SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN FUN! October at the Seattle Aquarium

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1 NEWS FROM THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM OUR MISSION: Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment Fall 2015 SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN FUN! October at the Seattle Aquarium Get your Halloween celebration started early with us! Come in costume to enjoy creepy marine-themed games and activities, face painting, fun treats and two kinds of pumpkin carving demonstrations on land with master carver Russ Leno and underwater with our Aquarium divers. Visit SeattleAquarium.org/halloween for details and a schedule of events. Giant pumpkin carving Aquarium Halloween October Games and treats SeattleAquarium.org/halloween Underwater pumpkin carving 12pm & 3pm 2015 ONE (BIG) STEP CLOSER TO AN EXPANDED AQUARIUM Seattle City Council approves expansion master plan On August 4, the Seattle City Council voted 8 0 in support of the Seattle Aquarium s expansion master plan. Leading up to this decision 1,128 advocates signed a letter of support which was presented to the Council and a crew of Aquarium supporters spoke about why the Aquarium s mission is important to our community. This decision gives us the green light to move forward with conceptual design of an Aquarium campus including a major exhibit in a new satellite building just east of our location at Piers 59 and 60, plus renovation of our existing facilities. The effort will be led by our architect, Marc L Italien from the noted San Francisco-based firm EHDD. Marc has designed and directed a number of similarly complex projects, including Chicago s John G. Shedd Aquarium master plan, design of the new Exploratorium at Pier 15 in San Francisco, and design of expansions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Marc will be joined by Tom Hennes, founder/principal of the New York City-based Thinc, a leading aquarium exhibits firm known for its expertise in creating transformative visitor experiences most notably the California Academy/Steinhart Aquarium and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. To learn more about our vision for the future and review our expansion master plan, visit SeattleAquarium.org/planning. We ll provide updates in future issues of Currents as we move forward toward an expanded Seattle Aquarium! MEMBERS-ONLY EARLY OPENING: 9AM ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 Join us in costume to experience the Aquarium as it s just waking up! Kids can enjoy a complimentary hot chocolate or lemonade in our café anytime on that day. And remember, (four-hour time limit) City metered parking is free on Sundays!

2 SEAWALL SEASON THREE UNDERWAY After a summer hiatus kicked off by the reopening of shops and restaurants all along the central waterfront, seawall construction resumed this month. The goal of this season s construction is to complete the section between Madison and University streets, just south of the Aquarium. Work on the section directly in front of our piers is slated to begin in fall 2016 and be completed in We ve worked with the project s contractor to ensure the Aquarium will remain fully accessible throughout all phases of this important project. And we ve planned plenty of activities to keep members like you coming through our doors! Our fall and winter calendar is packed with engaging, educational programs and events for details, check out the listings on pages 6 and 7 of this newsletter, or visit our website at SeattleAquarium.org. Wondering where to park when you get here? Go to DowntownSeattleParking.com to locate a $3/hour space nearby. Here s to more progress toward the completion of the new seawall, which will benefit the entire Puget Sound region as well as marine life in Elliott Bay! SAVE ANIMALS FACING EXTINCTION: VOTE YES ON I-1401! The Aquarium is open as usual, and will be throughout the entire seawall construction project. Driving routes to get here remain the same, pedestrian access will be maintained along the waterfront all season long and, as always, there s plenty of parking at the Pike Place and Republic Parking garages. Your vote could help protect marine animals including sea turtles, sharks and manta rays as well as elephants, lions, tigers, rhinos, leopards, cheetahs and pangolins on land. Initiative 1401 is a Washington State ballot measure that, if passed, will increase penalties for trafficking in products derived from the animals listed above species that are being exploited to the point that their very survival is at risk. Supporting I-1401 will reduce our state s contribution to the illegal poaching and animal trafficking that are dramatically reducing these animals populations in the wild. Why does the Seattle Aquarium support the passage of this measure? Says Aquarium President & CEO Robert W. Davidson, Wildlife experts report that within the next decade or sooner, some of the planet s most precious and endangered species may face a critical tipping point toward extinction. The Aquarium s mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment compels us to strongly support Initiative By strengthening protections against trafficking in products from these increasingly endangered animals, we can help save sharks, manta rays and sea turtles