SUMMER 2015
GET A FEEL FOR LIVING SEASHORE Go behind the scenes of the Aquarium’s new touchpool exhibit. Page 8
The Osprey’s Inspiring Story Page 14
Aquarium Secrets You Won’t Want to Miss Page 20
AQUA.ORG 1
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
SEE WHAT GOES ON AFTER DARK!
14
FLYING IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY The true story of the osprey and how it came back from the brink to not just survive, but thrive.
20
22 FEATUR ES
IN EVERY ISSUE
20 HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
2
FROM THE CEO
10 EDUCATION
Discover treasures that only a
Aquarium CEO John Racanelli reflects
New student art adorns Aquarium
true Aquarium insider would
on the power of an individual.
walls, and Aquarium On Wheels
know.
students head to Capitol Hill.
3 ANIMAL UPDATE 22 SMALL PLASTIC, BIG PROBLEM
See strange species, new friends and a few familiar faces.
The misfortune of microbeads.
11 CONSERVATION Our team is hard at work in the Harbor, and the Aquarium’s seal rehab
4 AQUARIUM NEWS
facility is better than ever.
Living Seashore opens, and see the Aquarium’s new member cards.
12 SPECIES SPOTLIGHT Meet one of the Aquarium’s most
6 IN FOCUS Through philanthropy, Mark Bearman
From arts and culture events to intriguing lectures and date nights with loved ones, Aquarium After Dark provides a calendar of exclusive events throughout the year.
ON T HE COV ER
its rostral ridge are translucent. ®
aqua.org/afterdark
wrasse, Tang!
helps bring our mission to life.
The clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria) is aptly named—both sides of
charismatic fish: the humphead
8 BEHIND THE SCENES Go beyond the boardwalk in the
25 PHOTO FINISH The masked lapwing’s brash behavior complements its bright, bold colors.
Aquarium’s newest exhibit, Living Seashore.
AQUA.ORG 1
FROM THE CEO
A N I M A L U P DAT E
There’s a lot to celebrate about Living Seashore, the National Aquarium’s most engaging and interactive exhibit ever. This new addition to the Aquarium experience goes beyond the traditional senses to add that of touch, connecting guests quite literally with our remarkable Mid-Atlantic shoreline (story, page 8). To experience Living Seashore fully, you have to get your hands wet. There, you can caress the smooth wing of a clearnose skate or feel the firm bell of a moon jelly. These tactile moments are an important part of Living Seashore’s purpose, yet it’s what people do after their visit that we hope will effect the change necessary to ensure that these aquatic treasures continue to thrive. In my travels, I often hear the despair in people’s voices, the fear that individuals really can’t contribute much to turning back the tide of negative forces that imperil our blue planet. But the truth is that we can. There are myriad ways to do so in our everyday lives, some The remaining of which are highlighted in this edition ingredient needed of Watermarks. Check out page 14’s tale of is courage, and I the osprey, a success story about how a few early environmental reformers brought believe we have this bird back to the Bay. Then flip to page that in abundance 22 to learn how you can prevent plastics from choking our waterways by becoming if we marshal our a microbead-free consumer. collective strength We are living in a remarkable time, to get on with the one in which we know more about our living planet than ever before. And we work at hand. have the science and technology to address our challenges as never before. The remaining ingredient needed is courage, and I believe we have that in abundance if we marshal our collective strength to get on with the work at hand. You, our National Aquarium community of supporters, are our secret weapon, and I urge you to continue to connect, protect and share what you learn here and in your visits to our worldclass Aquarium. Join us for a shoreline planting or beach cleanup, sign on as a Shore Hero at aqua.org/hero, become a member of our new National Aquarium Society, tweet, share, post—act! As always, I am deeply grateful that you choose to be part of our mission to inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. We take that support very, very seriously. Sincerely,
Meet Felize
NATIONAL AQUARIUM INC. EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS Robert E. Carter,
Chair
Jane W. I. Droppa, Timothy Adams Marc Bunting Casey Brent Keith Campbell David Churchill
Colleen Dilenschneider Nancy Grasmick Frank A. Gunther, Jr.,
Life Director
Mohannad F. Jishi Charles Knudsen, III Donna Morrison Mark Mullin Joseph Nigro Marianela Peralta Charles A. Phillips J. Scott Plank,
Vice Chair
John C. Racanelli Diana Ramsay The Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Thomas E. Robinson Chuck Tildon Tamika Langley Tremaglio,
Vice Chair
Jaki Ulman C. Elizabeth Wagner
A copy of the National Aquarium’s financial statement is available upon written request. Documents filed in accordance with the Maryland Charitable Organizations Solicitation Act may be obtained from the Maryland Secretary of State. © 2015 National Aquarium Inc.
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WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
More Animal News Morphed Froglets Two splash-back poison dart frog tadpoles recently metamorphosed into froglets.
CFC #11251 MCC #4099 CCC #4099
Balloonfish Added in March A balloonfish, also known as a long-spined porcupinefish, joined other Atlantic Coral Reef residents this spring.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Amanda Forr EDITORS Melissa Marshall, Ashley Goetz CONTRIBUTOR Nabila Chami ART DIRECTOR Natalie A. Castaldo DESIGNERS Ashley Stearns, Aimee Swartz PHOTOGRAPHERS J. Bryan Barnes, Tracey Brown, David Coffey, George Grall, Chris Mattle COPY EDITOR Chris M. Junior
— John Racanelli Chief Executive Officer
Spring brought us an adorable surprise in the form of Felize, the third baby born to Ivy, our Linne’s two-toed sloth. Named in honor of longtime Aquarium volunteer Mary Felice Sidlowski, Felize will remain with Mom in Upland Tropical Rain Forest for almost a full year until it’s grown enough to independently explore the exhibit.
