WINTER
2019
LETTER FROM OUR CEO CORPORATE PARTNERS
GREETINGS MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, I hope everyone is enjoying our wonderful and thankfully cooler winter weather. With the change of seasons came our first strong cold front, and once again, we have experienced a major cold stunning event with our local marine turtle populations. As of this writing, 120 turtles have been rescued and have undergone care at our Wildlife Rescue Center, and I’m pleased to report that 119 of these turtles were successfully released back into our local waters. Caring for that many patients is a significant undertaking; fortunately, our teams have significant prior experience. However, we recognize that we cannot engage in this work on our own. Key partners include: Donna Shaver and her team at the Padre Island National Seashore Division of Sea Turtle Science & Recovery and our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I’m also excited to announce a new partnership with Texas A&M University - Kingsville and their Veterinary Technology program. Our teams recently had the opportunity to work with veterinarians and veterinary technicians to treat sea turtles with fibropapilloma tumors. These tumors began presenting in our local sea turtle populations about ten years ago, primarily in juvenile greens. The tumors can obstruct crucial functions such as swimming, feeding and buoyancy, so surgical removal using our state-of-the-art laser therapy gives these turtles an extra advantage after release. Another key partner in our Wildlife Rescue program is ExxonMobil Corporation. Since announcing their joint venture to create Gulf Coast Growth Ventures, ExxonMobil and their partner SABIC have been steadfast supporters our Wildlife Rescue program. And earlier this fall, the ExxonMobil Foundation announced a major $2 million gift to help construct our new Center for Wildlife Rescue, Recovery and Research, which will be located on our main campus, right next to the Aquarium. It takes a village to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured animals back into the environment. From sea turtles in the Gulf, to corals from the Florida Keys, and most recently, all the way from Chile - to help save the world’s last few Loa Water frogs - our commitment to wildlife rescue remains strong, thanks to your support. Get ready for SCUBA Santa, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4-D and lots of other holiday programming arriving soon at your Texas State Aquarium; I hope to see many of you here.
Tom Schmid
1
President and CEO
Allison Flooring America CC General & Implant Dentistry Devary Durrill Foundation Hicks Automotive Group Labatt Food Service NuStar Energy Occidental Chemical Corporation Pattern Gulf Wind, LLC Republic Services, Inc. SpawGlass Western Steel Co.
WINTER 2019
ANIMAL SPOTLIGHT
seahorses “horse caterpillars”? As we wrap up a truly unique year, let’s take a look at a truly one-of-a kind sea creature: the seahorse! These instantly-recognizable animals are unlike anything else in the ocean, but their unusual features, from their prehensile “monkey” tails to their elongated heads, are what make them so appealing to guests of the Aquarium. As different as they may look from other finned fauna, seahorses are still a fish, since they breathe through gills and have a swim bladder. However, evolution designed the seahorse with tools suited to a lifestyle that differs from most fish. Instead of caudal, or tail fins, seahorses propel themselves with short dorsal and pectoral fins, although this doesn’t give them much “seahorsepower.” In fact, it’s believed the dwarf seahorse is the slowest fish in the world! When they’re as hungry as a, well, seahorse, these one-of-a-kind animals must instead wait for their food to come to them. Anchoring themselves to underwater coral or plants with their strong tail, they’ll inhale brine shrimp and other tiny prey as it drifts by. Their long snouts make the perfect vacuum for the task, while their eyes can move independently to scope out the next near-microscopic morsel. The seahorse’s equine-like face and its flexible tail has given it a rather unusual scientific name. Its Latin name Hippocampus means “horse caterpillar.” Most of the seahorses at the Texas State Aquarium, which are born right here at the Aquarium, can be seen in our “Living Shores” exhibit. Stop by soon to scope out this splendidly-strange sea life for yourself.
Seahorses are the only animals on earth where the male bears and gives birth to the young!
WINTER 2019
2
LOOKING FOR A GIFT IDEA?
FROM ARRANGING A MEETING WITH SLOTHS AND DOLPHINS TO LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY AND A YEAR FULL OF MEMORIES, THE AQUARIUM HAS AN OCEAN FULL OF GIFT IDEAS FOR YOUR LOVED ONES THIS YEAR. BEST OF ALL, THESE GIFTS ALL SUPPORT OUR MISSION, SO YOU’RE NOT JUST MAKING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAPPY, YOU’RE CONTRIBUTING TO ANIMAL CARE, WILDLIFE RESCUE AND CONSERVATION IN TEXAS AND BEYOND.
ENGRAVED PAVERS
ADOPT AN ANIMAL
Your loved one’s legacy will be quite-literally cemented in the Aquarium’s history with the gift of an engraved paver. Customize a brick with a name and message of your choice, and your paver will be displayed for all to see in our outdoor Caribbean Plaza! For more information, visit www.texasstateaquarium.org/pavers or call the Development Office at 361-881-1340.
