Thoughtful Thursdays: Earth Hour

On Saturday March 23, 2013, the National Aquarium will once again be participating in Earth Hour. Sponsored by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour asks individuals, businesses, government leaders and others to turn out all non-essential lighting for one hour as a movement to demand action on climate change. We will stand in the dark alongside hundreds of international cities and iconic landmarks ranging from the Las Vegas strip to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City to the Great Pyramids of Giza. Since 2007 when 2.2 million people took part in the first Earth Hour in Sydney, Australia, Earth Hour has massively expanded to over 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories with hundreds of millions of participants across seven continents.

We depend on our planet for so much – food, fuel, fresh air and water- and our actions play a key role in on our effects on the world. Earth Hour is an opportunity to show our commitment to help protect our resources and our planet. In 2013, Earth Hour is not merely an annual event, but is a continuous movement driving real actions to change the world we live in.

On Saturday, March 23, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (local time) Earth Hour will once again cascade across the globe. The National Aquarium (at both venues) will be turning off all unnecessary lighting and other electronic devices during that time.

Join us as we cast a vote for the environment!
1. Join the movement.
• Pledge to switch off your lights at home and show your support by registering your commitment.
• Encourage friends and family to get involved!
• Plan an Earth Hour party at home! Block parties, candlelight vigils and candlelight dinners are just a few things you can do to celebrate as a community.

2. Go Beyond the Hour.
• Extend your actions beyond an hour! This weekend, pledge to spend at least one whole day with a minimal impact on the environment. Unplug at home any non-essential appliances before leaving in the morning, and lower the thermostat for time you’re not in the house. Take public transit, or carpool with coworkers for a day. Pack a lunch in reusable dishware. Aim to use only reusable, recyclable or compostable materials throughout the day. Cook a dinner using only local and organic food (or don’t cook at all, eat foods that don’t have to be heated). Unplug with your family at night by playing a board game or relaxing with a book.
• Tell us what you did to make a difference. Share your efforts with us in the comments section!

This one hour of darkness may result in a small reduction of energy consumption, but more importantly paints a powerful picture of behavioral change needed to combat climate change. Join us as we stand among hundreds of millions of people to call for action on climate change!

A Blue View: Lionfish Invade Our Seas

A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.

From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.

Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 pm as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.

March 13, 2013: Lionfish Invade Our Seas

Click here to listen to John and aquarist Ashleigh Clews discuss 
the threat lionfish pose to the health of our oceans.

Since 1992, when Pacific lionfish were first sighted in South Florida waters, this fish has become widely established all along the southeast United States and the Caribbean Sea, even being spotted as far north as New York. These distinctive looking fish—red and white striped with long pectoral fins and needle-like dorsal fins, have profoundly impacted the health of the ecosystems where they now reside.

So, how were these species introduced into local waters? Ashleigh Clews, a senior aquarist at the Aquarium, says it’s likely that the species was first introduced by home aquarium owners. Although these fish are popular in the trade, they often outgrow their tanks and will sometimes prey on other fish.

There was an estimated population boom of 700 percent between 2004 and 2008 in invaded areas. This presence of lionfish in the Atlantic is causing many problems. They’re eating native fish and crustaceans and destroying native habitats and ecosystems. Additionally, with no real predators and an average spawn rate of close to 2 million eggs a year, this species shows no sign of disappearing on its own.

Conservationists and researchers are working to address this growing problem through a variety of initiatives, including raising awareness of lionfish as a sustainable seafood option!

Have you ever eaten lionfish? Tell us about your experience in the comments! 

Animal Updates – March 8

Between our Baltimore and Washington, DC, venues, more than 17,500 animals representing 900 species call the National Aquarium home. There are constant changes, additions and more going on behind the scenes that our guests may not notice during their visit. We want to share these fun updates with our community so we’re bringing them to you in our weekly Animal Update posts!

Check our blog every Friday to find out what’s going on… here’s what’s new this week!

Rainbow shiner fry!

Last month, the adult rainbow shiners in our Southern Stream exhibit began to “color up” and turn an electric blue. This is an indicator that they are ready to breed.

The rainbow shiner will transform from its normal reddish coloration to an electric blue to signal that it’s ready to breed!

Soon after their color change, our aquarist, Nick Little, observed many pairs spawning in hidden areas throughout the exhibit. After a couple of weeks of incubation, we now have fry in the exhibit!

Shiner fry!

This is the second time National Aquarium, Washington, DC, has successfully spawned and reared rainbow shiners!

Sailfin sculpin eggs

Our sailfin sculpins started laying eggs in mid-December and have continued to lay clutches almost weekly.

Sailfin sculpin eggs

We hope to have sailfin sculpin fry swimming around the exhibit soon!

Be sure to check back every Friday to find out what’s happening!

Thoughtful Thursdays: Invasive Species Spotlight

As National Invasive Species Awareness Week draws to a close, we’re dedicating today’s “Thoughtful Thursday” post to an invasive fish found in our local waters – the northern snakehead.

This species is native to China and parts of Korea. It first appeared in the U.S. as an invasive species in Crofton, Maryland in 2002, and now can be found throughout the east coast, from New York to Florida.

Experts believe that snakeheads (also referred to as “frankenfish”) were introduced into our waterways by home aquarium owners and through the live fish food trade.

How snakeheads are negatively impacting our native ecosystems: 

• These fish compete with native species for food. As snakehead populations continue to grow in U.S. waters, their predatory nature will continue to “knock out” a wide array of native species.
• They are passing diseases onto other fish.
• Snakeheads are air-breathers capable of on-land migration. This means that their reach to new waterways is virtually limitless! Researchers are now reporting that the species is slowly making their way out west, wreaking havoc on ecosystems as they go.

What’s being done (and what YOU can do) to help manage the population: 

• Learn more!
  National Aquarium and like-minded organizations are working to raise awareness of this species. Our DC venue actually has a snakehead on exhibit to make visitors aware of its invasive status!
• Fish responsibly!
  Both local and federal government agencies, like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are working together to manage current populations and prevent future introductions of the fish into native environments. If captured, it is now illegal to release snakehead back into native waters.
• Eat it to beat it!
  Local restaurants are beginning to use snakehead as a sustainable seafood option! They were also the featured ingredient for one of the Aquarium’s Fresh Thoughts sustainable seafood dinners!

Have you ever experimented with cooking an invasive species? Tell us about it in the comments!

A Blue View: The Truth About Invasive Species

A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.

From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.

Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.

March 6, 2013: The Truth About Invasive Species 

Click here to listen to John and aquarist Ashleigh Clews
discuss the impact that invasive species of plants
and animals have on our ecosystems. 

This week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, a week dedicated to raising consciousness about invasive plants and animals and their effects on our environment and our economy.

In recent years, exotic species like lionfish, burmese pythons, zebra mussels and snakehead have had an increasing presence in local our waterways and oceans. With no natural predators in these new environments, these animals essentially wreak havoc on entire ecosystems. Once these intense habitat alterations and ecosystem degradations take place, it is very hard to reverse those effects.

In addition to environmental toll, invasive species cost billions of dollars every year in prevention, control and management.

What we can all do to protect native species: 

• Prevention - A majority of invasive species end up in our waterways and oceans because of human release. Whether it’s the release of unwanted pets or the use of bait fish in their non-native area, these human introductions CAN be prevented through increased awareness! 
• Early Detection and Response - Get a better sense of which species in your area are “nonindigenous” and invasive so that you can report them when spotted!