Immediate Past Chair Vice Chair
Jennifer W. Reynolds,
ACCREDITED BY 100% RECYCLED FIBER
Giant Frogfish
Turquoise Tanager
Antennarius commerson
Tangara mexicana
The Hiding exhibit in Surviving Through Adaptation has a new, unusual-looking resident. You won’t have to look hard to find the recently added giant frogfish, a species that can grow up to 15 inches in length. This animal has a large, globular body that can vary in color to match the sponges on which it lives. In fact, it can change its coloration in a matter of weeks to match its environment. Its gigantic mouth allows it to consume prey bigger than itself.
Keep your eyes peeled in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest for this brightly colored fledgling. Our pair of turquoise tanagers, which are managed as part of a nationwide Species Survival Program, successfully hatched and fledged a new chick earlier this year. Turquoise tanagers are highly social birds, often flying together in a small flock from one tree to another in our exhibit. In the wild, up to four or five individuals will help feed nestlings.
Egg-cellent Crocodile News One of our Johnston’s crocodiles in Australia: Wild Extremes has laid eggs. Staff are caring for them in our backup area.
Visit aqua.org/blog to get up-to-date animal news, follow our animal rescue initiatives, go behind the scenes and more.
AQUA.ORG 3
AQUARIUM NEWS
LIVING SEASHORE COMES TO LIFE
GET CARDED
The Aquarium’s newest exhibit welcomes its first guests with special events.
Colorful hard cards to be rolled out to members this year.
In May, the Aquarium opened its newest exhibit, Living Seashore! Featuring two touchpools and a variety of hands-on experiences, Living Seashore takes guests beyond the boardwalk to the crashing waves and sandy beaches of the Mid-Atlantic shore. The grand opening kicked off with a special visit from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Congressman John Sarbanes (see photo, right, with National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli). Throughout the week, the Aquarium invited community partners, donors, members and guests to experience Living Seashore with a series of exclusive events. More than 1,300 guests joined us for three Member-Only Evenings to celebrate and enjoy the new exhibit. To learn more about Living Seashore, visit aqua.org/livingseashore.
Shaking Up Science Our dolphins provide insight into animals’ earthquake-sensing abilities.
NATIONAL AQUARIUM SOCIETY RECEPTION
LIVING SEASHORE OPENING DONOR RECEPTION
MEMBER-ONLY EVENING
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, FIRST ROW: National Aquarium Society members Bill and Dawn Beveridge | Immediate Past Board Chair Jennifer Reynolds with Senior Vice President of External Affairs Kathy Sher and Board Chair Bob Carter | National Aquarium Society members William and Carol Berg. SECOND ROW: Longtime Aquarium donors Greg and Vickie Poole with staff | Joe Nigro, Executive Vice President of Exelon, CEO of Constellation and National Aquarium board member | Board Vice Chair and National Aquarium Society member Tamika Tremaglio with board member Chuck Tildon and Judge Karen Friedman. THIRD ROW: Members were among the first to experience Living Seashore.
in close formation—something Day had not seen them do before. She recorded her observations in a handwritten log. Seconds later, Day says, her chair “started to dance across the floor.” “The dolphins’ high-energy teamwork as the earth was about to quake left me in awe of animal reactions to the forces of nature,” Day says. The time of the dolphins’ behavior coincided with the arrival of the P-waves at the Aquarium, which the hydrophones picked up almost 22 seconds before the arrival of the S and surface waves (the ones that cause shaking). Researchers theorize that the dolphins likely felt the P-waves rather than heard them, since the P-wave-induced vibrations recorded by the hydrophones fell below frequencies within a bottlenose dolphin’s hearing range. A dolphin’s skin, however, is highly sensitive—particularly around the eye, blowhole and head region—so it’s possible they felt the low-frequency vibrations, which spurred the unusual behavior.
Most Marylanders didn’t know what to think when the ground started shaking on August 23, 2011, the result of a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Virginia. However, it turns out at least four Baltimore residents knew what was coming before Mother Nature informed the rest of us. A new study published in the April 2015 issue of Marine Mammal Science posits that four of the National Aquarium’s Atlantic bottlenose dolphins sensed the earthquake before it rattled the Maryland area. Authors Mark R. Turner, Cynthia Turner, Sue Hunter and Michelle Day used Day’s meticulous observations, plus audio recordings from hydrophones (i.e., underwater microphones) located in the pools, to conclude that early seismic waves called P-waves were responsible for tipping off our marine mammal residents. Aquarium volunteer Day noticed unusual behavior in four of our dolphins around the time the earthquake occurred about 189 kilometers southwest of the Aquarium. Though humans sensed no indication of the shaking to come, this group of dolphins began swimming very quickly
National Aquarium members will have the chance to brighten up their wallets in the next few months! The Aquarium is incorporating new membership-card designs, moving toward hard cards for the first time. These colorful cards, which feature some of our signature residents, are part of our continuing conservation efforts, intended to last year after year, saving paper and printing costs. The cards also feature bar codes, allowing for faster check-in for members. During the rollout, the new cards will be presented to current members on their next visit or by mail over the next several months. Join us for a Member-Only Evening on July 28! Visit aqua.org/moe to reserve your tickets today.
MEM
BER
CORP
WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
E
NAL N AT IO R IU M AQ U A TY S O C IE
B OA R D
To read the full study in Marine Mammal
Science, visit aqua.org/dolphinstudy.
