Residents and visitors to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher have a little more than a month to visit the state’s southernmost aquarium before it temporarily closes for major renovation and expansion.

The aquarium in Kure Beach will close May 26 for construction to include a 400,000-gallon sand tiger shark habitat, a 10,000-gallon Pacific coral habitat, an interactive shark and ray touch pool featuring bottom-dwelling sharks, and a state-of-the-art education center.

Construction is expected to take about 30 months.

“This transformative project is beginning as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the North Carolina Aquariums,” Pamela B. Cashwell, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said in a release. “It is a thrilling way to honor a legacy of conservation, exceptional visitor experience and dedicated animal care, while launching a bold vision for the future.”

Plans for the renovation and expansion project have been underway for more than 10 years. The project is made possible with state funding, along with support from the N.C. Aquarium Society.

During the closure, residents and visitors to the area can enjoy Discovery Bay, which will feature a gift shop hosted by the N.C. Aquarium Society, habitats with seahorses, dart frogs, and lionfish, and a carnivorous plant exhibit at Independence Mall in Wilmington.

The public may continue to visit the state’s other aquariums, including Pine Knoll Shores, Roanoke Island, and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.

“We look forward to beginning construction, while continuing to engage our community in new ways,” NCAFF Director Joanna Zazzali said in a release. “Discovery Bay allows us to stay connected with our visitors, advance our conservation mission, and continue to inspire wonder, as we look toward our next chapter.” 

Animal care, facilities and safety teams will remain at Fort Fisher Aquarium to care for the animals that will remain at the facility throughout construction.

Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets ahead of the closure and share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #PoseBeforeWeClose.

For updates, follow the aquarium on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram.

The inaugural Wilmington Community Science Fest this Saturday aims to bring together the wide array of community science activities offered in the region for people to explore.

Festivalgoers can pop into lectures explaining the concept and importance of citizen science and hear about some of the more popular area projects, such as iNaturalist and eBird, and make the rounds between exhibitors who will explain how to connect with local community science efforts.

The first presentation, from 10:15 until 11:15 a.m., will cover the importance of community science, featuring Katie Kingston, Science Across North Carolina, and Sammy Calderon, who will provide an introduction to using iNaturalist.

The next presentation, held from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., will include Kristen Holloman-Noe, who will present on FrogWatch USA, and Mason Randolph, who will provide an introduction to using eBird.

The final presentation, Journey Through Participatory Sciences, will be held from 12:45 until 1:45 p.m. and feature presenter Dr. Caren Cooper, who will share her firsthand experience in participatory sciences as a researcher and an instructor.

“Knowing that researching opportunities requires time and patience, we hatched the idea of creating one event where interested parties could browse projects and instantly move from wanting to participate straight into registering to participate,” Holloman-Noe, Fort Fisher Aquarium outreach coordinator and FrogWatch USA regional coordinator, stated in a release. “The support and enthusiasm we’ve witnessed in planning this event has truly warmed my heart.”

The festival is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Davis Center in Wilmington Maides Park, 1101 Manly Ave.

The event will include a number other headliners, such as Science Across NC, EcoExplore and Project Explore, Terrapin Talley of the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Audubon shorebird surveys, Cape Fear Audubon and the University of North Carolina Wilmington Marine Mammal Stranding Program.

Volunteers will be there to help direct participants to the projects that interest them most.

Wilmington Community Science Fest is being hosted by the Fort Fisher Aquarium, Valerie Robertson, publisher of Cape Fear’s Going Green, and Savannah Lytle, North Carolina Environmental Education Certification candidate.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking volunteers for its annual spring count of diamondback terrapins.

The 2026 Terrapin Tally occurs in areas of the state’s southern coast, where the small, aquatic turtles call marshes, estuaries and tidal creeks home.

Diamondback terrapins are listed as a species of special concern in North Carolina and federally as a species of greatest conservation need.

“Diamondback terrapins are a keystone species, critical to the health of the saltmarsh ecosystem,” Sarah Finn, a Wildlife Resources Commission biologist said in a release. “Studying their populations is difficult due to their habitat characteristics and North Carolina’s expansive estuarine systems. Understanding the population status and trends of terrapins in North Carolina is important to the long-term management of this species, and we can work toward this goal with the help of volunteer community scientists.”

Volunteers must supply their own kayaks, mobile phones and take part in a mandatory training session. There will be two training sessions, the first of which is scheduled for 10 a.m. – noon on April 11 at Carolina Beach State Park visitor center. Another training session has been set for 10 a.m. – noon on April 18 at Hammocks Beach State Park visitor center.

Registration is required.

“It’s a wonderful way to get out to explore and learn about our local waterways, while also contributing to a long-term citizen science project,” Amy Long, who will be volunteering in the tally for an 11th year, said in the release. “Really, who doesn’t want to spot adorable terrapins?!? It’s like an easter egg hunt, and when you have friends doing other days or trails, it’s fun to see who had better luck out on the water.”

The Terrapin tally is headed by the Wildlife Resources Commission and supported by partner organizations including the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management, N.C. State Parks, Bald Head Island Conservancy, N.C. Audubon, N.C. Aquarium and National Park Service.

Data collected in the tallies has contributed to fisheries management to protect terrapins from drowning in blue-crab pots, according to the Wildlife Resources Commission.

Additional information is available at 2026 Terrapin Tally.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher invites you to cast your vote on names for some of its newest, cutest residents.

Two months have passed since the aquarium welcomed an all-male trio of Asian small-clawed otters born during a full moon on Dec. 5, 2025.

As these adorable pups grow, physical differences are beginning to show and they’re starting to develop their own personalities.

The boys share what aquarium officials are calling “very special genetics,” making them “promising additions” to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan program.

Their grandparents, Si and Fun, as well as mom, Milli, are all from Hong Kong.

Si and Fun were confiscated in 2018 by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and moved to Ocean Park Hong Kong where they were placed under the professional care of animal experts.

Later that year, Milli was born. She was sent to the Fort Fisher aquarium in January 2024, where she was paired with mate Binx later that year.

Aquarium staff focus on names that highlight an important connection, such as historical or cultural significance, a species’ history or scientific name, and an attribute, adaptation, or behavior of the animal.

Voters may choose one of the following three groups of name options:

1. Koshi, Bheri, and Seti.
2. Bo, Eddy, and Reed.
3. Nyx, Baloo, and Bodhi.

Meanings of each name, information about each pup, and how to vote are on the aquarium’s website.

The voting deadline is noon Feb. 19.

Popular sites and attractions along the North Carolina coast are closing Friday in anticipation of a winter storm expected to bring this weekend snow, blustery winds, dangerously cold temperatures and some coastal flooding.

The National Parks Service announced Friday morning that it is closing all of its visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial through at least Monday morning.

Oregon Inlet and Ocracoke campgrounds were to close at noon Friday.

Portions of the beach in Rodanthe and Buxton already have been closed because the presence of threatened oceanfront structures.

In Rodanthe, the beachfront is closed from East Point Drive south to Surfside Drive. Buxton’s ocean shore is closed from the north end to near off-road vehicle ramp 43.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, which has been closed since November 2024 for renovations, has rescheduled its reopening from Saturday to Feb. 21 because of this weekend’s forecast, officials announced this week.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher in New Hanover County will close to the public Saturday and Sunday. Updates, including plans for Monday, will be provided on the aquarium’s media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

Powerful winds, sound-side flooding, and the potential for as much as 1 to 1.5 feet of snow is expected to impact areas along the coast begging late Friday into Saturday. Residents are being urged to make preparations for the storm by Friday evening.

The combination of snow, cold and wind are expected to create life-threatening conditions.

The National Parks Service will provide operational updates its Outer Banks Group’s severe weather webpage and social media accounts.

Rachel Veal, conservation horticulturist with the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, is the featured speaker for the second webinar in the “Landscapes that Last: The What, Why and How of Nature-friendly Landscaping” webinar series created by North Carolina Sea Grant and the Coastal Landscapes Initiative.

The series explores sustainable practices that protect North Carolina’s unique coastal environment. Registration is open for the second webinar set for noon on Jan. 15, 2026, on the Zoom platform.

Veal, in her role at the aquarium, oversees plant selection, installation and ongoing maintenance throughout the facility, and surrounding grounds.

The webinar session will focus on “The What, Why and How of Nature-friendly Landscaping,” organizers said.

What makes a landscape truly sustainable, and why does it matter along North Carolina’s coast? This introductory session explores the core principles of conservation landscaping and how they support healthy land and water systems.

Participants will learn practical, science-based concepts for eco-friendly landscaping that will help you make informed choices and create thriving, resilient coastal properties.

Each session in the “Landscapes that Last” series features subject matter experts who will share practical strategies ranging from choosing salt-tolerant plants and conserving trees to improving stormwater ponds and sourcing eco-friendly plants. The series is for coastal residents, local governments, homeowner associations and nurseries and aims to build shared knowledge and healthier coastal communities.

 Professional development credits are available for the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program: Criteria III or Continuing Education.

More information about the rest of the series is online.

Plans are in motion for the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher to close early next year for a $65 million renovation and expansion.

The project, announced May 8, is to include the largest shark habitat in the state, expanding the facility to the largest aquarium in North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources said Wednesday. The renovations, per the May press release, were expected to begin in the fall.

“This project is much more than updating our facilities — it’s about creating an exciting, one-of-a-kind visitor experience,” N.C. Aquariums Director Hap Fatzinger said. “We are also excited to share that the Aquarium and Aquarium Society are creating an exciting new experience that will open in Independence Mall in Wilmington early next year.”

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the state’s aquariums, will announce the date the facility will close to the public.

“We look forward to beginning a transformative renovation and expansion project that will further the aquarium’s mission of conservation, education, and inspiring connections to aquatic life,” said Division Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell.

Featured Image

People on Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head watch as waves generated by Hurricane Erin crash into the concrete structure that’s part of the North Carolina Aquariums system. The storm’s center was about 260 miles east of Cape Hatteras at midday Thursday and moving out to sea, but hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles and tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 320 miles from the sprawling but weakening storm’s eye. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions will likely continue as storm surge and flood risks subside. The pier’s website provides information on current conditions and live webcam views. Photo: Kip Tabb

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has planned a handful of one-time events for August, in addition to its regular weekly programming.

The aquarium will open its doors for a special “Sip and Paint” night for ages 21 and older starting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11. Participants will paint a beach sunset scene in front of the 306,000-gallon “Living Shipwreck” habitat. Bring your own snacks.

Teachers and educators can have a bit of fun during the “Project WILD” teacher workshop 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 14. “Project WILD” offers wildlife-based conservation and environmental education that fosters responsible actions toward wildlife and related natural resources. Educators will receive the “Project WILD” activity guide, containing 81 activities focused on terrestrial habitats and wildlife, and qualify for continuing education unit credits and Early Education and Care Criteria I credits.

To learn more about either of these events, visit www.ncaquariums.com/pks-special-events.

