individual sharks are killed by people every year. Fishing records for bowmouth guitarfish suggest we’ve lost more than 80 percent of the species in recent years.

Meanwhile, accredited aquariums have been caring for bowmouth guitarfish since 2005. In 2014, a bowmouth guitarfish pup was born in an aquarium for the first time.

We’re still learning about these solitary, elusive fish. We know that they live in relatively shallow, coastal waters, where they stay close to sandy bottoms. They like to crunch on the crustaceans and mollusks they find on the ocean floor. (The bowmouth guitarfish who will live at the Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion eats restaurant-quality, sustainably sourced lobster, shrimp and bony fish.)

Though bowmouth guitarfish are rare, they are also wide-ranging. They’re found in coastal areas throughout the Indo-West Pacific, including from South Africa north to the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, north to Japan and south to Australia. This range provides the chance for many communities and people to be part of the effort to restore their numbers.

Sharing knowledge is key

In November 2023, Fred Fan, aquariums from across the world, academic partners and conservation leaders met at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago to discuss the role aquariums can play in preventing bowmouth guitarfish from going extinct, as well as the structure and development of programs to aid in their recovery.

Restoring wild populations requires trust, partnership, expertise, genetic diversity of the species and time—the least available resource a critically endangered species has. Even so, there’s hope and a highly committed team of marine scientists, researchers and care experts working on these plans.

Beginning next summer, when you visit the Ocean Pavilion, you’ll meet the bowmouth guitarfish in our care and learn how you can join efforts to advocate for the survival of this ancient, fascinating species.

Mighty mangroves are coming to the Ocean Pavilion

Posted on June 26, 2023February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

At the Seattle Aquarium, you’ve connected with fascinating SEAlebrities—sea otters, tufted puffins and dogfish, to name a few. But TREElebrities? Not so much. That will change when the Ocean Pavilion opens next summer. In a habitat called The Archipelago, you’ll discover live mangrove trees and the ecosystems mangroves support in the Coral Triangle.

Meet the Treelebrities

Mangroves live in the Coral Triangle and other tropical and subtropical regions of the world. These highly adaptive trees thrive where most plants cannot—in hot, salty, muddy water. Mighty mangroves help protect animals, coastal communities and the planet. You could say that they’re ecosystem superheroes.

Colossal carbon sinks, drawn illustration of mangroves in a wetlands habitat, the roots of the mangrove trees extending into the water. Three monkeys sit in the branches of the mangrove trees while a stork wades through the water. — Too much carbon in the air is warming Earth. Mangroves fight this trend by storing carbon from the air in their wood and in soil held by their roots.

Heroic home-makers, drawn illustration of mangrove tree roots as seen from under the water. Different species of fish swim among the mangrove roots, which provide a safe habitat for fish and other animals. — Mangroves’ roots work like the bars of a crib to shelter young fishes. Above, branches make space for monkeys, birds and other land animals.

Coastal Crusaders, drawn illustration of a mangrove forest as seen from above, highlighting the unique habitats mangroves help create. — Nestled where land meets water, mangroves trap soil in their roots, creating new land. They also prevent erosion, filter pollutants and blunt big waves.

Economic Engines, drawn illustration of schools of fish swimming underwater through mangrove tree roots, the bottom of a small paddle boat visible on the surface of the water. — Mangroves provide medicines, timber, food and more, supporting livelihoods for people in coastal areas.

As mighty as they are, mangrove forests—like forests around the world—are shrinking due to human development and pollution. According to the United Nations, up to two thirds of coastal mangroves have been lost to date. As mangroves vanish, the species that rely on them—including us—have fewer defenses against climate change. By working together, we can change this story.

At the Ocean Pavilion, you’ll witness the role mangroves play in Coral Triangle ecosystems and learn how we can work together to protect wild populations.

Watch our team welcome mangroves and bluespotted rays

Our dedicated animal care team knows all about fish. Now that mangroves have arrived at our offsite Animal Care Center, the team is learning the joys of botany. Why? Because mangroves create the conditions many animals—including bluespotted rays—depend on.

In episodes 4 and 5 of Animal Care Stories, watch our team begin to build a shared habitat for mangroves and their “roommates”—bluespotted rays.

Local Lummi artist Daniel Friday to create Ocean Pavilion art installation

Posted on November 5, 2020February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

We’re pleased to announce that local artist Daniel Joseph Friday, a member of the Lummi Nation, has been selected to create an installation for the entry of our new Ocean Pavilion, slated to open in 2024. The piece will honor the Aquarium’s location on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, who stewarded these lands and waters for generations and continue to do so today.

Daniel Friday is a Seattle-based glass artist and a lifelong resident of the Puget Sound region. In his previous works, he’s drawn themes and images from his Coast Salish heritage while using modern processes to sculpt glass. His pieces can be seen locally in the Museum of Glass in Tacoma and the Burke Museum in Seattle. Friday is also a recipient of the Bill Holm Grant and the Discovery Fellowship through the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA).

“It’s an honor to be selected to work with the Seattle Aquarium. Creativity was fostered by my family from an early age,” Friday said. “Living without TV and knowing our rich cultural heritage of the Lummi Nation meant that making things with our hands was a regular activity. Now, in partnership with the Aquarium, I have the opportunity to continue to share the stories of my community.”

The new Ocean Pavilion will welcome visitors from around the world—acknowledging the Aquarium’s location on traditional Coast Salish lands and water, while also honoring the animals residing inside and the Coral Triangle communities they represent. The Aquarium embraces the vital role of global Indigenous solidarity, knowledge-sharing and cultural exchange in protecting the ocean we all depend on.

Asia Tail, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and member of the Urban Native community, and a Native arts liaison at the Aquarium shared, “Daniel’s public art installation for the Ocean Pavilion’s entry will welcome people from all over the world and acknowledge, through the power of art, the Aquarium’s site as the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people.”

Coast Salish artists working in all mediums were encouraged to apply during the selection process. Artists who applied had the option to be included on a roster of artists to be considered by the Aquarium for other art opportunities on the new Ocean Pavilion site, with the intention of deepening relationships with Indigenous artists into the future.

Work on the Ocean Pavilion installation is expected to begin October 2020 and will be complete for the opening of the Pavilion in 2024.