PAT R O 4
O R AT
N AQUA.ORG 5
IN FOCUS
Making Possibility a Reality Mark Bearman actualizes our mission through his philanthropy.
A
quarium exhibits are a wonder to see, but people like Mark Bearman, chief operating officer for the Herbert Bearman Foundation, know that what happens behind the scenes is just as valuable. “People don’t know certain things about the Aquarium, like how they’re creating their own seawater,” Bearman says. He’s describing how the Aquarium takes regular Baltimore City water and creates perfectly balanced saltwater for its exhibits. And that’s just a taste of what goes on in those places not frequented by guests. Bearman is well-versed in the work of the Aquarium’s Biological Programs team—the staff responsible for caring for the 20,000-plus animals and exhibits. The Herbert Bearman Foundation has helped to fund a number of their ventures. Those projects are incredibly important, but they’re things the average visitor rarely sees. From spectrometers and noise-monitoring systems to Animal Rescue staff and an ultrasound machine, the foundation’s impact reaches far and wide across the Aquarium. Bearman didn’t start his career as COO for the Herbert Bearman Foundation. In fact, his background is about as varied as the projects his foundation has helped to fund. After attending school in Florida, he became a chef, later moving back to Maryland to take a position as a nutritionist for Harford County Public Schools. In addition to being a foodie and philanthropist, Bearman is also an avid drummer and has been since he was a kid. It was during Bearman’s stint as a school nutritionist that his family approached him about joining the Herbert Bearman Foundation. The foundation was funded by his late uncle, for whom it is named. Herbert Bearman was a lifelong philanthropist and
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WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
wanted that tradition to continue even after his passing. Bearman began moonlighting at the foundation, but quickly made it his career. “I was doing it on the side and really fell in love with it, so I ended up taking it on full time,” Bearman says. Most of the foundation’s work is centralized in Baltimore, South Florida and Israel, but the organizations and projects they support run the gamut. “We kind of want to spread the love, so to speak,” Bearman says. For years, they’ve worked closely with the National Aquarium and its vice president of biological programs, Dr. Brent Whitaker.
“IT’S BEEN VERY GRATIFYING. WE FEEL HONORED TO BE IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO HELP.” — MARK BEARMAN
“It’s been fascinating working with Brent, his team and the Aquarium as a whole,” Bearman says. “We’ve been able to do a whole slew of projects with the Aquarium.” The foundation donated gates for the pools in Dolphin Discovery that make simple procedures, like having blood drawn, more efficient, meaning an improved capability to monitor dolphin health. It also granted the funds for a thermography camera. Where animal health is concerned, being able to quickly identify and react to potential problems is key. “This camera allows them to stand in front of an
exhibit, take an exposure, and it will basically give them a heat reading,” Bearman says. Temperature readings on the fly enable faster response times. The foundation has also contributed satellite tags, which are valuable tools for the Animal Rescue team. The tags allow staff to track an animal’s movement following its release and learn more about the species. Bearman has even had the opportunity to witness a few of those animal releases firsthand. “It’s been very gratifying. We feel honored to be in a position to be able to help,” Bearman says about his time working with the Aquarium. And that positive sentiment is shared here at the Aquarium. “The Bearman Foundation has been a consistent partner over the years,” Whitaker says. “Their interest in the care and welfare of our animals and the overall benefit to our community is first rate. When we had the earthquake several years ago, listening and recording equipment installed in our dolphin pools enabled us to capture incredible information that was subsequently published in Marine Mammal Science. How incredible is that?” The partnership is approaching a decade and has consistently been a two-way street. “They’re not just counting on us. They’re working each and every day to try and fulfill their needs, and that really says a lot to us,” Bearman says. “That’s why we’ve always had an open-door policy with the Aquarium and encouraged them to approach us with things they think would be of interest.” Bearman believes this relationship could open more doors for the Aquarium. “We’re hopeful that our partnership with the Aquarium has given them some leverage to be able to approach other funders and be able to grow upon that as well,” he says.
Photographed by Tracey Brown
BY ASHLEY GOETZ
AQUA.ORG 7
BEHIND THE SCENES
GET A FEEL FOR LIVING SEASHORE Our new touchpool exhibit delivers a whole new perspective of the beach you thought you knew. BY MELISSA MARSHALL
M
Hermit crabs are among the residents of Living Seashore.
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WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
id-Atlantic seashore species have mastered the art of mystery. They go about their busy lives concealed from the humans vacationing in their beach habitat. But their stealth has its limits. Stingrays, sand crabs, snails and other animals inadvertently leave behind telltale signs of their existence—and it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to uncover the clues hidden right under our noses. In fact, we’ve done it for you in our new exhibit, Living Seashore. With two touchpools and a variety of hands-on experiences, this exciting new addition to the National Aquarium exposes the active ecosystem bustling in the sand and within the waves of the Mid-Atlantic seashore. Guests can touch the sleek wing of an Atlantic stingray, feel the firm bell of a moon jelly and discover how these and other animals adapt to their ever-changing environment. “It will surprise people to see large whelks and moon snails out of their shells, cruising around the sand,” says Manager of Changing Exhibits Jennie Janssen. “Most people have seen these beautiful shells but have never seen the live animal associated with them.” While the touchpools will undoubtedly be a huge draw, Living Seashore offers so much more. It takes you on a journey through each of the Mid-Atlantic’s diverse habitats: the shifting dunes, sandy beaches and crashing waves. There’s a dune inside the exhibit— sand, dune grasses and all—and various interactive digital features ensure there’s never a dull moment as you explore. “You truly feel like you’re on the Mid-Atlantic shore,” says Visitor Programs Manager Megan Anderson. “It’s this whole giant experience before you even get your hands wet.”