Regular weekly programs include the “Sea Turtle Trek” that takes place 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Aquarium staff shares information on the conservation work the aquarium does to help these endangered and threatened marine reptiles before heading to a nearby public beach access to see the sea turtle habitat and learn about the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission volunteer sea turtle monitoring project. For ages 5 and up. $20 per person.

The aquarium staff lead kayak paddle trips on Mondays and Wednesdays and stand-up paddleboard trips every Friday. Both programs are 9 to 11 a.m. and are weather permitting. Ages and prices vary.

During the “Fishing Fanatics” program held 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday, participants ages 5 to 12 can enjoy the sights and sounds of the maritime forest along Bogue Sound just before sunset. Staff will help bait hooks and offer instruction on casting and information on sustainable fishing practices. Gear and bait provided. Cost is $25 per person.

More information and registration can be found about these programs at www.ncaquariums.com/pks-outdoor-programs.

There are plenty of behind-the-scenes tours offered daily inside the aquarium. “Feeding Frenzy” takes place every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. “At A Glance,” which offers a view of the largest exhibit in the facility, is held daily. And “Shark Snack” takes place Tuesday and Friday.

For behind-the-scenes tours visit www.ncaquariums.com/pks-behindthescenestours

Located 5 miles west of Atlantic Beach, the aquarium is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The aquarium is under the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

To purchase tickets for entry to the aquarium, visit www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores or call 252-247-4003.

Guest Commentary

To stimulate discussion and debate, Coastal Review welcomes differing viewpoints on topical coastal issues. 

It was a losing battle from the start, watching the inevitable rising and receding of the waves simultaneously fill up the hole I had been digging, and swiftly erode the accompanying pile of sand I had dug.

Perhaps it is an intrinsic childhood need to move sand from one location to another. As Sisyphean as the task may seem to an adult, sand is an all-encompassing playground; a place to dig in, sink into, and even to create your own tide pool/hot tub as the waves accentuate your enjoyment.

My first exposure to the sand with every beach trip was the arduous trek (for a young child) up the stairs of the public beach access point down Heverly Drive in Emerald Isle.

I would pause in equal measure to catch my breath and take in just how cool it was to be atop the dunes, peering down on the crashing Atlantic Ocean below. But my expeditions into the dunes as a child were limited to exactly this: brief crossings on established wooden traverses. The landscape of the dunes was dotted with sign after sign stating, in no ambiguous terms, to keep off of their sea oat-covered crests. 

Folks from all over North Carolina and beyond flock to the Crystal Coast to experience the sensation of warm sand on their toes, the waves crashing on top of them, and perhaps a shrimp burger (or 10). Whether or not they realize it, visitors and residents pass through several distinct ecosystems as they stroll toward the beckoning ocean. The first ecosystem is the maritime forest, where hardy Live oaks and Wax myrtles make their living despite the sandy soil.

Then you reach the dunes, where crystal skippers eke out a living amongst the stalwart grasses that stitch the Bogue Banks in place against the ravages of the wind and waves. Afterwards comes the open beach, which might seem like a domain reserved exclusively for beachgoers but is also one that provides critical habitat for nesting least terns and loggerhead sea turtles.

Lastly before the ocean, the area where the waves first crash on the beach is known as the swash zone, where sanderlings, a small wading bird, can be frequently observed searching for bivalves. All of these ecosystems are within sight of each other, and yet their differences can be felt the moment one no longer has a delicious sea breeze standing behind the dunes. 

Flash forward to the present day, and I am a member of a team of scientists tasked with flaunting each and every one of these signs, looking straight at passersby as we rock our highlighter yellow vests and our sweat and sunscreen-streaked faces. We catch our breath and explain to these folks the nature of what we are doing.

“We are researchers with NC State and the North Carolina Aquarium, studying a butterfly endemic to this area called the crystal skipper,” we repeat to various folks taking an interest in our work.

One of the most underappreciated skills required of us is the ability to clarify what terms like “endemic” mean or to satiate people’s curiosity about the subject while being fully conscious of just how bad we smell after a day of traversing the hot and humid dunes.

What is it like to walk through the dunes? In a word, or several, hot, breezeless, and saturated with ankle-seizing smilax. One step takes the energy of three normal steps as the sand inevitably gives way on your ascent. The dunes blocking the sea breeze is likely important ecologically for our skippers, but that perspective is hard to maintain as the stifling air quickly dishevels and frustrates us. For nature nerds like myself, the presence of snakes and wheel bugs as well as the opportunity to study a rare species are well worth the effort. 

To answer that aforementioned question about what “endemic” means, it’s a term used in biology to refer to an organism whose range is restricted to a very specific place. Marine iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos Archipelago, lemurs are endemic to Madagascar, and the crystal skipper is endemic to our own coastal North Carolina.

North Carolina’s barrier islands are famous for how thin they are, and the crystal skipper’s range spans a mere 30 miles of said barrier islands. We as researchers are fairly fortunate in that this range encompasses not one, but two state parks: Hammocks Beach and Fort Macon. This means that we have a considerable amount of public land to study this species on.

True to the moniker of the Bogue Banks, the species can be identified by the distinctive white “crystals” speckling its brown wings. If you are fortunate enough to see a skipper, however, in some cases you might see black markings on their wings. Those are the codes that we have written onto their wings as a part of our mark-recapture study, where we endeavor to estimate the population of skippers in a given area based on the percentage, we are able to recapture.

But our research isn’t limited only to the adults, we spend substantial time looking through the seaside little bluestem, which is the grass the skippers are dependent on, to find and track the development of eggs and caterpillars as they stitch the grass around them into tents that would make the Spanish architect Gaudí proud.

This is all in addition to studying the habitat itself, which encapsulates everything from collecting nectar samples to taking seaside little bluestem samples back to the lab to assess desiccation. 

One of my favorite things about our work is that we find ourselves with equal frequency in the backcountry of the Crystal Coast in remote areas such as Bear Island, part of Hammocks Beach, as often as we find ourselves in the backyards of, at times, residents and unsuspecting tourists. This seems to encapsulate the essence of both conservation and preservation in our project.

One of the most fortuitous happenstances in the preservation of the crystal skipper is that roughly half of its range is already protected within Hammocks Beach State Park in the Swansboro area, which encompasses some of the undeveloped dune habitat in the state outside of its two national seashores. This land offers researchers a chance to observe the crystal skipper in an area of land that is wild and remote.

While we hope that our work will help ensure the population remains robust, the lives of individual adult crystal skippers are not very long. All skippers emerge during two time periods: April through early May and July through mid-August. Insects as a rule are very short-lived, and the crystal skipper is no exception with a lifespan of only one to two weeks.

The nature of our line of work means that multiple cycles of technicians such as myself will study the crystal skipper over summers as ephemeral as the butterfly itself. And while the crystal skipper is immortalized through passing on its genes, we hope that our legacy in the dunes is immortalized in others taking up this work after we have gone. And yet, at the same time, the crystal skipper is always here in the dunes with us, even when passers-by cannot see it.

The caterpillars are going about their business eating, making tents, and growing as they wage an often-unseen struggle for survival against the ravages of hurricanes and the myriad predators of the insect world. This is a struggle unseen by most passers-by in the dunes, and yet forms of the crystal skipper are always present in and around these select islands. It was here before our study of it began, and hopefully it will be here long after, both ever-present and ever-ephemeral. 

The Crystal Coast is many things. From the least terns laying their eggs on the beach to the deft slithering of eastern glass lizards to the skips and flutters of our beloved crystal skippers, nature permeates the man-made structures of the Crystal Coast. It’s an area where the natural world and the human history of the islands are both preserved and lived-in.

The islands of the Bogue Banks are narrow and yet flanking both sides of the narrow dividing roads are natural wonders and all the facets of human life. We, the human race, are locked in an existential struggle trying to figure out how to balance our own needs with those of the natural world.

Existential crises are often easier to face when we can break them into bite-sized pieces, and I believe that by learning to harmonize human life with the natural world here in the living laboratory of the Bogue Banks, we can help create a template for how to do so in the world at large. All of that is reflected in the rare and humble crystal skipper, a butterfly that is uniquely our own.

Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of Coastal Review or our publisher, the North Carolina Coastal Federation.

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island released last month seven sea turtles that have been under long-term care, and plans to recognize the endangered reptiles June 16 during World Sea Turtle Day.

The aquarium’s Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation Center, or STAR Center, spent the last five months treating the sea turtles that suffered from conditions related to cold-stunning, including kidney failure, frostbite, an eye injury, low weight, barnacles and swelling.

Aquarium staff released the rehabilitated patients May 7 offshore into the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream and May 23 into the Croatan Sound. One sea turtle remains under the center’s care.

The aquarium announced Friday that releasing the turtles concluded the “record-breaking cold-stun season” and the special activities scheduled for both World Sea Turtle Day and the STAR Center’s 11th anniversary. Sea turtle-themed programming, crafts, and talks with sea turtle experts and rescuers are planned for June 16. For more information or to reserve an admission ticket, visit the aquarium’s website.

From December 2024 through March, the aquarium took in nearly 800 cold-stunned sea turtles. Cold-stunning happens when the reptiles are exposed to low water temperatures and become stranded in a hypothermia-like state.

The six species of sea turtles found in U.S. waters are green, kemp’s ridley, loggerhead, hawksbill and olive ridleys, all protected under the Endangered Species Act, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This winter the facility cared for greens, Kemp’s ridleys and loggerheads, which cannot be housed together, the aquarium states in a release. While the sea turtles were slowly warmed upas part of the rehabilitation process, the animals were housed in public areas, multiple exhibits and outdoor bathrooms. A few sea turtles exceeded 200 pounds.

After transferring some sea turtles to other facilities, the aquarium said it has rehabilitated and released more than 600 cold-stunned sea turtles since December 2024.

The stranded, cold-stunned sea turtles were rescued and brought to the aquarium to for care by multiple teams across the Outer Banks, including volunteers from the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, or NEST.

“Thanks to the incredible teamwork of every organization and agency involved, turtles were rescued, healed, and returned to the wild. We’re fortunate to be supported by N.E.S.T., Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Wildlife Resources Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard, and local charter captains, so we can share these amazing conservation stories,” said Christian Legner, aquarium associate director and husbandry and operations director, in a statement.
 
Leslie Vegas, the aquarium’s husbandry curator said she couldn’t emphasize enough how proud she is to work with everyone at Roanoke Island aquarium.

“I want to give a special acknowledgement to the animal care staff that came together beautifully to assist. I am so grateful to all staff, volunteers, and partners for helping us with this event. We couldn’t have made such a broad impact on conservation, education, and rehabilitation without all these pieces coming together,” she added in a statement.
 

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores made a splash Friday when it unveiled its newly revamped, comic-style gallery that uses vibrant panels, colorful sculptures and hands-on experiences to illustrate the facility’s coral conservation and aquaculture efforts.