and protect our ocean life. Please support this important measure. The sharks, rays and turtles thank you, and so do we! Same Aquarium, new seawall Ballots due November 3 WENDY SCHMIDT OCEAN HEALTH XPRIZE WINNERS ANNOUNCED Progress in the effort to address ocean acidification Ocean acidification a progressive increase in the acidity of the ocean, caused primarily by the uptake of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is impacting many of the Pacific Northwest s marine species. And before scientists can work on solutions to this very pressing problem, they must be able to measure it, which is difficult. But it may have just gotten a lot easier. The Seattle Aquarium was pleased to be a co-sponsor of the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE, a $2 million global competition to develop the world s most accurate and affordable ph sensors thereby advancing the data scientists need to understand and track ocean acidification and its impacts. The contest began in the fall of 2013 and, in February of this year, the top submissions were tested in the waters below the Aquarium s pier. Next, finalists conducted deep-water testing off the coast of Hawaii. After review by a panel of scientists, winners were announced in July. Among the attendees at the awards ceremony, held at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, were Aquarium President & CEO Robert W. Davidson and Conservation Manager Mark Plunkett. Sunburst Sensors, a team of chemists and engineers from land-locked Montana, took top honors winning both of the competition s grand prizes: a $750,000 accuracy prize based on performance; and a $750,000 affordability prize based on cost and usability. Two second-place prizes for $250,000 each were also awarded. We at the Aquarium hope to continue our partnership with the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE to help preserve and protect our marine environment. PUFFLING TO ALMOST-PUFFIN IN A MATTER OF WEEKS It s been puffin-palooza at the Aquarium for the past couple years we welcomed two chicks in 2014, and one this past summer. But the downy newcomers don t stay that way for long: by the time the chicks fledge (or leave the nest), they re almost the same size as their parents. It takes about 45 days for a tufted puffin egg to hatch, and almost the same amount of time for a hatched chick to fledge. Newly hatched chicks stay in the burrow and are cared for by both parents, who make regular deliveries of tasty fish for their offspring to eat. (Did you know adult tufted puffins can hold up to 20 small, slippery fish in their bills at a time? That would be quite a feast for a chick no wonder they grow so fast!) Come learn more about tufted puffins during your next visit to the Aquarium! The Seattle Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution owned by the City of Seattle. Donations to the Seattle Aquarium are tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Code. Donations can be made by calling (206) or visiting SeattleAquarium.org. 2 3

3 4 COUNTING THE ROAD TO RECOVERY FOR WASHINGTON SEA OTTERS Washington State s annual sea otter survey is now complete and the Seattle Aquarium was an active participant. Our Curator of Conservation Research Shawn Larson recently shared some background on the species and how the survey works: The history of the sea otter in Washington State is complex. We lost our last native sea otter in 1910; a victim of the maritime fur trade. The final pelt that was taken was sold by the hunter for $1,000, which at that time was enough to buy a house. That s why sea otters were hunted to extinction: they were more valuable dead than alive. In 1911, sea otters (along with other furbearing marine mammal species) were given protection from fur trade hunting under an international fur seal treaty. But Washington was without sea otters for over 60 years until, in 1969 and 1970, 59 otters were moved from Amchitka Island in Alaska to areas along the Washington coast near La Push. It s thought that most of the translocated animals died many animals were found washed Photos taken via spotting scopes during this year s survey. ashore dead soon after. It s estimated that the otters we see off the Washington coast today are descended from as few as 10 animals. The transplanted sea otters were monitored sporadically for the first two decades after their introduction to Washington waters, but have been surveyed formally each year since The Aquarium has been involved since The annual survey occurs over one week in late June or early July and includes partners from many organizations. This year s team included representation from the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Geologic Survey, Washington Department Fish and Wildlife, University of Washington, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Makah tribe, Quinault tribe and Rite Brothers Aviation. The survey encompasses the entire Washington coast from the Columbia River to the south, to the corner of northwest Washington near Tatoosh Island, and into the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Neah Bay. Rafts (or groups) of sea otters are commonly found in rocky intertidal areas where kelp is growing and rocky reefs provide some protection from the waves. Annual census reveals a slow but steady comeback The actual survey is conducted over