Guests encounter many of the familiar items frequently found on the beach, only to learn that these shoreline treasures hold secrets about the elusive animals living there. Take the mermaid’s purse, for instance. Many Mid-Atlantic visitors have spotted these small, rectangular pouches—identifiable by the hornlike projections jutting out from each corner—while beachcombing, but few realize what they actually are: egg cases, washed ashore after the young skates inside them emerge. The clearnose skate, featured in Living Seashore’s largest touchpool, is one of the animals that produces these. There’s also a good chance Mid-Atlantic beachgoers have stumbled upon a shell with a perfectly circular hole through the top of it. Spoiler: That hole was no accident. It was made by a snail, such as an Atlantic moon snail, which preys on other molluscs in a unique way: “I like to say they lick other snails to death,” Anderson says. These softball-sized snails—which are on display in Living Seashore—use a tonguelike structure called a radula to essentially drill a hole through snail or bivalve shells and then slurp up their prey. It’s safe to say you’ll never look at one of those pierced shells the same way again—and that’s exactly the point of the exhibit: to communicate how everything we find on the beach plays a role in a healthy ecosystem. We’re part of that ecosystem, and our actions directly impact it. The plastic we leave behind pollutes this habitat and others. The shells we collect are homes for creatures like hermit crabs and snails. The dunes we’re instructed to avoid are maintaining the stability of the shoreline. “The big message is to take out what you take in,” Anderson says. “Take only pictures; leave only footprints.”
What Does It Feel Like? The animals you’ll touch in Living Seashore feel a little like these everyday items.
ATLANTIC STINGRAY
HORSESHOE CRAB
MOON JELLY
MOON SNAIL
SEA STAR
Peeled,
Bone
Underwater Jell-0
Tongue
Basketball
hard-boiled egg
E D U C AT I O N
PICTURE PERFECT Contest winners inspire ocean conservation through their art. The walls in front of the classrooms on Pier 4 recently received a makeover: They’ve been covered in art! The pieces are part of a traveling exhibition, and the National Aquarium has been chosen to showcase the winning art and photography from the Coastal America Partnership’s third annual North American Ocean Art Contest. Students and adults worked to create visual expressions of the ocean and its importance to humanity, focusing on the seven Essential Principles of Ocean Literacy as their theme. In addition to helping budding artists better realize their connection to water, the contest aimed to generate public awareness of human impact on our blue planet. Independent judges chose 20 pieces to display in aquariums, museums and science facilities nationwide. The artwork will be featured in Pier 4 through July, so come visit the National Aquarium while it’s still here! 10 WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
C O N S E R VAT I O N
TAKING ACTION FOR AFTERSCHOOL LEARNING
Shoring up the Shoreline
Students visited the Capitol in support of National Aquarium programs.
Guests of the National Aquarium can learn about dunes in our new Living Seashore exhibit, and those inspired can then take action in support of these critical habitats in the natural world as well. In partnership with the Navy and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, the Aquarium’s Conservation Team recently worked to restore the dunes at Naval Air Station Oceana – Dam Neck Annex. There, the team planted native dune grasses to stabilize the shifting dunes, which in turn provide valuable habitat for animals and also protect inland areas. There will be another opportunity to restore Virginia Beach dunes this fall. Until then, those itching to get their hands dirty and do something good for the planet can become Shore Heroes.
This past spring, more than 400 afterschool advocates and youth traveled to Capitol Hill for the 15th Afterschool for All Challenge, asking more than 250 congressional staffers and members of Congress to support kids and families who rely on afterschool programs. The Aquarium was invited to attend in 2014 and 2015 through the Association of Science-Technology Centers. ASTC is the founding group of the Youth Alive! Initiative, which was the original source of funding for our Aquarium On Wheels (AOW) program and many other similar afterschool programs at science museums, zoos and aquariums throughout the country. Aquarium On Wheels students traveled to Washington, D.C., to share the impact of our afterschool program and ask for continued support of afterschool programs at a federal level.
“The AOW students shared their personal experiences in AOW and how the program impacted them,” says Kathy Fuller, National Aquarium youth programs coordinator. “The personal growth of the students in this two-day experience is profound. The students truly understood that they were representing youth all over the country with their message.” Aquarium On Wheels is an award-winning afterschool and summer program for Baltimore-area high school students. The program combines scientific research, conservation activities, job training and the theater arts to promote environmental stewardship.
The Aquarium Conservation Team is committed to saving essential coastal habitats.
READY FOR REHAB Our new seal rehabilitation facility is already being put to good use. Meet Lily. With multiple jaw fractures and an inability to eat on her own, this grey seal pup was desperately in need of medical attention. Thankfully, the National Aquarium seal-rehabilitation facility had recently reopened after a year of facility upgrades when she was found stranded in Delaware. She was transferred to us on April 5 and released two months later with a clean bill of health at Assateague Island National Seashore. If it weren’t for an anonymous donor, our Animal Rescue team would never have had the chance to treat Lily. But thanks to this individual’s gift, our seal facility reopened in March with new animal enclosures, larger pools and upgraded electrical support and life support equipment. We’re now able to achieve a higher standard of animal care and rehabilitate more animals in need. The new upgrades allow us to comfortably treat up to two seals at a time—not to mention conserve more water while we do it.
LIFE IN A DUNE
Many animals rely on healthy dunes.
Find out how you can help seals like Lily at aqua.org/animalrescue.
BUILDING HARBOR HABITATS
Piping plovers and many migratory birds utilize the sand dune for nesting and foraging.