The North Carolina Aquarium Society, which is the nonprofit group that supports the state’s aquariums, welcomed 180 members for a sneak peek of the vibrant “Future Waters” gallery before the facility opened to the public that morning.

The gallery features interactive displays, a 1,500-gallon saltwater coral reef habitat called “Conservation Cove,” and two working labs that highlight the aquarium’s sustainable aquaculture efforts and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project.

The Pine Knoll Shores aquarium is one of 20 holding facilities in 14 states taking part in the Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project. The network focuses on the rescue, housing and future propagation of Florida corals affected by stony coral tissue loss disease. The goal is to eventually reintroduce the corals to the reef.

The aquarium’s Coral Aquarist Andrew Feliton told Coastal Review that the aquarium is currently cultivating 10 species of coral, all of which have been in captivity since the rescue project began in 2019. The corals came from SeaWorld Orlando and the Florida Coral Rescue.

“We work closely with the Florida Wildlife Commission because these are technically their animals,” Feliton said.

Husbandry Curator Trent Boyette was standing with Feliton near the entrance of the exhibit as a steady stream of visitors made their way through the exhibit.

To date, Boyette said, “we have successfully aquacultured about 23 different species since we first started in 2016.” Aquacultured means that fish, shellfish and other marine plants and animals were bred and raised in water, similar to farming on land.

The aquarium participates in species survival plans, Boyette continued, such as the lined seahorses on display in the exhibit’s working lab.

As the hum of visitors milling about the gallery filled the space, the aquarium’s Communications Manager Shannon Kemp told Coastal Review that staff have spent the last few years working on the gallery, creating about 90% in house, with an emphasis on making the exhibit interactive.

“This is one of the most tactile exhibits we have in the aquarium,” Kemp said, adding the education curator was interested in using a comic book theme “because it’s a different way of presenting information.”

Boyette noted that building the gallery was a major undertaking, to create almost all of the gallery in-house, from constructing the walls to acquiring the coral and fish.

“We spent probably the better part of two years just constructing all this,” Boyette said.

N.C. Aquarium Society President Liz Baird said the nonprofit support organization managed the $240,808 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and donations to build the gallery.

“Funding from public and private sources fits a real need to help communicate with the public, and aquariums and informal cultural organizations are a way to reach people that’s quite different than going to school,” Baird said. “An investment into an exhibit like this reaches a whole new audience in a whole new way, and has been proven effective. So we’re really grateful for that support to help bring this to life.”

Baird served as director of the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium from 2019 to 2023 before transitioning to the nonprofit, and was part of the planning process when the exhibit was first conceived.

 “We really wanted a way to highlight the work that goes on behind the scenes, particularly in conservation, and to help people understand how they play a role in conservation,” she said as she greeted visitors and staff while enjoying the sunny morning on the front patio.

Baird said that they went with the comic book theme to draw visitors to the exhibit.

“When you think about the way that you want to engage with guests, be them young kids through grown adults, people learn best when they are self-directed, and find things that sort of catch their eye or tweak their imagination,” she said.

Though corals are really important for conservation, corals growing don’t catch the eye like the otters or sharks.

“By having this really fun theme,” Baird explained, people are drawn to the exhibit and want to learn why the corals are growing.

The aquaculture work has been taking place for several years, “and we’ve been highly successful at raising these fish, but that happens upstairs, behind the scenes. And again, it’s one of those things that’s not necessarily engaging unless you know the story behind it,” she said.

“These are organisms are really important to our oceans health, and the aquariums are helping take the lead in protecting them,” Baird said.

The aquarium is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information or to book tickets in advance, visit www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores or call 252-247-4003.

This year’s Race for the Planet at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is scheduled for 8 a.m. April 27.

Registration is open for the 5K and 1-mile fun run in Kure Beach that will wind along the Atlantic Ocean and through the aquarium’s maritime forest.

“Space is limited for this popular event that features a route through historic Fort Fisher with beautiful vistas of the ocean and marshes — all reminders of the important work of the Aquarium to protect the environment,” the release from the aquarium states.

The in-person 5K registration fee is $40 and the timed 1-mile fun run is $24. Both include a race shirt and admission to the aquarium on race day. The virtual 5K is $35 and includes a shirt.

All funds support the facility’s sustainability initiatives through the North Carolina Aquarium Society to reduce carbon footprint of the event and expanding programs to eliminate single-use plastic, tackle hard-to-recycle materials, and enhance organic waste composting.

The society is the nonprofit organization that manages donations on behalf of the aquarium system.

Participants can opt out of the shirt, which will direct $10 of their registration fee to the society’s efforts.

In staying with the aquarium’s green initiatives, organizers recommend bringing reusable water bottles to use at the refill station, use environmentally friendly bug repellant and to carpool.

All visitors can support a greener environment by bringing household hazardous waste and electronics to drop off at the aquarium’s Sustainability Drive. 

“It’s more than a race. It’s movement to make a difference. For you, for the aquarium,  and for the planet,” organizers said.

The aquarium will be open to the public following the race. Online tickets are required and can be reserved online.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher has received a multi-million-dollar grant supporting its first major renovation in more than two decades.

The New Hanover County Community Endowment announced Thursday a $7.5 million grant to the North Carolina Aquarium Society.

The money will be distributed over the next three years and injected into a more than $56 million renovation to include upgrades to exhibits and visitor amenities. Details of the project are to be unveiled this summer, according to an New Hanover County Community Endowment announcement.

“Over the next few years, the project will introduce a range of new educational and recreational opportunities for families, students, and tourists,” the group stated. “The expansion will also boost the local economy by attracting more tourism and creating new economic opportunities.”

The Fort Fisher aquarium draws 500,000 guests annually, offering an array of habitats, exhibits and interactive learning experiences centered on marine life and coastal conservation.

“The Endowment’s support will fund a more innovative and immersive on-site educational experience at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher,” Joanna Zazzali, the aquarium’s director, said in a release. “Thousands of New Hanover County students each year will benefit from expanded indoor and outdoor educational opportunities that create a deeper connection to our aquatic environments and foster greater scientific understanding.”

The endowment was established from the county’s sale of the nonprofit New Hanover Regional Medical Center to for-profit Novant Health in 2020. Funding has grown nearly $1.3 billion, resulting in millions of dollars to be awarded in grants annually.

Endowment President and CEO Dan Winslow touts the grant as a significant investment in the county’s future.

“The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher has long been a vital asset to our community, and we are proud to contribute to its continued growth and success,” he said in a release. “This grant is a good example of the Endowment’s preference for late-stage funding of major capital projects. This grant will also demonstrate how the Endowment’s investments can be magnified by participation of other funders.”

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island will begin collecting food donations starting Saturday to stock the local food pantry.

The aquarium is hosting the Ton of Love Food Drive to help meet a goal of collecting 1 ton of food for local families. Residents and visitors to the area may drop off nonperishable, unexpired food items at the aquarium through the month of February.

Visitors who donate food-filled grocery bags will receive one complimentary admission ticket to the aquarium per reservation. One bag is equal to one admission ticket.

Food donations dropped off at the aquarium will be taken to the Roanoke Island Food Pantry in Manteo, which offers food to families in need throughout the year. The food drive helps restock the pantry’s shelves typically depleted after the holiday season.

“The Ton of Love Food Drive is an annual even the entire Aquarium team strongly supports,” aquarium Director Larry Warner said in a release. “Assisting this effort is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the local community and help those in need of the services offered by the Roanoke island Food Pantry.”

Some of the most requested foods include canned fruits, cereal, canned tuna, and pasta sauce.

Online reservations may be made by selecting the “complimentary ticket” option for the food drive. Those who opt to make an online reservation may bring a grocery bag of food at arrival.

North Carolina Aquariums will close to the public the last week of January while staff clean, work on projects and enhance animal care.

The Roanoke Island, Pine Knoll Shores and Fort Fisher locations are scheduled to close Jan. 27 through Jan. 31 and will reopen Saturday, Feb. 1.

“We’re committed to enhancing animal care and the visitor experience to create a one-of-a-kind adventure for everyone who walks through our doors,” said Fort Fisher aquarium director Joanna Zazzali. “By having meaningful and inspirational connections with our teams and our amazing animals, we are making a difference in our work to save species.”

At Roanoke, several multi-day projects are planned during the closure that can only be completed while the Aquarium is closed. Staff also will perform routine maintenance, repairs and upgrades.

For Pine Knoll Shores, staff will be on-site during the closure doing habitat maintenance, conducting staff training, and preparing for an upcoming habitat and exhibit featuring coral conservation and aquaculture.

Other projects include floor repair, carpet replacement, light fixture replacement, sound systems repairs, various communication projects, habitat maintenance and dives, winter dive equipment maintenance, various husbandry projects, weeding and mulching, staff training, cleaning, dusting, painting, and Gift Shop merchandise inventory.

Online tickets are required to visit any of the aquariums. Visitors can reserve tickets on the aquarium’s website.

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The North Carolina Aquariums are offering half-price admission Monday, Jan. 20, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Aquariums are honoring King’s life and legacy by providing visitors the reduced admission to enjoy the immersive experience while engaging with staff who are passionate about conservation. King’s advocacy work for equality extended to the natural environment, officials noted.

“Reflecting on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for racial equality is an important way to keep his dream alive,” said North Carolina Aquariums Director Hap Fatzinger. “Dr. King’s work to raise awareness extended to inspiring action on preserving a clean and healthy environment for generations to come. We are honored to welcome guests at a discounted rate on the birthday of this civil rights hero. Please reserve your tickets and enjoy the day.”

The Aquariums are popular during holidays and reservations fill up quickly. Visitors must purchase their discounted tickets online in advance of their visit. 

Special habitats at the Aquarium at Fort Fisher include the Asian small-clawed otter families who will greet visitors as soon as they walk in the front door, Luna the albino alligator, a 235,000-gallon shark habitat, and the loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings, Maris and Atlas.

Awaiting at the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, the 306,000-gallon ocean habitat, the “Living Shipwreck,” and Imagination Bay, an immersive indoor play area for the littlest guests. Visit screech owls and Orinoco crocodiles, and say hello to three North American river otters Eno, Pee Dee and Rocky.

At the Aquarium on Roanoke Island, the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center is rehabilitating cold-stunned sea turtles. Patients may be viewed through the glass doors. There’s also the 285,000-gallon “Graveyard of the Atlantic” exhibit and shark habitat. Visitors are invited to wander through the “Wild Wetlands” to meet river otters, alligators and turtles, and swing by “Sea Senses” for a sensory experience with stingrays and invertebrates. 

The half-off special rate will not apply to already reduced rates or promotional pricing. To reserve tickets, visit  ncaquariums.com/ticket-sales.

The hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles that washed ashore after temperatures fell earlier this month on the Outer Banks have been given a second chance.

Over the last few weeks, staff at the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation, or STAR, Center at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island have been caring for close to 600 sea turtles that were cold stunned, which happens when water temperatures quickly drop before sea turtles can migrate to warmer water. Cold stunning can lead to death if not treated. 

