Exploring the Seattle Aquarium

Exploring the Seattle Aquarium

By Mackenzie Whittall

Field Trip Date: February 28th, 2018

Standing under the ring of moon jellyfish.

     I went to the Seattle Aquarium with Gwen and other biology students on February 28th. We took the least amount of vehicles as possible, three in total, in order to reduce our carbon footprint. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to go downtown as a group as I hadn’t been to the aquarium in years and I had a really good time exploring the exhibits with my peers with questions that sparked my thought process. I was able to chat with some of the naturalists working there, most of whom are volunteers which I thought was so neat.

     The first exhibit I visited was the Life On the Edge tidepool exhibit. There were “touch zones” that allow visitors to closely observe and gently touch organisms commonly found near the coast and inland sea. Most of the organisms I observed have adapted to resist wave action by clinging to rocky surfaces. Sea stars, sea anemone, and the like use suction cups to latch onto rocks, while limpets and chiton have a suctorial foot that allows them to attach by suction. Organisms that reside in tide pools have many ways they have adapted to reduce desiccation. Bivalves (mussels, scallops, clams) simply close their shells to lock in moisture; crabs and other mobile animals can move to wet areas and hide under rocks; and many sessile organisms (anemones, sea urchins, sea stars) grow in rock pools where they’re constantly submerged. Feeding is another diverse action by tide pool organisms; herbivores, carnivores, predators and their prey inhabit tide pools. Sea stars have tube feet that attach and pull apart shells of their food. Chiton use their well-developed radulae to scrape rocky surfaces for algae, barnacles, bacteria, etc. Most bivalves are filter feeders, using their developed gills to filter their food out of the surrounding water.

Seastar pool separated from other organisms as they are carnivorous.

Green anemones get their green coloration from the symbiotic algae
living inside them.

     The next place I visited was the Birds and Shores exhibit outside. Here visitors can observe the habits of different shorebird species that would normally be found in the wild along the water and near beaches. Many of the shorebirds at the aquarium are rehabilitated survivors incapable of living and/or migrating as wild birds. While the wild shorebirds migrate to warmer places, heat lamps keep the ones here warm in our cold Washington weather. Shorebirds are greatly affected by changes caused by humans and natural causes. Migrating birds can face habitat loss due to shore development and recreation, as well as coastal erosion by wave action, tidal currents, and/or high winds. Pollution and human disruption are also ways shorebirds are impacted in the wild. Humans can help by keeping themselves and pets away from shorebird flocks and nests, disposing of litter properly, and limiting their carbon footprint.  

      Shorebird species have bills of different shapes and sizes allowing them to find food sources and remain inhabiting the same beaches. Rocky shorelines provide a large variety of food and a place that the birds can burrow or nest in (small caves, narrow ledges). Cliffs offer safety and privacy from predators and disruptive humans. Beaches are another place to find food, as well as rest before flying to a new destination.

Two shorebirds keeping warm under heat lamps on a cold, winter day.

A 'cave' with eggs in front that a shorebird most likely inhabited.

     The Salmon in our Watershed exhibit features information about the life cycle and the journey of a migrating salmon. Salmon face many obstacles as they migrate through our local watershed. Predators such as bears, otters, and birds are likely to get ahold of the salmon on their journey. Polluted waters are also another issue for the salmon, as their health may be dramatically affected or results could be fatal. There has also been a reduction of river flow for migrating salmon as climate change has reduced snowpacks in the Cascade Mountains over the last 50 years. These obstacles are stacked on top of an already difficult journey the migrating salmon make, traveling upstream over waterfalls and dams.

Salmon and their importance to people of the Northwest.

     This trip to the aquarium made me realize the importance of reducing our impact on this planet and making sure people are educated about animal life and nature, and how to interact appropriately with them. Our daily choices such as waste disposal, water use, and climate pollution can directly impact species near the coastline, above, and below sea level. The water, land, and atmosphere are all connected to one another which makes it even more important to understand the impact we are making. I thought about how my project group in biology tested the effects common soil pollutants had on pill bugs in an experiment when learning about the polluted water impacting migrating salmon. I am curious as to whether or not these very different species are affected by similar pollutants, and whether or not its something we can reduce in the water and soil to limit those effects. You would think that more people would care about the condition of animals, especially ones that people eat, as we can also be affected by changes in our environment caused by natural and unnatural events such as climate change and pollution.
   
     The most interesting thing I learned about on this trip to the Seattle Aquarium was the Calcareous tubeworm (Serpula columbiana). When looking at the tidepool exhibits, this species is not the first one you'll notice as its pretty camouflaged. The organism lives in a calcareous (composed of calcium carbonate) tube attached to a rock or other hard surface growing up to about eight inches. The anterior part of the worm protrudes from the calcareous tube and has a plume of about 40 feather-like radioles/tentacles projecting from the second segment to grab plankton. They pull the feather-like tentacles back into their protective shells when touched. I thought it was so cool to watch them instantly pull themselves into the tubes, then slowly release back into the surrounding water again.

A Calcareous tubeworm with its feather-like tentacles flowing
on the top, while a tubeworm that recently sucked them back into
their protective tube is below it.