There’s a lot going on below the surface of the Inner Harbor this summer. “We often say, ‘You can’t conserve what you don’t know you have,’” explains Charmaine Dahlenburg, conservation project manager. “Wildlife in urban areas is often underrepresented. With this baseline information, we can build each year to study patterns and changes in the Harbor and Baltimore City.” This spring, the Aquarium team added six more alongside Pier 3 by the National Aquarium and four to the Aquarium’s Masonville Cove site, bringing the total to 18. So far, 18 species have been observed in the Biohuts.
You might be surprised to learn that there’s just as much activity below the surface of the Inner Harbor as above. Take Biohuts. These structures provide a home for filter feeders, food and refuge for numerous species and, in turn, food for larger predatory fish. In partnership with Ecocean, Biohabitats and the Oyster Recovery Partnership, Biohuts are placed in the water and monitored by Aquarium staff. Information about species diversity and abundance, as well as the growth of oyster spat, is then shared with the Maryland Biodiversity Project.
Sea turtles use beaches protected by dunes for nesting.
Semiterrestrial ghost crabs seek safe spaces in dunes, creating burrows in the sand.
Meet the Shore Heroes featured in Living Seashore and learn how you can become one too at aqua.org/hero.
AQUA.ORG 11
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT
MEET THE MIGHTY WRASSE Winding patterns, watchful eyes and a mysterious bump on its head aren’t this reef-dwelling behemoth’s only oddities. BY ASHLEY GOETZ
“I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SPECULATE THAT THE HUMP IS A WAY OF SAYING, ‘I’M A BIG, HEALTHY, ATTRACTIVE MALE WHO HAS ENOUGH ENERGY
T
he first thing you notice is a set of bright-blue bulbous lips. A stark-white roving eye wanders into view before your focus shifts to the large lump jutting from the humphead wrasse’s forehead. Ornate patterns adorn this fish’s shimmering blue-green skin, and if all of that’s not enough to divert your attention, its size alone is likely to catch your eye. The humphead wrasse is what some might call a charismatic megafauna, a species with widespread appeal. And once you’ve seen him, you’d have a difficult time arguing otherwise. He’s one of the heftiest reef fish, and distinct features set him apart from the crowd. “They’re big, large fish and very curious about their environments,” says Jackie Cooper, senior assistant dive safety officer/ aquarist. The humphead wrasse is common to the Indo-Pacific, but you can also see one in the National Aquarium’s Blacktip Reef exhibit.
FAT H E R O F F I S H E S
Cooper, who has worked with the humphead wrasse since he arrived at the Aquarium three years ago, had the privilege of choosing his name. “I mean, he’s just magnificent. I could only name him if I came up with something appropriately regal, and so I did weeks of research to find the right name,” she says. She landed on Tangaroa, “Tang” for short. Another common name for the humphead wrasse is the Maori wrasse, most likely because the fish’s patterns are reminiscent of the body and face markings of the Maori, an 12
WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
THAT I CAN GROW THIS APPENDAGE indigenous Polynesian group in New Zealand where the wrasse is found. Tangaroa is the Maori god of the sea and father of fishes, so the name was a natural fit. The wrasse’s other common name, humphead, is a nod to one of its most defining features: the bump on its head. Scientists don’t know the exact reason males grow this protrusion, but they posit it is to attract mates. Cooper says that hump is common among fish, occurring across species that mate with multiple females. “I think it’s safe to speculate that the hump is a way of saying, ‘I’m a big, healthy, attractive male who has enough energy that I can grow this appendage that has no other function.’” A TA S T E F O R DA N G E R
The bump on Tangaroa’s head may be for show, but his large lips serve another purpose. When Tangaroa feeds, he extends his lips outward, opens his mouth and sucks in food. Humphead wrasses just happen to be one of the few species that can feed on toxic animals, such as the crown-of-thorns sea star, which makes them important predators in a
HUMPHEAD WRASSES JUST HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THE FEW SPECIES THAT CAN FEED ON TOXIC ANIMALS.
reef environment. Crown-of-thorns sea stars prey on coral, and the humphead wrasse helps keep their population in check, ensuring the ecosystem stays in equilibrium.
THAT HAS NO OTHER FUNCTION.’” — JACKIE COOPER, Senior Assistant
Dive Safety Officer/Aquarist
MAKING CHANGE
The female wrasse is easily distinguished from the male, differing in pattern, color and size. Juveniles are small and almost white, turning a burnt sienna as they age. Two distinctive dark lines radiate from their eyes. “If you didn’t know to look for those lines around the eyes, you probably wouldn’t recognize them as the same species,” Cooper says. But in fact, all humphead wrasses start out this way, because they’re all born females. Humphead wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that as they grow, some transition from female to male. And in the world of wrasses, that’s actually pretty common. It’s true for other fish as well, but scientists aren’t sure what environmental cues trigger that transformation for the humphead wrasse. For some other species, the female is the terminal developer. Clownfish, for example, begin life as males with some individuals later transitioning to female. “Gender is a very flexible thing for fish,” Cooper says. Right now, staff is raising a young humphead wrasse behind the scenes. The hope is that once she’s moved into Blacktip Reef, she’ll grow and remain female, but there’s no guarantee. “She could live her entire life female, which is what we would hope,” Cooper says. And that could be a very long life. Humphead wrasses have been known to live for 30-plus years.