The Roanoke aquarium’s Animal Husbandry Curator Leslie Vegas told Coastal Review Thursday that most of the sea turtles are rescued in the Pamlico Sound. They enter the sound through inlets because they are foraging for food in the subaquatic vegetation, or seagrass, beds. A few wash up on the ocean side, but the vast majority are rescued from the sound.

Vegas is among the more than 135 aquarium staff and volunteers to care for the 553 cold-stunned sea turtles delivered to the aquarium between Dec. 1 and Dec. 7.

As of Dec. 17, the aquarium had received 576 sea turtles including the state’s most common species, the loggerhead, green and Kemp’s ridley, according to the aquarium.

“Because we are still ensuring our numbers are accurate, we don’t have exact species counts yet — and because the event is not technically over — but for this event so far, we have received approximately 580 turtles, with the most being 163 in one day,” Vegas said. So far, 399 turtles have been released as part of this event, some are being cared for at other facilities and about 50 arrived dead or died shortly after arrival.

As of Friday afternoon, the STAR Center was caring for 60 animals, and more releases were expected to take place in the coming weeks, Vegas said subsequently. With temperatures expected to drop again, aquarium staff are preparing for more cold-stunned turtles. 

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission manages the state’s sea turtles, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

“The great success in returning these turtles quickly to the wild is due to the combined efforts of many different volunteers and collaborators with the NCWRC Sea Turtle Project,” Commission biologist Matthew Godfrey said.

More than 20 different sea turtle project groups along the coast help monitor sea turtle nesting and stranding activities along the coast, including the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, or N.E.S.T, the National Park Service, North Carolina Aquariums, the College of Veterinary Medicine at N.C. State University, the Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

For this recent cold-stunned event, aquarium staff, the STAR Center, and N.E.S.T. volunteers worked with Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Wildlife Resources Commission, the Outer Banks SPCA, area veterinarian clinics, Phideaux fishing vessel, and the U.S. Coast Guard Stations at Hatteras Inlet and Fort Macon worked together to care for and release the sea turtles.

“Sea turtles are important to coastal ecosystems,” and because sea turtles are endangered species, any efforts to protect them are important, Vegas said.

Green sea turtles use sea grass beds as feeding grounds and they eat the subaquatic vegetation itself. “Just like plants on land, the SAVs and sea grass beds require ‘maintenance’ and ‘pruning,’ which the sea turtles provide. Without that maintenance, it’s possible that those beds would suffer enough damage to not thrive,” Vegas said.

Sea turtles use oceanic coastal shorelines to nest and lay eggs and these nests provide stabilization and nutrients to an ecosystem that is often nutrient depleted. These nutrients support the minimal plant life that exists on dunes, which also aid in shoreline stabilization, she continued.

Vegas explained that cold stuns occur naturally.

 “If the decrease in temperature is gradual, the turtles will naturally migrate to southern waters, but if there’s a rapid decrease, the turtles miss the environmental cue to migrate, and the stunning event occurs,” she said.

Sea turtles are exothermic and they cannot regulate their own body temperatures. When the temperature drops, typically below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the sea turtles become weak and lethargic, sometimes appearing deceased due to their extreme inactivity and lethargy. The turtles usually float to the water’s surface and from there, winds, tides or both can wash the turtles onto the shore, she added. Cold-stun events have been documented since the 1800s, and because it is not preventable, the response to these events is human intervention and rehabilitation to rescue as many as possible.

When temperatures drop, “our partners with the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, the National Park Service, and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission scout the soundside shore for turtles and transport them to us at the aquarium,” Vegas said.

NEST Director Jerrica Rea told Coastal Review that the volunteer-run nonprofit organization is thankful for partners in the NPS, ferry system and aquarium.

“Without the collective work from everyone, managing an event like this would not be possible,’ Rea said.

During the cold-stun season that takes place from December to around March, NEST volunteers patrol the soundside waters of Hatteras Island looking for sea turtles.

“We monitor different things like wind direction and water temperature to determine when the turtles may start to struggle. Sea turtles will generally migrate to warmer waters as our water cools in winter but occasionally we will have a perfect storm like this event,” Rea said, referring to the cold-stunning from earlier this month.

The sea turtles are typically juveniles who are content to feed in sound waters and don’t get the cue to leave when the temperature goes from warm to cold quickly. The sudden drop in temperature and the prolonged nature of it led to NEST finding over 560 sea turtles in one week.

Those turtles are taken to a staging site in Buxton where NEST volunteers take measurements, photos and document them, Rea said. They are then transported to STAR center at the aquarium, a more than 100-mile round trip ride.

“As an all volunteer organization, we are extremely proud of the efforts from our cold stun team. They work in the worst conditions-rain, snow, wind and freezing temperatures. We have over 20 patrol responders, 50 staging site volunteers and many more transporters,” Rea said. “The dedication our volunteers have to rescuing sea turtles is indescribable. It’s an honor to be part of such an incredible team and to see the community come together to help this endangered species.”

Turtle triage, treatment

Once the turtle arrives at the aquarium, staff administer fluid therapy since the turtles have likely been exposed and may have become dehydrated while stunned.

The length, width and weight of each sea turtle is recorded as well as any abnormalities or injuries. Blood work determines if there are nutritional or other deficiencies, like organ impairment. Because their organs are not functioning optimally while stunned, additional medication is not typically dispensed until they are gradually brought to healthy, warm temperatures, Vegas explained.

Bringing sea turtles up to the right temperature cannot happen fast, either. For this process, the turtles are moved to different sections of the aquarium, each set at a slightly warmer temperature, to ensure that the warming is gradual.

The Roanoke Island aquarium uses an incident command system and emergency response in the form of triage, like how humans are triaged in emergency care, to rehabilitate the sea turtles.

“We split the turtles up based on the level of care necessary to release them, as well as by species and size. Some species can be housed together and some cannot. In an event this large, those that are most likely to survive are prioritized to maximize our number of turtles released,” Vegas said. “We provide supportive care to those with more complicated medical issues until we can devote more time to them, after healthier turtles are released.”

The sea turtles that only needed to be warmed up were released within two to four days of rescue. “The more complicated medical cases could be here for weeks or months depending on their rate of progress and the care they may require,” Vegas said.

“If the individual turtle has additional medical needs, we keep the turtle in house for treatment, to go through the full rehabilitation process that addresses their specific medical needs,” Vegas added, but if no other health issues are identified beyond cold stunning, the turtles are released to the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible after they are at temperature, their bloodwork is cleared by veterinary staff, and they exhibit normal sea turtle behaviors.

“The releases are made possible through our relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard at Cape Hatteras, who are kind enough to transport our turtles to the Gulf Stream,” Vegas said.

The incident command system ensures that all departments within the aquarium are engaged to provide excellent turtle care and supportive care for humans,” Vegas said.

“This event involved many partners and staff, and that has been the highlight of it all for me. Seeing the dedication and teamwork that was fostered, along with the animals that were saved, are the things we are most proud to share,” Vegas said.

Sea turtles that appear still or sluggish in the sound water or on a beach during winter months should not be pushed back into the water or moved. Report any turtles under duress to the Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline via N.E.S.T. at 252-441-8622.

The N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island operates under the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Sea Turtle Permit No. 24ST46.

Coastal Review will not publish Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in observance of the Christmas holiday.

A marketing campaign to highlight the birth of six Asian small-clawed otters at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher was given national recognition.

“Whole Lotta Otta” is one of the 28 projects recognized in September during the Association of Zoos and Aquariums annual conference held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The aquarium earned the Excellence in Marketing Award for a campaign with a budget under $175,000.

“Whole Lotta Otta” tells the story of parents Leia and Quincy welcoming two litters of three pups in less than a year as well as work of the aquarium to save this vulnerable species.

These otters are native to Southeast Asia, southern India, southern China, Indonesia and the Philippines. The aquarium is working to save them through the AZA Species Survival Plan Program.

The marketing campaign featured the otters on static and digital billboards, buses, shuttles, social media posts and digital ads to raise awareness about the otters at the aquarium and share their story of survival. 

“We were thrilled to bring home the AZA top honors marketing award as the Aquarium team has embraced the conservation focus and engaged the community in the individual action they can take to save this species. The excitement over having two births in less than a year gave us the idea for Whole Lotta Otta and the opportunity to shine a light on how critical it is that the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is saving species through our work with the AZA,” said Deyanira Romo Rossell, communications manager at the aquarium.

Watch Asian small-clawed otters, alligators, and even Maverick the bald eagle frolic this fall as “Spooky Seas” takes over the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Aquarium staff has planned Halloween-inspired enrichment for the animals for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, to Friday, Nov. 1. Included with regular admission, reservations are required for entry and can be made online.

“By engaging the community in a spirited way, the Aquarium team fulfills its mission to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments. Visitors will see the passion that the animal care team has for conservation of the many species at the Aquarium, with all staff and volunteers sharing their story,” organizers said in a release.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is just south of Kure Beach on U.S. 421.

Admission is $12.95 for 13-61, $10.95 for ages 3-12, $11.95 for those 62 and older or military with valid identification; and $3 for EBT card holders: Admission is free for 2 and younger, N.C. Aquarium Society members and N.C. Zoo members.

Contributed by the Jennette’s Pier staff

Along coastal Carolina’s beach towns, parks and residential areas, there’s a building movement to reduce artificial lighting that negatively impacts wildlife.

The North Carolina Aquariums are proud to be joining an ever-growing movement of migration to wildlife-friendly lighting, which often shine an amber hue.

In Nags Head, Jennette’s Pier has transformed its nighttime outline with new shielded fixtures with amber lighting, which ultimately creates less light pollution, according to Director Mike Remige.

“This specific color temperature is far less disruptive to insects, bats, birds, and, most importantly along the oceanfront, sea turtles,” he said. “It also reduces eye strain for people, better preserving our night vision.”

The idea of transforming lighting at the three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier has been developing for years, according to Dr. Carol Price, conservation research coordinator for the North Carolina Aquariums.

The North Carolina Aquariums’ Conservation Action Plan first prioritized the use of wildlife-friendly lighting at Aquarium facilities back in 2021, Price said.

In January 2023, sea turtle conservation groups from near and far assembled for the North Carolina Sea Turtle Symposium at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where light pollution was a “huge topic,” Price said.

Conservation leaders met again in March for the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle conference in Orange Beach, Alabama, where the topic was again discussed. The pair of meetings were an “inspirational call for action,” Price said.

Scientists have been collecting data on how light pollution impacts nesting turtles and their clutch of babies or hatchlings.

“We know nesting mothers may not nest where there’s light pollution,” Price added.

Another problem light pollution creates has to do with hatchlings making their dash to the sea.

When sea turtle nests erupt or “boil” with the tiny babies, the reptiles are hard-wired to use natural environmental cues, such as following the brightest horizon like the reflection of the moon and stars on the water and the downward slope of the beach, to find their way to the ocean.

