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 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
So You Want to be a Marine Scientist The marine science field offers lots of important and fascinating career opportunities—from exploring the ocean to addressing climate change, and developing new drugs to caring for aquatic animals and habitats. Knowing where to start can be a challenge, so we’ve compiled some resources to help! LEARN MORE From Charm City to Light City Light City, the first large-scale festival of light, music and innovation in the United States, is set to make its stunning return to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and neighborhoods throughout the city from March 31
Vote for National Aquarium Best Aquarium A walk through the National Aquarium, located in a beautiful Baltimore waterfront park, takes guests on a journey around the world. Australian exhibits showcase crocodiles, fruit bats, snapping turtles and venomous snakes, while the tropical rain forest habitat houses sloths, tamarins, tarantulas and a variety of colorful birds. The aquarium is in the process of launching the nation’s first sanctuary for bottlenose dolphins. VOTE HERE
More Than Meets the Eye Researchers now know that the white-and-black splotches that give spotted eagle rays their common name form a pattern unique to each individual animal! This was determined using photo identification, which has also been used to show the individual qualities of humpback whales’ flukes and great white sharks’ dorsal fins. READ MORE Upcoming Events 22 FEBRUARY 22, 2017 • 6:30 PM – 9 PM Member Evening 25 MARCH 25, 2017 • 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM Project Clean Stream at Masonville Cove 1 APRIL 1, 2017 • 9 AM – 2