AQUA.ORG 13
The osprey’s success story serves as a reminder that individuals can effect environmental change. BY MELISSA MARSHALL
I
f you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to make a positive difference for the environment amid all the doom and gloom we hear about every day, the answer is a resounding yes. Need proof? Here it is: the osprey. Today, these fish-eating raptors are considered to be one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most iconic creatures, easily spotted between March and August nesting on channel markers, highway overpass signs, dead trees and artificial nesting platforms. As National Aquarium General Curator Jack Cover says, “They’re part of our Chesapeake Bay heritage. It’s a rite of spring to see them return to the Bay.” Locals hold a special place in their hearts for this species for good reason: They nearly lost it. Osprey numbers crashed from the 1950s through the 1970s, wiping out 90 percent of the New England population. They exist today solely because of individuals who took action. It’s a comeback story. In fact, it’s considered by many to be the beginning of the modern environmentalist movement. And it all started with one man: Dr. Paul Muller. Muller changed the world—for good and for bad—in 1939 when he discovered that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT, was surprisingly effective in killing mosquitoes and other injurious insects. Soldiers in World War II had been dying from mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever, and farmers were in need of pesticides that weren’t toxic to humans. DDT was the best solution anyone could have hoped for. It could wipe out nearly every type of harmful insect without hurting humans or other mammals, and one spray lasted a long time. The best part: It was cheap. Muller received the Nobel Prize for his discovery, and the production of synthetic pesticides skyrocketed from 124 million pounds in 1947 to 638 million pounds in 1960. But as humans reaped the benefits of DDT, something sinister was happening in the food chain. DDT was being absorbed deep into the ground, and stormwater runoff was delivering it straight into waterways. 16 WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
Worms were consuming the chemical as they fed on nutrients in the soil, and small animals were absorbing it from lakes and streams. These creatures were then eaten by larger animals, which were eaten by even larger animals and so on. The problem here lies in the fact that DDT doesn’t naturally pass through the bodies of fish, birds and mammals. It remains in their fatty tissue. Thus, the more these animals consume, the more DDT builds up in their bodies. It’s a process known as biomagnification, and it basically means the guys at the top of the food chain get hit the hardest when something’s contaminating the food supply. It didn’t take an expert to notice the red flags. Songbirds were dropping dead in yards. Birdwatchers observed troubling changes in bald-eagle behavior and reproduction. Scientists discovered dangerous levels of DDT in the fatty tissue and reproductive organs of dead bald eagles and peregrine falcons. And numbers of certain species seemed to be dropping, including the osprey. Also known as a fish hawk, the osprey is one of the most wide-ranging species of bird, inhabiting every continent except Antarctica. The best place to find one, however, is the Chesapeake Bay, which hosts the world’s largest-known concentration of nesting ospreys—nearly 2,000 pairs. “To survive, [the osprey] has to have an abundance of fish near the surface. And when you think of the Chesapeake Bay, it’s really the nursery area for a lot of fish species,” Cover explains. “It’s like the Grand Central Station for fish coming in from the ocean, fish leaving the Bay for the ocean, and a lot of it happens near the surface.” When the cold weather comes, ospreys migrate south, sometimes traveling as far as Venezuela. They return to North America in the spring, often to the exact same nests they inhabited the previous season. Because of its widespread distribution, its position at the top of the food chain (it practically has no predators) and its ability to bioaccumulate contaminants, the osprey is an indicator species—meaning, if something
fishy is going on with our fish or the ecosystem in general, ospreys will clue us in. As DDT made its way through the food chain, ospreys started to struggle. The synthetic pesticide was preventing them from absorbing the calcium they needed to lay eggs with strong shells. As a result, many eggs broke before they could hatch. Bald eagles, peregrine falcons and brown pelicans suffered the same side effects, and populations plummeted. “It just got to the point where every year, there were no fledglings, no chicks,” Cover says. “You basically had adults doing a lot of work and producing no young.” The U.S. osprey was eventually listed in the Redbook “Rare and Endangered Fish and Wildlife of the United States,” and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service classified it as “status undetermined.” Canada listed the species as “endangered.”
Locals hold a special place in their hearts for this species for good reason: They nearly lost it. That could have been the beginning of the end for the osprey—and other species—if it wasn’t for the actions of one person. Biologist Rachel Carson had been researching the effects of pesticides on humans and birds at the time of DDT’s widespread use. She noted American robins and bald eagles were dying with high DDT concentrations in their bodies. In an effort to turn the tide, she published a book on her findings in 1962, titling it “Silent Spring” in reference to
DEADLY BY DESIGN It’s no wonder ospreys are expert anglers. Their anatomy gives them every advantage over their prey.
WINGS
STATS
FEATHERS
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Strong wings—spanning up to 6 feet—allow it to power out of the water with its prey.
Large oil glands waterproof the feathers, allowing it to get back in the air and fly immediately after being submerged in water.
BEAK
of the average osprey’s dive attempts result in catches
70% is the success rate for particularly skilled ospreys
When submerged, the osprey can close its nostrils to keep water out.
12
FEET
130
PREY
40
Its four toes are equipped with sharp talons to grip slippery fish.