Light pollution confuses this innate navigation system, resulting in hatchlings becoming disoriented and unable to reach the ocean before they fall prey to predators or succumb to dehydration, according to aquarist Michele Lamping with the aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

She has spent the last 20 years working with sea turtles, which include three endangered species: Kemp’s ridley, Atlantic hawksbill and leatherback, as well as two threatened species loggerhead and green sea turtles.

She has a passion for protecting them all and is currently involved in several important projects including the operation of the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores’ sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation operations.

She also is the volunteer coordinator for the Atlantic Beach Sea Turtle Patrols, which protects sea turtle nests.

Lamping has attended numerous lighting workshops and conferences. She says there’s a movement to curtail and negate harmful artificial lighting across all of North Carolina.

“We’re also trying to address negative impacts to wildlife from all lighting including residential, municipal and pier lighting along our beaches,” Lamping said. “Northwest Florida has already gone through lighting retrofits, now Southwest Florida is going through it too.”

Price and Lamping worked directly with Kristi Spohn of SESCO Lighting’s Florida Branch who crafted the plan for Jennette’s Pier’s refit. There is a growing need in North Carolina for industry leaders specializing in wildlife-friendly lighting, they said.

Price and Lamping said it took many steps and many years to get the project to this point. They each hope it will inspire other piers and properties to do the same.

Remige reports that a significant amount of unrestricted support funds from the N.C. Aquarium Society paid for the 200 new fixtures. These include low mounted pathways lights along with wall sconces, overhead recessed can lights as well as bollards and lampposts.

“Fortunately, the changeover came right when many of the old bollards and lampposts were starting to fail,” Remige said.

A certified electrical contractor plans to wrap up installation of Phase 1 soon, Remige noted. The 29 tall parking lot lights will be changed in Phase 2 of the project as more funds become available.

Remige said that the town of Nags Head has already deployed LED lighting at several crosswalks and sea turtle-friendly lights at several beach accesses.

“We’re all trying to make a difference for wildlife,” Remige added.

A handful of additional Carolina coastal towns and ocean piers such as Oak Island Pier also use wildlife-friendly lighting.

With 330 miles of sandy ocean beaches, it’s going to take a lot of work to protect sea turtles which have roamed the seas and nested on North Carolina beaches for 150,000 million years.

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Did you know that a group of sharks is called a shiver? And did you know that there are nearly 500 species of shark found worldwide? File those facts away for the shark-themed trivia taking place as part of a conservation fundraiser in Atlantic Beach.

Scheduled for 5:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, at Crystal Coast Brewing Co. in Atlantic Beach, Suds for Sharks is a family-friendly event highlighting shark conservation and research.

In addition to trivia, there will be a silent auction with shark-themed items donated by local artists, and an exclusive sand tiger shark-themed beer. The brewery will donate $1 from every shark-themed beer sold to conservation projects. Tanja’s Hella Fat Food of New Bern will also be on-site.

“Events like Suds for Sharks is a way that we can bring the community together for a great conservation cause,” said Emily Fessler, aquarium education curator. “The more we can learn about and understand sharks, the better we’re able to protect these animals and their habitat to help them not only survive but thrive for future generations.”

All donations will go to the nonprofit North Carolina Aquarium Society to support the North Carolina Aquarium Conservation Action Committee’s shark conservation projects for shark field research, outreach, and conservation.

 “We’re grateful for community partners like Crystal Coast Brewing Company who are able to get involved in conservation efforts and help make events like Suds for Sharks a fun experience,” Fessler said.

To learn more about the nonprofit aquarium society and to donate, visit the website.

The scenic marsh boardwalk that stretches along the edge of Bogue Sound and through the maritime forest at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has reopened to visitors.

The marsh boardwalk, originally built in 1994, was closed for renovations in January.

Admired Builders, a renovation team out of Kinston, replaced all of the existing deck boards with composite material, which is more water-resistant and will increase the longevity of the walkway. Work was completed ahead of schedule on May 15.

“We’re proud to be able to share the improved Marsh Boardwalk with our guests,” Aquarium Director Clint Taylor said in a release. “Renovating the walkway was a huge undertaking and the finished product will certainly be a highlight during a visit to the Aquarium. The walkway is a favorite for many guests and the team involved did an outstanding job enhancing this unique experience.” 

Taylor said that some of the outdoor experiences that weren’t accessible to the public during the renovation are available again, including the Alice Hoffman Nature Trail, Tree-mendous Play Area, the outdoor box turtle habitat, and the Snakes: Hidden Inhabitants pavilion.

Work to improve the Eagle Landing open-air bald eagle habitat is ongoing, and the public will be able to view the two female bald eagles after Memorial Day weekend.

Reservations are required to visit the aquarium and can be made online.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2024. First held in 1970 to bring awareness to environmental issues, Earth Day takes place annually on April 22.

Join the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores to kick off its Party for the Planet.

The event series starts on Earth Day Monday, will continue on Endangered Species Day May 17, and end June 8 on World Ocean Day.

During the on-site event Monday, visitors can listen to presentations, and participate in nature-based activities and sustainable-action challenges focused on this year’s theme, “Spring Into Action.”

Visitors can participate in the Green Team Challenge, a celebration of Earth’s biodiversity, and discover how to make a difference through everyday actions, organizers said.

Participants can choose one of three teams to join during the on-site events or online. Teams are Water Warriors, Food Fighters, and Garden Guardians.

After joining a team, participants pledge to do simple actions throughout the competition, take pictures while completing actions for their chosen team, and get a reward at the end of the competition.

“Talking about conservation can often be overwhelming and leave us feeling helpless because issues often feel so big, they seem impossible to solve,” Aquarium Educator Sarah Wright said. “The Green Team competition during our Party for the Planet breaks down conservation into small, feasible choices we can make in our everyday lives, with each team focusing on a different conservation issue.”

Each team features an animal ambassador — sea turtle, black vulture, or striped skunk — that will be featured in a virtual animal encounter for those who join a team and participate in the challenge.

Each team focuses on a different sustainability issue: Water Warriors challenge participants to conserve water, prevent water pollution, and protect aquatic ecosystems.

Food Fighters team members will consider the impact of our diets and food waste on the environment.

Those who choose to be Garden Guardians will pledge to protect different ecosystems and find ways to coexist with their neighborhood wildlife.

“I hope participants will feel empowered to participate in conservation. By taking action alongside their teammates, friends, and families, individual participants can hopefully identify conservation solutions in their everyday lives,” Wright said.

For more than 20 years, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited institutions across the nation have hosted Party for the Planet events, making it North America’s largest combined Earth Day, Endangered Species Day, and World Ocean Day celebration.

It’s the AZA’s sixth year of the “Spring into Action” campaign with support from the Disney Conservation Fund. The campaign aims to provide family-friendly, conservation-based events and volunteer opportunities that improve the health of our planet’s habitats and ecosystems.

For more information on the Aquarium’s Party for the Planet Green Team Challenge, visit the website.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are working together to save the endangered Carolina gopher frog.

The commission staff collected 47 egg masses from Holly Shelter Game Land for this initiative, which were delivered to the aquarium team to care for until the froglets can be released back in the wild. The goal is to replenish the ponds with gopher frogs and restore their natural habitats across the state.

Visitors to the aquarium from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20, can learn more about the work to protect these amphibians during Community Croak for Conservation. There will be three stations for visitors to learn how to identify frog calls, share an encounter with a state-endangered Carolina gopher frog, and inspire conservation action through tracking the life cycle of a frog. Visitors will collect stamps on a passport at each station and take home a prize once they’ve completed the frog lifecycle and their passport is full.

The aquarium implemented the initiative in 2011 to help build wild populations of the endangered amphibians by giving them a head start at life. In 2023, the effort had a 91% success rate. The commission delivered 28 egg masses to the aquarium, which yielded 560 tadpoles and, ultimately, 512 frogs that were released at the same locations where the eggs were collected.

Gopher frogs require breeding ponds large enough to retain water throughout the three to five months of its tadpole stage but shallow enough to dry periodically, because the gopher frog prefers to breed in isolated, fish-free ponds.

Challenges for these species in the wild include when there is a lack of rain causing ponds to not have enough water, destruction of the ponds and significantly altered ponds deepened and stocked with fish, the aquarium said. The wetland ponds where they live and breed have declined from 53 to just 14.

“For the gopher frog, the habitat must be ideal, and with so many breeding habitats lost or destroyed, our team steps in to create the right conditions for the eggs to hatch, and we raise the tadpoles to metamorphosis before releasing them back into the same pond,” Ryan McAlarney, husbandry curator, said.

Through the initiative, teams have released thousands of juvenile frogs into the wild populations. However, survival is low with only an estimated 3 to 4% of these animals surviving to adulthood, according to the aquarium.

The North Carolina Aquariums teamed up with U.S. Coast Guard stations Hatteras Inlet and Fort Macon to release 81 rehabilitated cold-stunned sea turtles.

Station Hatteras Inlet released 22 rehabilitated sea turtles from the Sea Turtle Assistance & Rehabilitation, or STAR, Center at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island Jan. 30. These small, juvenile Kemp’s ridley and green species were released in waters by the Coast Guard station.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Richard Snyder Feb. 12 released 59 turtles as part of their cruise from Station Fort Macon. The healthy turtles were transported to Station Fort Macon by volunteers from the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, or N.E.S.T., and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center as well as biologists from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

The 59 rehabilitated turtles from both the N.C. Aquariums and Karen Beasley center included loggerhead, green, and Kemp’s ridley, the state’s most common species.

Most of these turtles were brought to rehabilitation centers because of cold-stunning, which occurs when the water temperature drops quickly before the turtles can migrate to warmer water. This condition primarily affects juveniles of the species.

At this time, the state aquarium system is caring for 62 cold-stunned patients with 41 at the STAR Center, 15 at the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium and six at the Fort Fisher facility.

If you find a stranded sea turtle in North Carolina, which happen throughout the year, call 252-241-7367 or your local stranding response team.

Dozens of sea turtles pulled from frigid waters in the recent cold snap that sent temperatures plummeting along the East Coast are being treated at North Carolina Aquariums.

The N.C. Aquarium at Roanoke Island as of Tuesday had 111 cold-stunned sea turtles in its care and more are reported to arrive, according to a release. And, the aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is caring for 42 sea turtles that lost their ability to swim as water temperatures quickly and drastically dipped, causing the turtles to suffer a hypothermia-like state.

This winter so far has resulted in more than 200 sea turtles requiring treatment at the state’s aquariums.

Juvenile green, loggerhead, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles feed in shallow sounds throughout the summer and fall, after which time these cold-blooded animals typically head for warmer waters.

But rapidly plummeting temperatures can catch sea turtles off guard, leaving them little time to make it into warmer waters.

Their heart rate and other functions slow, leaving them lethargic and unable to swim,” Michele Lamping, Pine Knoll Shores aquarist and sea turtle specialist said in a release “Prolonged exposure can result in paralysis, and the turtles float on the surface or wash up on beaches.”