three consecutive days, and involves counts taken from the ground as well as photos taken from an airplane. The reason for this is that counters on the ground are able to provide a more accurate count than the plane s pictures, which often catch just the main raft of otters and miss outlying individuals as well as, sometimes, moms with small pups. Five or six sites are selected each year; ground counters hike to their assigned sites and wait for the survey plane to fly over. When it does, the ground counters take their official count, noting the time and number of sea otter adults and pups. If conditions are good, the plane flies over twice each day. The highest single-day count becomes the official count for that year, and reflects numbers from the plane s photos as well as the ground counters. In 2014, we counted a high of 1,573 otters. The 2015 count won t be finalized until later this year it takes time to make the count from all the photos taken by plane. Overall, the increase in the Washington sea otters since the annual counts began has been about eight percent per year one of the highest growth rates for otter populations anywhere. Creature feature: sea otters Did you know there are three generations of sea otters living at the Seattle Aquarium? Grandmother Lootas, her daughter Aniak and Aniak s daughter Sekiu, who will be four years old in January. Unlike other marine mammals, sea otters don t have a protective layer of blubber. Their insulation comes from their amazingly thick fur: approximately 500,000 hairs per square inch, which is three or four times the number of hairs on an entire human head! Read the sea otter animal fact sheet on our website to learn more about these amazing animals. LOOTAS ANIAK SEKIU Photo taken by NOAA s Alaska Fisheries Science Center under authorization of U.S. Marine Mammal Permit # CONTRIBUTING TO STELLER SEA LION CONSERVATION IN THE WILD Aquarium veterinarian shares her expertise during a NOAA research trip Dr. Lesanna Lahner, the Aquarium s staff veterinarian, recently traveled to Alaska s Aleutian Islands to participate in NOAA research on Steller sea lion pups. With the western population stock listed under the Endangered Species Act, Steller sea lions are the largest members of the eared seal family. They re found all along the west coast of the United States, from Alaska to California. They re also regularly sighted in the waters of Puget Sound. Dr. Lahner served as a veterinarian for the project and anesthetized Steller sea lion pups for the collection of samples including blood, fur and whiskers. The samples will be used to investigate the health of the endangered sea lion rookeries. Over several days the team anesthetized and collected samples from over 100 pups. Explaining how the process works, Dr. Lahner says, First, we herd all the adults into the water. The females generally bob nearby to watch. We have to be careful about the males, because they may charge if they feel threatened. Males weigh anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds, so being charged by one is no joking matter. With the adults at a safe distance, team members turn their attention to the pups. Although they re quite cute, handling them isn t Fast fact: Steller sea lions exhibit sexual dimorphism, which means males are much larger than females. easy they re bulky and not necessarily happy about being picked up. We make the process as efficient as possible for the health of the animals, notes Dr. Lahner. It takes minutes to weigh, measure and take samples from each pup and they are anesthetized for sampling so it s not stressful for them. This study is an important contribution toward the conservation effort for this species, she adds. It s great to work with such an outstanding group of biologists, and I was happy to be asked to provide veterinary assistance while learning things I can bring back to the Aquarium. 5

4 MARK YOUR CALENDARS Upcoming events and programs at the Aquarium and in the field. Visit our website at SeattleAquarium.org in the weeks preceding each event for more details. Don t miss our members-only early openings for select events (as noted) this fall and winter! Kids can enjoy a complimentary hot chocolate or lemonade in our café anytime on early-opening days, and City metered parking is free on Sundays (four-hour time limit)! Now through February: Toddler Time From dressing up like a wolf eel to fish-print painting and water play with ocean animal toys, Toddler Time will keep even the busiest of bodies engaged and entertained. A myriad of developmentally age-appropriate, hands-on activities await for tots to explore. In our classrooms on select Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Children 5 and under must be accompanied by an adult. FREE with Aquarium admission. Drop in for any length of time 9:30am noon on the following dates: October 12, 13, 25, 26 and 27 November 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 December 6, 7, 8, 21 and 22 January 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 February 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 Toddler Time is proudly supported by the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan. Weekends in October: Cedar River Salmon Journey FREE family-friendly salmon viewing programs! Follow salmon up the Cedar River this October! Watch our