The osprey arranges its catch headfirst for less wind resistance while flying.
minutes, on average, are spent hunting before making a catch
feet is the maximum height at which ospreys can spot surface-swimming fish
miles an hour is the maximum speed at which ospreys hit the water to catch prey
“People’s activities caused the decline of ospreys, but it was also people’s efforts that brought them back.” — Jack Cover, General Curator the possibility of a future without songbirds. Carson recognized that she was voicing an unpopular opinion, so “Silent Spring” included no fewer than 55 pages of sources, as well as a list of experts who had read and approved the manuscript. It denounced the chemical industry for intentionally spreading misinformation and criticized public officials for blindly accepting unsubstantiated industry claims. The book spread like wildfire, igniting a national—and eventually an international— debate about the environmental effects and regulation of synthetic pesticides. Though Carson didn’t live to see it, her activism changed the fate of many species and revolutionized industry regulations. President John F. Kennedy called on the President’s Science Advisory Committee to investigate the issues outlined in “Silent Spring,” and its report confirmed Carson’s theories. In December 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was founded, largely in response to Carson’s book and the environmental movement that it inspired. 18
WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
Just two years later, the EPA banned the use of DDT in the United States, and other countries followed suit. To boost the osprey’s recovery, individuals coordinated efforts to build artificial nesting platforms for them. These structures provided ideal replacements for the trees lost through shoreline development, and ospreys quickly adapted to them. By 1973, nearly two-thirds of Chesapeake Bay ospreys were nesting on artificial structures like duck blinds, channel markers and manmade nesting platforms. The rest is history. Osprey populations slowly began their recovery, growing by about 2.5 percent each year. The number of breeding pairs in the United States rose from 8,000 in 1981 to 14,246 in 1994. Other species previously threatened by DDT, such as the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, experienced similar growth. Today, ospreys boast a global breeding population of around 500,000. Their story is proof that people can make a difference. “When I see a growing population of ospreys, it’s a symbol of hope,” Cover says. “It shows you that people’s activities caused the decline of ospreys, but it was also people’s efforts that brought them back.”
BANDING TOGETHER FOR OSPREYS Amateur naturalists are getting a taste for citizen science on the Patuxent River. Park Naturalist Greg Kearns is redefining the term “field day” for students enrolled in the National Aquarium’s Aquarium On Wheels program. Between June and early July, these kids join him on the Patuxent River to hold and band ospreys while learning about their role in the ecosystem. “I just saw that there was a need to get an experience like this that no one else is offering,” Kearns says. “It’s a great opportunity for people to get hands-on.” Students, volunteers and members of the general public join him each summer at the Patuxent River Visitors Center, where he briefs them on this incredible keystone species and the importance of monitoring it. At each nesting site, Kearns gives his banding apprentices the opportunity to hold the ospreys, and then runs them through his routine of recording data and attaching the band. “I’ve had a lot of people who have really gone osprey-crazy,” Kearns says. “One young woman thought they were so cool she went on to complete her Ph.D. on ospreys and environmental contaminants.” With the information obtained through osprey banding, Kearns and other researchers gain insight into population health, migratory routes, main causes of death, average life expectancy, nesting behaviors and more. By keeping tabs on ospreys, they’re keeping tabs on the ecosystem. “A famous naturalist once said birds are the ‘litmus paper of the environment,’” Kearns says. “By monitoring populations, you’re able to see if any trends or changes are taking place.”
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GIFT? Adopt an animal for friends or family members! For just $40, you can bring a smile to someone’s face while covering the cost of care for a turtle, shark, puffin, frog or dolphin at the National Aquarium. Visit aqua.org/aquadopt or call 410-576-8840 to learn more.
WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE YOU’LL HAVE MORE WAYS TO SAVE! Beginning August 1, 2015, the National Aquarium will be in partnership with two local garages, offering special discounts for guests and members. For more information, please visit aqua.org/parking or download the Aquarium app.
124 Market Place Baltimore, Maryland 21202
100 S. Gay St. Baltimore, Maryland 21202
To learn more about Aquarium On Wheels and how to enroll, visit aqua.org/aow.
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Hidden in Plain Sight
Real cocoa and banana plants are growing in the Rain Forest!
By Ashley goetz
Rain For es t
There are hidden treasures tucked away throughout the National Aquarium. Follow along as we share some
That insect-like trill you hear when entering the Upland Tropical Rain Forest is actually a frog! A phantasmal poison dart frog to be exact. Look closely and you may spot these tiny amphibians hopping around in the soil.
insider secrets. On your
Level 4 d g their wings an Puffins flappin the water are so nose-diving into n’t probably have distracting, you lt is next one. Bui even noticed th tiny e ar t’s rock work into the exhibi spot! many you can skulls. See how
Level
you’ve never seen before.
Our megalodon jaw may be a replica, but the teeth are real!
a M eg
ro n Wat e r f pa r k
t
Did you know the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Waterfront Park is a certified wildlife habitat? Hidden among the plants is a three-part geocache (a treasure hunt!). Find the coordinates, grab a GPS and get started!
20 WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
lo do n Jaw
Before you cross the bridge in our Australia exhibit, look right. You’ll see a small potted tree. It may look unassuming, but that Wollemi Pine is rare. It’s prehistoric, and fewer than 100 mature trees exist in the wild, protected in the Wollemi National Park.
Level
2
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The ladder in the Lurking exhibit isn’t just for decoration. Staff also use it to get in and out of the water.
With wide, flat bodies and fringed mouths, wobbegongs are proof that sharks come in every shape and size. These sharks are often overlooked, tucked beneath the far-left windows in Blacktip Reef’s underwater viewing area.
next visit, take a closer look— you may discover something
Don’t walk too quickly past the Tidal Marsh exhibit. Hidden in the oysters are tiny fish, like naked goby and striped blenny. Stop and wait for them to poke their heads out.
izards es e r t l d r u o ed those neath u notic e o y B e ? v s ted ck Ha te hea k on ro la s u a c b ir c o s like t le pipe ature , flexib eal cre r s e a g d m le g the izard. makin o d ed l lo b water, ld co rt for a comfo
Aust r a
lia
B L AC K
TIP R E E
F
Head to the far right of the Blacktip Reef underwater viewing area and look for the moray eel. It can often be found concealed within the coral, just below the window.
Look up! Our greyheaded flying foxes tend to hang out in the rafters—literally.