So far, 63 cold-stunned sea turtles have been rehabilitated at the state’s aquariums and released back into the wild.

Cold-stunned turtles being treated at the aquariums have been recovered from Cape Lookout National Seashore, Core Sound, and areas spanning between Ocracoke to the Virginia state line.

Biologists with Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, or WRC, and sea turtle conservation volunteers find, record and transport cold-stunned sea turtles to regional facilities.

Turtles found stranded in the southern part of the state are taken to North Carolina State University’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, or CMAST, to be assessed and initially treated. The turtles are then sent to various rehabilitation centers, including the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City and the state aquariums in Pine Knoll Shores and Fort Fisher.

Cold-stunned turtles rescued from Ocracoke north are moved to a staging site on Hatteras Island then transported to the STAR Center for initial assessment and treatment under the supervision of a veterinary team.

Rehabilitation can take anywhere from two weeks to several months, according to Amber Hitt, Sea Turtle and Rehabilitation Center, or STAR, coordinator at the Roanoke Island aquarium.

“We work closely with our veterinary team (to) administer individual care to be sure that they are ready for release,” Hitt said in the release.

During rehabilitation, sea turtles are provided nutritional care and various treatments, including fluids, antibiotics, eye drops and wound care. Each turtle must receive a final health check by a veterinarian and microchipped, which allows researchers to trace the turtle’s locations and growth.

Once turtles receive a clean bill of health they are usually released near the Gulf Stream, where waters temperatures are at least 70 degrees. The turtles are returned to the wild by various crews, including those from Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, U.S. Coast Guard Stations at Cape Hatteras and Fort Macon, and private fishing vessels.

The WRC heads sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation efforts and collaborates with several federal, state and private organizations, including the aquariums, CMAST, N.C. State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, or N.E.S.T., Cape Hatteras National Seashore, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.

What to do if you see a struggling turtle

Sea turtles spotted not moving or seemingly sluggish in the water or on a beach during winter months should not be pushed back into the water or moved. 

Anyone who sees a sea turtle that appears to be in distress should call the Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline, which will dispatch a response team to transport the turtle for triage.

For turtles found south of Ocracoke Island, call 252-241-7367.

Turtles stranded on Ocracoke and Hatteras Island may be called into the Cape Hatteras National Seashore at 252-216-6892. 

Sea turtles found along Oregon Inlet and north should be reported to N.E.S.T. at 252-441-8622.

Visitors to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will have to wait a few months before they can again access the marsh boardwalk, overlooks, outdoor habitats and nature play area at the site while renovations and improvements are made.

Aquarium officials closed the areas Monday.

The walkway built in 1994 stretches behind the aquarium along the edge of Bogue Sound and through the maritime forest.

Admired Builders of Kinston has been contracted to replace all existing deck boards with a more water-resistant composite material to increase the walkway’s longevity. Handrails are to be replaced with aluminum, and other repairs will happen as needed during the renovation, officials said Monday.

Work replacing the deck boards will be completed by the end of May, and a date for the walkway to reopen to the public will be announced.

“The Marsh Boardwalk has been a way for our guests, staff, and volunteers to connect with the nature we have right in our backyards,” North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores Director Clint Taylor said in a statement. “It allows for extraordinary scenic views in event photography, provides a window into the life found in the Bogue Sound estuaries, and leads guests to many of the Aquarium’s outdoor areas. Renovating the boardwalk will enhance our visitors’ overall experience.”

Taylor added that while the boardwalk is closed, some of the outdoor experiences won’t be accessible to the public, including the Alice Hoffman Nature Trail, Tree-mendous Play Area, Snakes: Hidden Inhabitants area, the outdoor box turtle habitat, and the Eagle Landing open-air bald eagle habitat.

The public would be unable to view most of the animals in the outdoor habitats regardless, because during winter they are kept in warmer areas. The bald eagles in Eagle Landing are also kept behind the scenes as a precaution against the most recent avian flu cases in the state.

During the boardwalk closure, aquarium staff are offering alternative experiences and habitats for visitors for the outside activities.

Guests with children who want to play can visit the Imagination Bay indoor play area across from the gift shop, the Discovery Classroom is open for crafts and activities at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily, and educators offer a special Toddler Time program at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays featuring a different aquatic theme each week.

While the Alice Hoffman Nature Trail is unavailable, guests can still hike along the Theodore Roosevelt Natural Area nature trail.

All three North Carolina Aquariums will close to the public Jan. 29-Feb. 2 while staff take on projects. The boardwalk renovation is among the projects expected to continue after the aquariums reopen at 9 a.m. Feb. 3.

A man who is no stranger to the North Carolina Aquariums has been named the new state aquariums division director.

Hap Fatzinger, who has for the last five years served as Fort Fisher aquarium director in a career spanning more than 25 years, will take the helm for the North Carolina Aquariums division on Jan. 15.

North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson said in a statement that Fatzinger “brings a wealth of experience, creativity, and strong leadership skills to his new role.”

“His energy and commitment to conservation and sustainability, education, and animal care make him the ideal choice to lead our North Carolina Aquariums to even greater successes in these areas,” Wilson said.

Fatzinger is replacing Maylon White, who led the division in 2019 and retired last June.

“I’m honored to serve as director of the North Carolina Aquariums, a division recognized as leaders in conservation,” Fatzinger said in a release. “Grateful to be in good company among the state’s greatest treasures, I look forward to supporting a passionate team, the foundation of our success, and welcoming the more than 1.4 million guests who visit our sites every year.”

During the course of his career within the aquarium division, Fatzinger worked for nearly two decades at the aquarium in Kure Beach, climbing the ranks from volunteer to staff and eventually stepping into the role of aquarium curator. 

He was named in 2015 the director of the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium, where he remained until his return to Fort Fisher in 2019.

“During his tenure at Fort Fisher, he has helped grow the organization from a small, local attraction to a nationally recognized aquarium,” according to the release.

The state aquariums division includes the aquariums at Fort Fisher in New Hanover County, Pine Knoll Shores in Carteret County and Roanoke Island in Dare County. Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head also falls under the division.

In addition to overseeing the aquariums, Fatzinger will work with the North Carolina Aquarium Society, a nonprofit that manages fundraising, development, and conservation initiatives for the aquariums and the pier.

Joanna Zazzali, Fort Fisher aquarium’s visitor services coordinator, will act as that aquariums interim director until that position is filled.

North Carolina’s Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke aquariums are going to close to the public at the end of this month for projects to be tackled, animal care enhanced and to make sure the aquariums “sparkle and shine,” officials said this week.

While the facilities are closed Jan. 29 to Feb 2, staff are to complete a list of tasks, including large, multi-day projects that only can be done while the aquariums are closed.

“The compassion and unwavering commitment of the North Carolina Aquariums team to the animals and the community is unmatched. It’s important for us to take this time to begin 2024 with momentum and renewed focus on animal well-being and our conservation mission,” NC Aquariums Acting Director Michael P. Remige said in a statement.

The aquariums will reopen at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Advance tickets are required to visit the aquariums. Visitors can plan ahead and reserve their tickets online.

See what’s happening behind the scenes at the aquariums during the closure: 

• Roanoke Island aquarium Facebook and Instagram
• Pine Knoll Shores aquarium Facebook and Instagram
• Fort Fisher aquarium Facebook and Instagram

Maverick hasn’t left the building, but he’s being moved out of the public eye.

The popular bald eagle at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is being moved from his open-air habitat as a precaution to protect him from contracting avian influenza.

New cases of the highly contagious disease in eastern North Carolina wild birds prompted the call to move Maverick, who is healthy and symptom free, according to a news release. This is the second time this year that the aquarium has taken precautions against avian flu.

“This disease, if spread, could have devastating effects on poultry farms, both commercial and backyard flocks, and birds living in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers,” North Carolina Aquariums Chief Veterinarian Emily Christiansen said in a statement.

Aquarium officials have ramped up biosecurity for staff, allowing only specific teams who work with the aquarium’s feathered animals to care for Maverick.

“Our visitors really treasure Maverick, a majestic ambassador for birds, and we are taking every precaution to ensure he stays safe and healthy, so he can quickly return to his habitat for everyone to enjoy,” said Hap Fatzinger, director of the Fort Fisher aquarium.

The aquarium is working with the N.C. Aquarium Division veterinary team, N.C. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Agriculture to decide when Maverick may be safely returned to his public habitat.

Sick or dying wild birds may be reported to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission helpline at 866-318-2401 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Ill birds in human care may be reported to area veterinarians, the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Veterinary Division at 919-707-3250, or the N.C. Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System at 919-733-3986.

Additional information is available at NCDA&CS and USDA Defend the Flock. 

OCEARCH founder and expedition leader Chris Fisher will give a short presentation on white shark conservation at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Aquarium admission is not needed to attend the presentation taking place in Soundside Hall. Seating will be limited to the first 130 people who arrive for the program. To tour the facility afterward, regular admission tickets will need to be purchased.

By connecting multi-disciplinary experts to tag and track white sharks, OCEARCH gathers much-needed and previously missing information about many aspects of white sharks that directly help the conservation of this species and its habitats.

 “We are excited to have Chris Fisher visit the Aquarium and share the story of OCEARCH and white shark conservation,” Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium Director Clint Taylor, said in a statement. “Being able to host mission-based presentations like this for our visitors, staff, and volunteers helps inspire the appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments and animals.”

Since founding OCEARCH in 2007, Fischer’s team has engaged with more than 190 researchers from global institutions, safely tagged more than 400 animals, and worked globally with partners across varying sectors. OCEARCH has advanced science through 75 peer-reviewed papers, 20 of which Fischer is a co-author.

The OCEARCH shark tracker launched in 2013, allowing nearly 2 million annual users to learn about sharks while tracking them across the planet in near-real-time.

Two, tiny loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings have new names and will soon have a new home.

These newest conservation ambassadors for North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher are named Aleta, pronounced A-leta, which means “flipper” and Pico, pronounced Pee-koh, which means “beak” in Spanish.

Students picked the names for the two hatchlings that will make their debut at the aquarium.

The students represent classrooms in Fort Fisher aquarium’s Adopt-a-Turtle program. By adopting a sea turtle, students receive monthly updates with information including the animal’s weight and length. Each class receives a certificate of participation. The aquarium shares photos with the students as the turtles grow.

“Inspiring students in conservation is a priority for the Aquarium. Through the Adopt-a-Turtle program, we ensure that the students are truly engaged and learning about the sea turtle hatchlings from the beginning and that includes naming them,” Gail Lemiec, aquarium’s unique experiences coordinator, said in a release.

The aquarium collaborates with local sea turtle protection organizations to take in two hatchlings each year that did not make the initial trek to the ocean.

The nonprofit Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project volunteers rescued these hatchlings from a nest excavation on Kure Beach. Now under the care of Fort Fisher’s aquarist team, the two turtles will soon be in the loggerhead conservation habitat at the aquarium.