Symbolically adopt a jelly or stingray and you’ll be helping feed and care for these animals…without having to do any of the work yourself. Each Adopt an Animal package comes with a certificate, fact sheet and glossy photo, making for a unique and unforgettable gift. To purchase, please call the Membership Office at 361-881-1341.
MEMBERSHIP
EXCLUSIVE ENCOUNTERS
Do you love your visits to the Aquarium? Spread the joy with a gift membership, which will give someone a year of adventures through land and sea, and other unforgettable memories through out the new year! Call the Membership Office at 361-881-1341 to purchase.
3
During these behind-the-scenes tours at the Aquarium, guests can see how care for our animals and meet a furry or finned friend up-close and personal. Exclusive Encounter opportunities include a Sloth Meet-and-Greet, Discover Dolphins and Feed the Fish. Learn more at www.texasstateaquarium.org/encounters. WINTER 2019
SCUBA SANTA
Enjoy the wave of childlike magic as you experience Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer 4-D in the Aquarium’s Whataburger 4-D Theater where this beloved animated classic shines with wondrous sights, sounds and sensations. This holiday show will play daily in our Whataburger 4D Theater now through Jan. 3, 2020, after which it will be replaced by our regular kid-friendly 4D show, “SMALLFOOT 4-D.”
Santa Claus is coming into town and diving on down! Santa is trading in his sleigh and fur coat for some fins and a wetsuit during a special holiday visit to the Aquarium! SCUBA Santa will plunge into the H-E-B Caribbean Sea twice a day now through December 23 for a unique encounter and festive photo op with our guests. Guests of all ages are welcome to stop by to catch a glimpse of SCUBA Santa and get their picture taken with him. Please bring a camera and a staff member will be happy to take your picture.
Location: H-E-B Caribbean Sea in Caribbean Journey Date and Time: Now through December 23 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., December 24 at 11 a.m.
Price: Included with admission or membership
WINTER 2019
As always, admission to this 4D Theater is free with admission or membership. Learn more at www.texasstateaquarium.org/4D. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer © & ® or ™ The Rudolph Co., L.P. All elements under license to Character Arts, LLC. All rights reserved.
4
SHELL-EBRATING
SEA TURTLE
RELEASES
Wildlife Rescue staffer Kara Klaustermeier holds Champ, a rescued Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, shortly before his release!
5
WINTER 2019
Staff and volunteers from the Aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Center and Padre Island National Seashore
It was a busy summer and fall season for our Wildlife Rescue program, which rehabilitated and released more than 270 sea turtles which were threatened by various injuries and ailments. Their injuries ranged from coldstunning, to wounds caused by accidental strandings, to entanglement in fishing line and in one incredible case, a shark attack! But thanks to the expertise of our rescue staff and volunteers, nearly every sea turtle made a full recovery and was released back into their natural habitat. In September, we also said a bittersweet goodbye to “Champ,” a three-flippered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle who had been with us for nearly two years. After being found as a tiny hatchling no larger than a pack of Post-It
WINTER 2019
notes, Champ slowly but surely recovered at our Wildlife Rescue Center, eventually growing to be nearly 100 times his original size! In time, Champ showed signs that he could dive and hunt food, indicating he could survive on his own so, plans were made for his release back into the wild. On a sunny Saturday morning, hundreds of people joined us on Padre Island National Seashore to bid Champ bon voyage as he swam into his new life in the Gulf of Mexico. A huge thank you to our partners at the Padre Island National Seashore for their continued support with these rescue efforts. Learn more about our sea turtle rescue work, and how you can help, at www.texasstateaquarium.org/ turtlerescue.
6
The Rising Tide Society’s signature fundraiser, 5th Annual Putt Putt and 19th Hole After Party, on November 9th was a huge success! Raising over $28,000 for the Aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue program, the night was filled with mini golf, putting challenges, music and dancing. Thank you to our generous sponsors and guests “fore” supporting such important work at the Texas State Aquarium!
NET BENEFIT Where does that seafood on your plate come from?