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Small plastic
Big Problem Why sending minuscule plastic pieces down the drain is such a huge issue—and what you can do to help. By Elizabeth Bastos
22 WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
They also act like sponges, absorbing persistent organic pollutants in the water, like PCBs and DDT. That becomes a problem—for us. These chemicals biomagnify through the food chain, potentially all the way to your dinner plate. Commercially important species of fish, such as tuna, are eating plastics all the time; and when people eat tuna, they’re eating the chemical components of plastics, too.
Just because they’re tiny doesn’t mean they’re harmless. Microbeads range in size from 0.0004 millimeters to 1.24 millimeters, making them proof that size doesn’t matter when it comes to pollution. To give you an idea of how small 0.0004 millimeters really is: A single microbead can be 156 times smaller than the tiniest grain of sand. Their perfectly spherical shape lends silky smoothness to moisturizers, soaps, toothpastes and hundreds of other personal-care items, such as exfoliating body washes.
of the plastics found in Lake Erie samples were microplastics.
Shifting Sand
All Too Common
There are consequences on land, as well. Milk jugs and other consumer plastics—including toys, packaging and fishing line—are ugly but familiar sights to beachgoers. After all, they pollute the wrack line of beaches all over the world. But micronized plastic bits are becoming a major component of the beach. In 2004, marine ecologists at the University of Plymouth in England were the first to detail the distribution of microplastics in the marine environment. Thirty-three percent of sediments they collected from beaches and estuaries were synthetic polymers. With statistics like that, people could one day see beaches where sand does not predominate.
Nearly 1,147 personal cleansing products, including facial scrubs and toothpaste, contain microbeads. Believe it or not, these tiny bits of polyethylene and polypropylene are having a monumental impact on our ocean’s health. In the Great Lakes—which contain more than 20 percent of the world’s fresh water—Lake Ontario has a concentration of them: 1.1 million plastic particles per square kilometer. These microplastics float, suspended in the water column for far longer than a human lifespan. They are unable to biodegrade and can remain in the environment for 100 to 1,000 years.
Taking Charge Manufacturers of personalcare products are already looking for alternatives to microbeads, replacing them with natural abrasives like cocoa beans and apricot kernels. Last year, Illinois became the first state to outlaw microbeads in consumer goods, and other states are following in its footsteps. Major companies are also taking note, which will only make it easier for consumers AQUA.ORG 23
to make smart choices. Just to name a few, Ikea decided in 2013 to stop purchasing products containing microplastics and stated it will never again include them in any of its offerings. L’Oreal announced in 2014 that it will not develop any new products with
A perfect beach vacation is making castles of real sand, made of rock bits and shells, not synthetic polymers.
microplastic pearls as an exfoliating agent and will also work to substitute these in existing product formulas. Looking ahead, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Target and Procter & Gamble have pledged to take significant strides in eliminating microbeads from products in the next couple of years. These are positive first steps, and they appeal to consumers. For starters, consumers can choose not to purchase products containing microplastics. “Beat The Microbead,” a free app launched by the Plastic Soup Foundation, scans product bar codes and tells users if microbeads are listed as an ingredient. Modern life runs on plastics. However, tools are available that can help consumers adopt practices that are friendlier to aquatic ecosystems. After all, most people agree: A perfect beach vacation is making castles of real sand, made of rock bits and shells, not synthetic polymers. 24 WATERMARKS | SUMMER 2015
Maryland Takes on Microbeads States are following in Illinois’ footsteps in the fight against microplastics. Maryland made a bold move against plastic pollution on May 12, when it officially ordered a phase-out of personal-care products and over-the-counter drugs containing microbeads. The new legislation, which follows Illinois’ 2014 law banning microbeads, would prohibit the manufacture of microbeads by the end of 2017 and ban the sale of microbead-containing products by the end of 2018. The tiny bits of polyethylene and polypropylene are often added to personal-care products—such as facial scrubs and toothpastes—for their exfoliating and cleansing properties, but have recently been criticized for their contribution to plastic pollution in our ocean. After being washed down the drain, they slip through water treatment systems and collect in our waterways, posing a threat to the ecosystem through ingestion by fish and other animals. The National Aquarium, which testified in support of the bill, believes the new law is a step in the right direction toward reducing plastic pollution in state waters and the Chesapeake Bay. It’s our hope that other states considering similar legislation will follow suit. To learn more about the Maryland General Assembly’s 2015 session, visit aqua.org/legislation.
Passed The state has enacted legislation to restrict the use of microbeads. Colorado Indiana Illinois Maine Maryland New Jersey
Pending The state has proposed legislation to restrict the use of microbeads. California Connecticut Hawaii Michigan Minnesota New York Oregon
Change State Across the nation, individual states are increasingly saying no to microbeads.
Washington Vermont
PHOTO FINISH
Masked lapwing Vanellus miles In their native Australia and New Zealand, these colorful birds, complete with white neck and yellow wattles, aren’t afraid to defend their territories. Also called plovers, masked lapwings are commonly found on the ground in open spaces—like fields, marshes, beaches and even parking lots—hunting for food like insects and worms, and even making nests. Their bold nesting behaviors mean that a nesting pair must defend their eggs by any means necessary, including loud calls, wing movements and even swooping and striking those that get too close. One innovative protective tactic includes defending a faux nest, intended to steer predators down the wrong path, thus protecting the true nesting place. Two female masked lapwings are on exhibit in Australia: Wild Extremes.
AQUA.ORG 25
501 East Pratt Street | Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Baltimore, MD Permit No. 7625
Lily, grey seal pup Rescued on April 5, 2015
Save a rescued animal today. Visit aqua.org/give.