The hatchlings will make their public debut after the aquarium team bids farewell to the yearlings, Pip and Scout who have been with the aquarium since September 2022. That farewell is to be announced on Facebook and Instagram.

To find more information about how to protect sea turtles through all stages of their lives, visit the aquarium’s sea turtle conservation website.

After a recent decline in health, Nimbus, the 13-year-old leucistic loggerhead sea turtle at North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, was humanely euthanized Wednesday evening.

Nimbus went into emergency surgery that afternoon at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. During surgery, severe stomach disease was confirmed. This diagnosis in addition to concerns with his other internal organ function and additional health issues, prompted a discussion about quality of life, aquarium officials said Friday. After five hours of in-depth surgery, and a review of Nimbus’ medical history, the decision was made to move forward with euthanasia.

“Nimbus was loved by our staff, volunteers, and guests. This was not an easy decision, and you could see it on the faces and hear it in each person’s voice when we discussed the situation,” Aquarium Director Clint Taylor said. “Based on the severity of the internal issue, it was extremely important for us to look at his overall health and quality of life.”

Nimbus was found as a hatchling in August 2010 by N.C. Sea Turtle Project volunteers during a nest excavation on Pine Knoll Shores. The Sea Turtle Project watches over sea turtle nests and nesting sea turtles on the state’s beaches and is overseen by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

The aquarium’s veterinary and animal care team cared for the turtle born with mouth and nasal deformities and vision problems associated with leucism, a rare genetic alteration found in animals, similar to albinism, which caused the turtle’s unique coloration.

“Nimbus quickly became one of our guests’ favorite animals to visit. Many people remember when the turtle came to the Aquarium as a hatchling and watched him grow and thrive,” Taylor said.

Nimbus, meaning a radiant light or shining cloud, was the name chosen during a public naming contest where over 500 names were submitted.

The aquarium team is currently developing a memorial opportunity for guests and staff in honor of Nimbus.

In the last two years, second graders at Perquimans Central School have raised $2,000 to donate to the sea turtle rehabilitation program at North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island by making and selling bracelets.

The students learned about endangered sea turtles by visiting the aquarium with financial support through the Aquarium Scholars grant program.

A partnership through NC Aquariums, public schools and the nonprofit North Carolina Aquarium Society, educators at Title 1 and Title 1-eligible schools can apply for these grants.

That’s what second grade teacher Laura Duncan did and encourages other teachers in Title 1 schools, which are schools with high poverty levels, to apply as well.

Application deadline is Sept. 15. Apply for the program through the aquarium website.

Duncan explained in the announcement that the Aquarium Scholars grant program has supported visits to the aquarium allowing her students, who may never have left their county, to experience the coastal environment, and to see the animals there.

“This opens their eyes to learning more about animals, helping to conserve and care for our world — and they can build background knowledge of species and habitats. It is the platform for learning when we return — we’ve had the shared experience, and it makes all the difference,” Duncan said.

The program Duncan and her students have created begins with a visit to the aquarium in March, where the students see the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation, or STAR, Center. Then, in the classroom, they learn about sea turtles, and begin making bracelets with supplies Duncan purchases.

“In addition to creating the bracelets, the class makes commercials for the school news, works on marketing, and produces sea turtle books, pamphlets, magnets, and a website,” she said. The project wraps up with a virtual meeting with sea turtle expert Dr. Stephen Dunbar from Loma Linda University.

The Aquarium Scholars grant program is funded by the North Carolina Aquarium Society.

“Since the program started in 2018, we’ve been able to connect over 12,000 North Carolina students from 78 counties with the amazing education experiences offered by the three Aquariums and Jennette’s Pier at little to no cost to the school,” Society Communications Manager Colleen Shytle said in a statement. “Regardless of the school’s proximity to the coast, learning opportunities are available that are relevant and accessible to engage students.”

Currently assistant aquarium director at North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Clint Taylor has been selected to serve as the new director of the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. 

Taylor is replacing Liz Baird, who left this spring to become executive director of the N.C. Aquarium Society, and will begin his new role Sept. 1, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources officials announced Tuesday.

An aquarium employee for more than 18 years, Taylor said in a statement that growing up in eastern North Carolina, “I fell in love with the state’s coast at an early age. I’m looking forward to returning to Pine Knoll Shores and am excited about this opportunity.”

Prior to his work at Fort Fisher, Taylor worked for many years at Pine Knoll Shores, including 10 years as museum curator supervisor overseeing the daily operations of the aquarium’s husbandry department.

“We are pleased to announce Clint Taylor as the director of the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores,” Jeff Michael, deputy secretary for natural resources for DNCR, said in a statement. “Clint’s years of dedication to North Carolina Aquariums and vision for its future will benefit employees and visitors alike.”

He began his career as an intern at the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium in 1998. Taylor holds a bachelor’s in marine biology from University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources manages over 100 locations across the state. Visit www.ncdcr.gov for more information.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is asking the public to help choose names for the newest animal ambassadors, two female blue-tongue skinks.

Both of the blue-tongue skinks, an eastern blue-tongue and a northern blue-tongue, are native to Australia, and both species can live anywhere between 15 to 30 years. 

They two arrived in May and went through a 45-day quarantine period, during which the veterinary team observed them to ensure they were healthy. Aquarium aquarist and skink caretaker Megan LeDoux said both skinks are doing well and have adjusted to their new habitats. LeDoux has gotten to know them over the past few months and said they are both wonderful eaters and tolerate baths. Their diets consist of various insects, fruits, veggies, and mice.

“We’re excited about our new animal ambassadors because they’re an amazing representation of lizards and can help our guests make connections to other reptiles like the three species of five-lined skinks in North Carolina. Seeing these large blue-togue skinks up close can help people want to learn more about North Carolina skinks and lizards,” Education Curator Emily Fessler said in a statement.

Volunteers and staff came up with a list of names based on the aquarium’s animal ambassador naming criteria. The names should highlight an important connection to the animal’s historical or cultural significance, natural history, scientific name, or an aspect of the animal’s adaptation or behavior. We’re asking guests and visitors to pick their top two favorite names from the list.

The name choices Include the following:

• Syd: short for Sydney, Australia. The capital city of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia.
• Mel: Short for Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria and the second-most populous city in Australia.
• Sunny: The name comes from the Sunshine Coast, the region in South East Queensland, Australia.
• Tili: Short for Tiliqua. Both skinks belong to the genus Tiliqua.
• Wiru: (pronounced wi-roo) Means “Beautiful” in the Western Desert Language. These dialects are the largest language group of Aboriginal Australians.
• Bluey: A nickname for blue-tongue skink and highlights one of their best-known features – their blue tongue.

Vote by Aug. 12 either online at www.ncaquariums.com/namethatskink, or at the information desk inside the aquarium. Reserve tickets and make membership reservations online at www.ncaquariums.com/tickets-pks.

Guests will be able to meet the skinks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 17 during a public program when staff will reveal their new names.

“Our hope is that people will learn about the different adaptations that different lizards have based on their habitats. We also hope our guests will want to help conserve these amazing creatures, both ones at home and those around the world,” Fessler said.

The skinks can be seen during Creature Connections and Animal Encounters, two of the aquarium’s free daily programs, or will be in their habitats in the Discovery Classroom.

The schedule for daily programs is on the aquarium’s website.

Construction began this spring on an interactive exhibit to educate the public on the importance of oysters at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

Aquarium Director Larry Warner told Coastal Review that if a grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, comes through, the plan is to open the exhibit they’re calling “Fish Filter Food: The Human Oyster Connection,” in early summer 2025. 

Warner said they’ll know if they received the grant in September.

The grant is a two-year proposal that includes funds to support formal evaluation, Warner explained. “This said, our hope would be to open the exhibit by early summer of 2025, with evaluation occurring over that summer and closure of the grant process in September of 2025.”

Seed money to get the project started came through the North Carolina Coastal Federation, which has partnered with the aquarium on the exhibit, through two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grants. 

“We are requesting an IMLS grant that would be a combination of federal funding with a 100% match provided by the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island,” he said. “We will continue to seek additional funding from other resources as well to round out what we need.” 

During the 2023 Oyster Summit in Raleigh, Warner told the crowd of about 200 that Coastal Federation staff, after receiving the federal grant funds, approached the aquarium in 2020 to look at the possibility of creating an oyster exhibit. 

The Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review, hosted the two-day symposium in May.

Coastal Federation Oyster Program Director Erin Fleckenstein said that the partnership offers a way for people to learn about oyster habitats and the importance of oyster sanctuary work through interactive, hands-on engagement.

The aquarium has roughly 330,000 annual visitors, and “is a great venue to get messaging out,” Warner explained. 

The aquarium is already committed to promoting oysters as part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and as part of the N.C. Oyster Trail, which lists the Roanoke aquarium as an educational stop.

Because of this, the North Carolina Aquarium Society is acting as a liaison through an agreement with Coastal Federation “to help us make this (exhibit) happen.”

Though the pandemic shutdown caused some delays, Warner said the project was not derailed. In 2020, aquarium staff, coastal federation staff and a stakeholder group began working together.

After several brainstorming sessions – and lots of ideas – Warner said the ideas were distilled down to a “very simple message to get this out to people who come through the aquarium on a single-day basis.”

The exhibit, which will start in the aquarium’s Wild Wetlands area and wind through to the Ocean’s Edge area.

The exhibit focuses on four main topics, with each of the following represented in a specific area: “Fish,” or how oysters interconnect in the aquatic and terrestrial food chain; “Filter,” featuring oysters and the benefits they provide to the marine environment; “Food,” or oysters and the benefits they provide to humans; and “Guest Actions”, or how you can help.

In the aquarium’s Croatan exhibit, Warner said the plan is to add a replica inside that habitat of the process of oyster reef restoration, where there will be information defining oysters and oyster reefs.

The exhibit will contain tanks filled with the animals found underwater around oyster reefs accompanied by an activity to identify the different types of creatures.

One area Warner said they’re especially excited about is the filter section.

“Because we can’t actually put an oyster display to show the oysters actually filtering the water, we’re going to use digital technology,” Warner said. There will be a reef projected on the wall that simulates how oysters filter water. 

Plans also include a hands-on display of a mural with an oyster reef and audio samples of underwater sounds, a section on how microplastics and other marine debris can affect oyster reefs, and videos with messages from area scientists and professionals about oysters.

Warner said in a recent interview that since the Oyster Summit took place there have been more detailed discussions “regarding many of the wonderfully planned, hands-on interactives with outside vendors who can make them the best they can be. As with everything, it seems, post-pandemic pricing for this type of design work has increased significantly.”

As a result, the new challenge will be seeking additional funding to round out the exhibit, “but with the tremendous excitement shared by many who have seen the designs, I’m quite hopeful we’ll be able to secure the additional funding,” he said.

Warner explained that the process to create the exhibit has “been amazing. There are so many dedicated individuals involved who are passionate about oysters and their role with the coastal ecosystem, environment, and economy.”