local salmon spawning and learn about them and the things we can all do to improve watershed health and help salmon thrive. Volunteer naturalists will be stationed from 11am to 4pm on October 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 at Renton Library, Cedar River Park, Cavanaugh Pond and Landsburg Park and Dam. Carpool if you can these sites have limited parking. For a flyer with directions or to get more information, visit SeattleAquarium.org/salmon-journey. The Cedar River Salmon Journey is co-sponsored by the following partners: City of Renton, King County Flood Control District, Seattle Public Utilities, US Army Corps of Engineers and WRIA8 Salmon Recovery Council. October 23: Members-only movie night Enjoy a night out at the movies, Aquarium-style! We provide the popcorn, candy and beverages while you enjoy a spooky but family-friendly movie, Monsters University (G)! Come in costume for even more fun. Go to the Members Only section of our website for more information and to register. If you have any questions or problems with registration please us at membership@seattleaquarium.org. October 24 25: Halloween fun at the Seattle Aquarium See the front page of our newsletter for details. Members-only early opening: 9am on Sunday, October 25. Discover Science November 12: Lightning Talks An exciting opportunity to learn about marine science research from local scientists. November 14 15: Weekend activities Bring the family to explore science together through exciting interactive experiments and presentations. Meet scientists and researchers from the Aquarium as well as other organizations in the community to learn about current projects, as well as why and how the research is being conducted. Saturdays and Sundays, November 28 December 20, noon and 3pm: Diving Santa Come to the Aquarium and get in the mood for the winter holidays! Meet Diving Santa, take a photo and treat yourself to a seasonal beverage at our café s espresso bar. With special holiday concerts featuring local Puget Sound groups on select weekends. Be sure to bring your camera! Members-only early opening: 9am on Sunday, November 29. December 26 January 3: Winter Fishtival Join us for hands-on activities, special talks, and opportunities to learn more about the marine animals at the Aquarium and in Puget Sound. Each day will feature a different sea animal and activities. Included with Aquarium admission, no reservation necessary. Members-only early opening: 9am on Sunday, December 27. January 9, 10am noon Aquarium adult volunteer program orientation Join the Aquarium team! This opportunity is perfect for people who want to learn about the marine environment and their relationship to it. Meet new people, learn new information and skills, and enhance the visitor experience by sharing your knowledge in the Aquarium exhibits. This orientation is for potential volunteers ages 18 and older. Advance registration is required. To register and for more information visit SeattleAquarium.org/volunteer or volunteers@seattleaquarium.org. January 16 18: Hawaii in Your Own Backyard Take a break from winter, dress up in Aloha wear, and join us at the Aquarium to explore a little of the tropics. Discover some of the unique sea life that originates only in the Hawaiian Islands. Members-only early opening: 9am on Sunday, January 17. Evening beach walks Explore the beach during winter nighttime low tides with Beach Naturalist staff and volunteers. Discover what creatures we see on the beach at this time of year. Dress for the weather (bundle up!) and for tide pooling: boots, hats, gloves and a good flashlight are musts. At Constellation Park/South Alki Beach on January 22, 8:30 10:30pm; and February 6, 8:30 10:15pm. MEMBERS-ONLY PACIFIC CORAL REEF ACTIVITY BACKPACKS ARE BACK! Filled with games, activities and books that provide family fun and engaging ways to learn more about the Pacific coral reef habitat and the animals that live there. Available for member checkout now through the end of March. To learn more, visit the members-only section of our website at SeattleAquarium. org/membership/ members-only-events. 6 7

5 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59 Seattle, WA NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 2312 SEATTLE, WA Return Service Requested AQUARIUM HOURS: Open 9:30am to 5pm daily; last entry at 5pm, exhibits close at 6pm Aquarium information: (206) Membership information: (206) Recycled content GIVE THE GIFT OF THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM And receive a bonus gift! This holiday season, think outside the gift box and give your friends and family a close encounter with a sea otter instead. Or the opportunity to touch a sea cucumber, stand eye-to-eye with an octopus, or watch a harbor seal get its teeth brushed. Give them a Seattle Aquarium membership a gift that not only shares the magic of our marine environment with the important people in your life, but also contributes to the Seattle Aquarium s education and conservation efforts on behalf of Puget Sound and the ocean beyond. Plus, when you purchase a gift membership, you ll also receive a bonus gift: a collectible magnetic frame with a punch-out magnetic photo of our beautiful clown triggerfish perfect for the refrigerator. Offer valid until December 31, 2015; available only via phone or logging into our website. 8