It’s a question not a lot of people ask, but it’s an important one. With a new partnership between the Aquarium, Texas restaurants, the Texas Sea Grant College Program at Texas A&M University and Audubon Aquarium’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.), we hope more consumers can know when their fish or shellfish meal is sustainably sourced. Overfishing (where fish are harvested faster than they can reproduce) is one of the most significant threats facing our oceans today. Conservationists warn that unregulated commercial fishing threatens one-third of the world’s fisheries and if these species disappear, there could be enormous and untold consequences on the marine ecosystems. Reaching consumers while they’re eating out is important because restaurants account for 70 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States, making chefs and restaurateurs the “frontline” of seafood education. And getting the word out to consumers is so important because they have the most capacity to make a difference by the choices they make, both when dining out and at home. Three founding restaurants will be first participants in the program, which will show their patrons that they are dining on food that has been responsibly sourced. The Texas State Aquarium’s Shoreline Grill, Corpus Christi Yacht Club and Glow, in Rockport, will proudly WINTER 2019
display their sustainable status in a window decal or on their websites and will receive in-house staff training to help them communicate with customers about sustainable seafood. Through this growing restaurant partnership, the Texas State Aquarium, Audubon Aquarium and Texas Sea Grant hope to reach millions of consumers, encouraging more and more suppliers and consumers to ensure their seafood is sustainably sourced and helping chefs create delicious meals that consumers can feel good about eating.
Want to support sustainable seafood?
Here’s a few steps you can take: Attend Seafood Wars, our quarterly event promoting sustainable seafood. Our next Seafood Wars is on January 21, 2020! Check your grocery seafood for its origin. The most sustainable seafood comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Next time you eat out, ask your server where they get their seafood Sign Texas Sea Grants Smart Seafoodie pledge at http:// texasseagrant.org/programs/ cooking-with-seafood.
8
aquarium news
ExxonMobil Gives $2 Million to Planned Wildlife Center The ExxonMobil Wildlife Rescue Interpretive Gallery in the new Center will allow Aquarium guests, students and teachers to learn about the importance of coastal wildlife conservation, ongoing conservation efforts, and the role each person can play in helping to preserve our coastal ecosystems.
Paul Guilfoyle, ExxonMobil Gulf Coast Growth Ventures Executive, Tom Schmid, Aquarium President & CEO, Kevin Murphy, President, ExxonMobil Foundation, Jared Young, ExxonMobil
On September 20, ExxonMobil Foundation announced an extraordinary gift of $2 million to fund the Wildlife Rescue Interpretive Gallery in the Aquarium’s new Texas Center for Wildlife Rescue, Recovery and Research. This state-of-the-art facility will be built on the Aquarium’s main campus and is scheduled to open in early 2022. The new Center will modernize and expand the scale of the Aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Program which helps to fortify the ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico and coastline by rescuing, rehabilitating, and then releasing animals back into their natural environment.
9 Rendering of the planned Center for Wildlife Rescue, Recovery and Research
For over thirty years, ExxonMobil has generously supported the Aquarium and its conservation efforts. Their commitment to industry and the environment co-existing in harmony is seen throughout the world and right here in the Coastal Bend. Texas State Aquarium sincerely appreciates ExxonMobil’s gift to support the new Texas Center for Wildlife Rescue, Recovery and Research and their longstanding partnership with the Texas State Aquarium.
WINTER 2019
CALENDAR
DEC 16 - jan 1 jan 21 HOLIDAY HOURS
seafood wars Hours of Operation Winter Hours 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily H-E-B Splash Park Hours Closed for the season
We’ll be closed on December 25 (Christmas), but open every other day of the holiday season. See our full hours at www.texasstateaquarium.org/ seasons-greetings.
DEC 18 HOMESCHOOL
Sample dishes from talented chefs, vote for a winning recipe and learn about sustainable seafood in this conservation-focused culinary event! Purchase tickets at www. texasstateaquarium.org/seafoodwars.
FEB 14 Valentine’s Day Dinner
Contact Us: General Information (361) 881-1200 Development Office (361) 881-1340 Education & SeaCamp (361) 881-1204 Event Rentals (361) 881-1244 Group Reservations (361) 653-2602 Injured Animal (361) 881-1210 Membership (361) 881-1341 Volunteer Office (361) 881-1381 Wildlife Rescue and Recovery: (361) 881-1210 The Texas State Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Let’s get down to the facts! Using a variety of analyzation techniques, Homeschool students will look for trends and patterns in collected data. Sign up at www.texasstateaquarium.org/ homeschool.
JAN 11 Volunteer Information Session
Our Valentine’s Day tradition returns with a romantic candlelit dinner under the sea. Tables go fast, so keep an eye on our website for tickets to be announced soon.
FEB 6-7
Coastal Bend Integrated Workforce Series
OUR MISSION To engage people with animals, inspire appreciation for our seas, and support wildlife conservation.
FOLLOW US!
Become a part of our volunteer team and help care for animals, make our guests feel welcome, and make the Aquarium an unforgettable experience. Learn more at www.texasstateaquarium.org/ volunteer.
WINTER 2019
Discover how we can all help foster diverse and inclusive environments at this two-day conference. Register at www.texasstateaquarium.org/ workforce-series.
texasstateaquarium.org
The Texas State Aquarium has proudly printed this magazine on 100% post-consumer Forestry Stewardship Council recycled paper.
10
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1235 Corpus Christi, TX
WINTER 2019
