Happy Manatee Awareness Month! November has been deemed Manatee Awareness Month to help promote the protection of manatees. Learn more about these gentle giants—and how you can help protect them. LEARN MORE Celebrating Jellies In honor of Jellyfish Day, learn about a few of the fascinating species that live in our Jellies Invasion exhibit. READ MORE Calendar of Events NOVEMBER 5, 2017 • 9 AM – 11 AM “Seafood by the Harbor” at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market and Bazaar Evening Lecture DECEMBER 13, 2017 • 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM The Passion of a Patriot:
Color-Changing Cephalopods Octopuses, along with several other molluscan members of the Cephalopoda class, are masters of camouflage. Watch how octopuses use their color-changing skills to their advantage! WATCH Arms vs. TentaclesArms vs. Tentacles If you think octopuses have tentacles, you’re not alone—but the eight limbs attached to an octopus’ head are actually arms. Learn about the difference between arms and tentacles! LEARN MORE Calendar of Events: Evening Lecture OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM JUNK Raft: Our Voyage Toward More Ocean, Less Plastic Conservation Event OCTOBER 28, 2017 • 9:30 AM
Animal Rescue Update: After spending several months at our Animal Care Center, Luna the juvenile grey seal was released yesterday in New Jersey! LEARN MORE Terrapin Hatchlings Are Here! The National Aquarium is currently caring for 51 terrapin hatchlings as part of our Terrapins in the Classroom program! Our team will care for the hatchlings until they’re ready to be sent to Maryland classrooms at the end of September. Watch our recent Facebook Live to learn more! LEARN MORE Calendar of Events SEPTEMBER 22 – SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 • 11 AM – 7 PM Baltimore
Make Way for Pufflings! We’re excited to welcome three new puffin chicks—Gnocchi, Viola and Willow—to our Sea Cliffs exhibit! This is the first time more than two puffin chicks have hatched in a single season at the Aquarium. READ MORE Floating Wetland Prototype Installed A floating wetland prototype that mimics a natural tidal salt marsh habitat has been installed between Piers 3 and 4! This prototype is the next step in our plan to revitalize Baltimore’s Inner Harbor through our Waterfront Campus, which will reintroduce wetland habitats for native species and provide local students with
It’s summertime in the city – and that means tons of fun activities for locals and visitors of all ages. From outdoor movies to family-friendly museum exhibits to evening booze cruises, here’s a look at some of the best activities downtown Baltimore has to offer this summer: Catch a Flick On Fridays during July or August, the Open Air Film Festival descends upon Little Italy. The films, which are screened on the side of Ciao Bella Restaurant, include classics with an Italian twist, like The Godfather and the original Ocean’s Eleven. Get there early, with chairs,
It’s Sea Turtle Week and15th National Aquarium Anniversary! Celebrate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Turtle Week by learning about the journey of Calypso, our rescued green sea turtle. LEARN MORE Phil And Luna Update! Our Animal Rescue and Animal Health teams continue to care for a juvenile grey seal nicknamed Luna and a male harbor seal nicknamed Phil. They’re both showing signs of improvement in their overall health! LEARN MORE Calendar of Events Conservation Event JUNE 24, 2017 • 10 AM – 2 PM BioBlitz at Masonville Cove
Which Evolved First: The Jelly or the Sponge? Recent genetics research debunked a widely-accepted hypothesis that sponges evolved first. Published May 17, 2017 Biologists and geneticists from Vanderbilt University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison partnered to investigate the evolutionary history of jellies and sponges, and found that jellies evolved before sponges. Previous research hinged upon biologists’ understanding of the tree of life—actually called the phylogenetic tree—that shows when different organisms evolved over time, and how closely they’re related to one another. According to the tree of life model, animals are related based on
