American alligators, feeding time

The American alligators on display at the National Aquarium’s DC venue are very popular with visitors, especially during feeding time!

Through a partnership with the Savoie alligator farm in Lousianna, the National Aquarium receives several alligators to raise for a few years, until they out grow the alligator habitat at the Aquarium. The alligators are then taken back to Louisiana and released into the wild to help regulate the populations that were once deminishing.  In the video below, Ryan Dumas, a herpetologist, introduces the American alligator, and explains the process of feeding the alligators within in the exhibit.

Now serving, red lionfish

The National Aquarium’s DC venue recently teamed up with several east coast eateries to introduce a unique sustainable seafood menu item, lionfish, whose taste is distinctive as its story.  

 The Red Lionfish is an invasive species with strong defense mechanisms in its venomous pectoral spines.  It preys on fish, shrimp and crabs and have even been observed feeding on fish more than half their total size!

The National Aquarium’s research team has observed a tenfold increase in lionfish numbers in the Bahamas from 2005 to 2007, with ongoing spread throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.  In 2009, researchers were dismayed to confirm the arrival of the Red Lionfish in the Florida Keys. Ongoing research continues to determine what effects these invaders are having on native marine ecosystems.

At a time when concerned vendors, restaurateurs and diners are seeking sustainable seafood choices, the Red Lionfish may provide a commercial opportunity as well as a means to controlling an invasive species in the Atlantic. With so many fish stocks over exploited, the lionfish offers a great-tasting fillet (similar taste and texture to Tilapia) and a new product for the Atlantic- based fishing industry. 

Wild ocean adventures

It was a wild night  last Thursday at the American Museum of Natural History as the National Aquarium in Washington teamed up with the Smithsonian attraction to premiere the latest IMAX phenomenon, Wild Ocean 3D.    The National Aquarium’s Director of Biological Services, Andy Dehart introduced the immersive, underwater 3D voyage to South Africa, as a captivated audience witnessed the journey of beaching whales, feeding sharks, diving gannets and massive bait balls during their annual migration along the Kwa Zulu Natal Wild Coast. 

The 40-minute adventure captures the annual trek that has been vital to the region’s “circle of life” for countless generations, both at sea and on land.  It is also one that has been threatened by climate change and over fishing. 

Andy Dehart added his own personal experiences in witnessing the circle of life first hand, and his many up close and personal experiences with sharks and thousands of other marine life species.

Do you have any stories of upclose encounters with marine life? If so, please share them with us on our blog! At the Aquarium, we get to experience marine life as a part of our every day jobs and many staff members are often out exploring the oceans, but we’d love to hear how other people have experienced the wonders of marine life. So please share!

Rainforests of the sea

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives advanced an important ocean-related conservation measure called the Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2009 (H.R. 860). The amendments will bolster America’s coral reef conservation efforts by promoting international cooperation to protect coral reefs and codifying the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. 

You probably know corals for their beauty! But do you know why they are so important? Coral reefs are integral components of tropical and subtropical marine ecosystems.  They protect shorelines from incoming storms, provide habitat for innumerable species of fish and invertebrates, and generate important tourism revenues for many coastal countries.  But like many ocean habitats, they are becoming increasingly threatened by growing coastal populations and a variety of human activities. Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) introduced the bill, and stated that “coral reefs are truly the ‘rainforests of the sea.’  That statement couldn’t be more true.

The National Aquarium is involved in coral reef conservation project called SECORE, a unique initiative that is addressing coral conservation issues by bringing together public aquariums and zoos and marine scientists to share knowledge and practical skills in coral husbandry and coral research. The National Aquarium’s DC venue has been a key partner in the SECORE project for 4 years. In 2008, staffers ventured out on a research and collection trip, and they are currently propagating coral polyps at the facility.

You can see wonderful coral exhibits at the National Aquarium’s DC venue.  And if you believe in this issue, please write your elected officials and urge them to support this crucial bill that will help preserve our rainforests of the sea. Click here for more information.

Exploring sharks, after dark

From Andy Dehart, Director of Biological Programs at the National Aquarium, DC

Shark Week 2009 kicks off this Sunday at 9:00 EST on Discovery Channel! I am wrapping up a frenzied media tour that has enabled me to talk to  television networks, radio stations, and newspapers around the country about how important sharks are to our oceans and the threats they face, as well as the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. Tonight we will be talking with Larry King live in Los Angeles to dispel many of the myths surrounding sharks and shark attacks. Throughout the next week I will be on the CBS Early show which will be covering Shark Week every day.

One of the questions I am often asked throughout these interviews is, what is my favorite experience with sharks. In all honesty, every encounter I have had with sharks has been incredibly special to me. I have had the good fortune to be able to dive with over 40 species of sharks in my career and each experience has been unique. My hope is that all of these species will be around for future generations to enjoy as I have.