Aquarium Of The Pacific 2018 Year In Review

LONG BEACH, CA – It was a busy year at Long Beach's beloved Aquarium of the Pacific. In 2018, the aquarium reached new milestones, participated in conservation projects, displayed new art installations and more.

Here's the Aquarium of the Pacific Year In Review:

1. Happy 20th Anniversary to the Aquarium!

"The celebration included special programs, events, and contests highlighting our fascinating history and bold future. The Aquarium’s original charter animals were highlighted and new animals were featured, including Kaya the baby harbor seal and the new Tentacles and Ink exhibit," the Aquarium said.

2. Construction was completed on the exterior of the new Pacific Visions wing.

"A topping off ceremony for the new wing was held in February, and the façade’s final glass panel was installed in October," the Aquarium said.###a>

3. Seafood for the Future released a new video series called Ocean to Table.

"Ocean to Table: Stories of Food, Farming, and Conservation showcases responsible marine aquaculture farms around the U.S., interviews with farmers, and seafood recipes to educate the public about responsible aquaculture production. The project also included the release of an app with simple activities and games allowing users to learn more about aquaculture and its environmental impact in comparison to agriculture," the Aquarium said.

4. The Aquarium participated in many conservation projects in 2018 including the launch of a new citizen science website tracking giant sea bass and staff members who traveled to Saipan and South Africa to work with endangered birds.

"The Aquarium joined with scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara, to launch a new website that uses divers’ and snorkelers’ photos of giant sea bass to help track these endangered fish. Assistant Curator Rob Mortensen traveled to Saipan to work with the island’s endangered birds, Mammalogist Katie Finch worked with piping plovers in the Great Lakes region, and Aviculturist Sara Mandel helped rescue and rehabilitate African penguins in South Africa," the Aquarium said.

5. The Aquarium debuted two new Science on a Sphere shows.

"We Are All Related: The Dispersal of Humans Across the World traces human history from our species’ origins in Africa 300,000 years ago to our current population of 7.5 billion and reflects on humans’ growing impact on the environment with the hope for creating a more sustainable future for generations to come. #TeamOcean, developed by XPrize’s Ocean Initiative in consultation with experts at the Aquarium, addresses some major problems affecting the ocean, including overfishing and plastic pollution, and highlights how humans have only explored 15 percent of the ocean floor," the Aquarium said.

6. The Aquarium hosted more than forty lectures in its Guest Speaker Series.

"Speakers in 2018 included Haben Girma, an advocate for equal opportunities for people with disabilities and the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School; JD Talasek, the director of Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences; and Tapan Pathak, a specialist in climate adaptation in agriculture at the University of California, Merced. The Aquarium also presented lectures on the Aquarium’s history and achievements in celebration of its 20th Anniversary," the Aquarium said.

7. The Aquarium displayed several art shows, including images by a National Geographic photographer and artwork celebrating the 20th Anniversary.

"The Aquarium displayed art exhibits throughout the summer celebrating its 20th Anniversary, including illustrations by Brian Kesinger, the Official Artist of the 20th Anniversary; an art quilt featuring the Aquarium’s animals created by Leah Young; and winning artwork in the 20th Anniversary art contest presented by JetBlue. Other art exhibits in 2018 included Aquaculture by National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry, artwork by Andrés Pruna and Truong Buu Giam, and artwork from the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea program," the Aquarium said.

8. The Aquarium’s Seafood for the Future program co-hosted a forum with American Honda on developing a communications strategy to support responsible marine aquaculture in the U.S.

"On October 4 and 5 the Aquarium gathered farmers, chefs, communications experts, regulators, educators, scientists, and other stakeholders to develop a strategy for communicating accurate, engaging, and cohesive information about responsible marine aquaculture to the public," the Aquarium said.

9. The Aquarium became home to many new animals, including: sea lions, eagle rays, several sharks, cephalopods, and new animals born at the Aquarium, including a tufted puffin chick, three Magellanic penguins, black-necked stilts, and Kaya the baby harbor seal.

"The Aquarium welcomed new sea lions Chase and Cain in 2018, as well as the birth of Kaya the harbor seal. Species on view at the Aquarium for the first time included eagle rays, a scalloped hammerhead shark, grey smooth-hound sharks, and two grey reef sharks. New animals in the Tentacles and Ink exhibit installed as part of the 20th Anniversary included bigfin reef squid, a day octopus, and golden cuttlefish. Birds hatched at the Aquarium this year, including a tufted puffin chick, three black-necked stilt chicks, and three penguins, Dee, Chloe, and Wally," the Aquarium said.

10. The Aquarium received several sea turtles for rehabilitation by its veterinary staff.

"The Aquarium has rehabilitated and released several sea turtles in recent years. In 2018 this included Jelly, a 21-inch-long juvenile that was rescued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) with an injury from a fishing hook in Morro Bay. After removing the hook, the Aquarium’s staff released Jelly in the San Gabriel River," the Aquarium said.

To read more about the Aquarium of the Pacific's accomplishments in 2018, visit the website.

Image courtesy of Soupy Bouasaysy