The process started with stakeholder meetings to determine key educational points. 

“Designing an exhibit from concept to completion is never a fast process, particularly if you want to make sure you’re hitting the right educational points without overwhelming the audience, all the while making it fun, interactive and engaging. COVID was a definite impact in this process, as it did slow the process down considerably,” he said. “The silver lining with COVID, however, was that it gave us more time to examine how we approach the messaging – not to mention it has allowed time for additional programs and support to develop in the overall oyster arena.”

If the Institute of Museum and Library Services funding comes through, Warner said he plans to propose presenting the exhibit during the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or AZA, annual conferences in 2024 and 2025, and he hopes to write an article about the exhibit for varying state and regional publications, as well as AZA’s publication. 

“I have also already been approached by the National Aquarium in Baltimore about our exhibit with interest in potential educational collaboration. One of the nice qualities about exhibits is that if they prove successful, there is always the opportunity to create a scaled-back traveling edition or duplicate the exhibit at other facilities,” Warner said. “And finally, we want to make sure that our commitment to the N.C. Oyster Trail’s education component supports the importance of informing the public on the importance of oysters.”

A program to help underserved students experience North Carolina Aquariums is accepting applications through Sept. 15.

Students from Title I or Title I-eligible schools across the state are eligible for the grant program, Aquarium Scholars. Title 1 is a federal education program that helps schools meet educational needs of students living near or at poverty levels.

Teachers can learn more and apply on the N.C. Aquariums website. The application period began May 31.

“This program endeavors to remove financial barriers that may prevent underserved students from experiencing the Aquariums firsthand,” organizers said. “Regardless of the school’s location, a program is available that will engage and inspire students.”

Through Aquarium Scholars, students will have the opportunity to take a field trip to one of the three aquariums — Roanoke Island, Pine Knoll Shores or Fort Fisher — or Jennette’s Pier, participate in an outreach program at their school where there will be hands-on learning and and a chance to meet ambassador animals, or take part in a virtual program with an aquarium educator.

Aquarium Scholars is a partnership between the North Carolina Aquariums, North Carolina public schools and the nonprofit North Carolina Aquarium Society.

“The fabulous programs offered by the North Carolina Aquariums bring the wonder of our ocean to life, support curriculum goals and inspire students to conserve our natural world,” Liz Baird, president and CEO of the N.C. Aquarium Society, said in a statement. “We are grateful to the many donors who make the Aquarium Scholars program possible.”

Since its inception in 2018, Aquarium Scholars has distributed more than $520,000 in grants to more than 69,000 students from 78 counties. The grants have funded more than 400 field trips, more than 180 outreach programs in classrooms and over 220 distance learning programs, according to the aquarium.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher has special programing Tuesday in “shellabration” of World Turtle Day.

Five spots in the aquarium that are home to turtles are being highlighted as part of the activities.

“We hear from visitors all the time how turtles inspire them, and for staff at the Aquarium that inspiration is important to our conservation mission. This Shellabration is all about awareness of all turtles, many of whom need our protection,” said Karissa Bearer, lead special activities instructor with the Fort Fisher aquarium.

Visitors can play along and win a prize by taking a “shelfie” and posting on their social media pages with hashtag #ShellabrateTurtles. Show your selfie to the team outside the gift shop.

Organizers said spots to take the “shelfie” photos include the following:

• Buzzard Bay, home to the diamondback terrapin. Populations have declined considerably in parts of their geographic range and are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
• Loggerhead Sea Turtle Conservation. The greatest threat to the loggerhead sea turtle is loss of nesting habitat caused by coastal development, predation of nests, and human disturbances.
• Cape Fear Shoals, 235,000-gallon home of Shelldon the green sea turtle. Green sea turtles face threats including bycatch in fishing gear, climate change, direct harvest of turtles and eggs, disease, loss and degradation of nesting and foraging habitat, ocean pollution/marine debris, and vessel strikes.
• Outdoor pond from the bridge on the aquarium walkway for yellow-bellied slider and eastern river cooter turtles. They are of “least concern” on the IUCN Red List.
• Eastern box turtle habitat. The official turtle of North Carolina is a vulnerable species. Habitat destruction has led to a decline of eastern box turtles in their former range.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is just south of Kure Beach, a short drive from Wilmington, on U.S. Highway 421. Advance tickets can be purchased at the aquarium admissions website. 

Learn about the threats that sharks face globally and how research off the state’s coast is helping to better understand shark behavior over a pint during Suds for Sharks.

The fundraising event is to take place 5:30 to 8 p.m. May 19 at Crystal Coast Brewing Co., 219 West Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and Crystal Coast Brewing Co. are partnering on the free, family-friendly event.

“Events like Suds for Sharks is a way that we can bring the community together for a great conservation cause,” Emily Fessler, aquarium education curator, said in a statement. “The more we can learn about and understand sharks, the better we’re able to protect these animals and their habitat to help them not only survive but thrive for future generations.”

During the fundraiser, the brewery will have a shark-themed beer available, Nacho Shack of Havelock will have a food truck on-site, there will be shark-themed trivia and a silent auction with local art. All donations will go to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conservation program SAFE: Sharks and Rays for shark field research, outreach, and conservation.

Sharks like sand tiger sharks, a species which is found in abundance off the North Carolina Coast, are considered critically endangered in other parts of the world. Decades of mismanagement of the sand tiger shark and slow reproduction have caused sand tigers to be listed as a species of concern by National Marine Fisheries Service and listed as vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature.

“We’re grateful for community partners like Crystal Coast Brewing Company who are able to get involved in conservation efforts and help make events like Suds for Sharks a fun experience,” Fessler said.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and Cape Fear River Watch need volunteers for the 2023 Party for the Planet cleanup.

The event is 9-11 a.m. Saturday in Wilmington.

The organizations are focusing on the Burnt Mill Creek Watershed by cleaning up McCombers Branch.

Volunteers can participate by kayak or on land.

To clean up by land, volunteers should meet at the intersection of North 13^th and Rankin streets, Wilmington, and wear waterproof boots as accessing the area will require walking through the creek.

The cleanup by kayak meeting spot is at North 11^th Street, Wilmington. There will be kayaks for volunteers or they can bring their own.

“We are excited to work with (the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher) and community members to remove litter from this important stretch of the Burnt Mill Creek Watershed and to keep our urban waterways clean,” said Rob Clark, water quality programs manager with Cape Fear River Watch.

Most marine debris come from the land as it enters waterways, like the Burnt Mill Creek. The continued focus on the Burnt Mill Creek Watershed is part of the Cape Fear River Watch’s Second Saturday Cleanups in partnership with Keep New Hanover Beautiful. Second Saturdays in 2002 collected more than 15,000 pounds of litter.

Volunteers will be provided trash pickers, bags, safety vests and gloves at both locations. The aquarium team will serve donuts and coffee. Volunteers should only bring reusable water bottles — no single-use plastic — and use environmentally friendly sunscreen and bug repellant.

“Partnering with Cape Fear River Watch for Party for the Planet is a great way to leverage our collective focus on the environment to make a real difference, while inspiring the community to take action on this cleanup day and every day,” Casey Radley, aquarium environmental educator, said.  

Volunteers are encouraged to sign up at NCAFF and CFRW Party for the Planet Cleanup.  Cleanups are weather dependent. Volunteers can look for updates and cancellations at CFRW Facebook and Twitter.

The newest three Asian small-clawed otter pups had their first public outing Tuesday at North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

The pups, Gemma, Kai and Ren born Jan. 31, joined their siblings Stella, Mae and Selene born May 21, 2022, and parents that morning in the “Otters on the Edge” habitat. Their adventure was filmed live and shared on the aquarium’s Facebook page.

The Asian small-clawed otter populations are in decline. Native to Indonesia, southern China, Southeast Asia and the Philippines, they face threats from residential and commercial development, deforestation, the illegal pet trade, pollution, climate change and poaching.

“The popularity of these pups has given us a unique opportunity to tell the story of how vulnerable this species is in their native habitat and through them, inspiring individual action to protect them,” Director Hap Fatzinger said in a statement.

Visit NCAFF Admissions for tickets to the aquarium to visit the otters and follow their journey on Facebook and Instagram using #OtterPupsNCAFF.

The second Carnival to Combat Climate Change set for this weekend at N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will “provide a space for all ages to discuss environmental issues,” organizers said.

This year’s event, themed “Ocean Health,” will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and is included with admission or membership. The event will take place inside the aquarium. Tickets can be purchased on the aquarium website.

Leaders in science and conservation from across the state will be ready to talk about climate change and how individuals can help lessen its effects on coastal communities, plus there will be hands-on activities and carnival games.

Kaylee Whitley, one of the Aquarium’s teen volunteers, created the event as part of a community service project requirement for the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center Network virtual youth summit she attended in 2021. 

“I was really grateful for the crowd of people that came out to the event last year, and this year we’re going to have even more games, crafts and activities with the same focus,” Whitley said. This year she feels more confident having been through the process of creating an entire event from start to finish.

Whitley, who has been a volunteer at the aquarium for four years, will be heading to college next year but plans to continue the Carnival to Combat Climate Change with aquarium staff members.

“We’re going to continue to make it better each and every year keep by still keeping the same idea as the first event, but making it a bit better each year,” she said.

The North American Association for Environmental Education, in partnership with Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and eeBLUE awarded the aquarium’s youth program $4,000 in funding through the aquarium’s nonprofit N.C. Aquarium Society to help implement the first event that was held in 2022.

“Kaylee is an amazing representation of a teen who wants to inspire others to care for and conserve the ocean,” said Aly Mack, aquarium volunteer coordinator. “We are so impressed by her willingness to educate others about a complicated subject.” 

Mack said the carnival this year is the product of months of work and planning, but because of last year’s carnival, the team was more prepared and knew how they wanted the carnival to run.

Whitley hopes that people who come to the carnival will better understand how to help our ocean. “It’s hard to see sometimes how our ocean is impacted because it’s so big, but hopefully this will be a space that will help people understand and learn how the climate effects our ocean.”

The three newest members of the Asian small-clawed otter family at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher are ready to be named.

With volunteer input, otter caretakers narrowed down the choices to five trios of names for the otter pups, one female and two males born Jan. 31, and now the public can vote through noon Friday, March 24, on their favorite.

“We are honored to have input from the volunteers at the Aquarium who researched and shared meaningful naming ideas based on the native habitat of Asian small-clawed otters. We’re sharing the top five trios of names and asking our community to vote for their favorite,” Shannon Anderson, otter keeper at the Fort Fisher aquarium, said in a statement.

The following are the trio of names and meanings:

Trio 1

• Mazu: Chinese goddess of sailors and travelers.
• Indus: River in India.
• Lu: Short for Lutrinae, the sub-family of Asian small clawer otters. Also, a Chinese character meaning blessings, happiness, and prosperity.

Trio 2

• Gemma: Latin for gem or precious stone.
• Kai: Chinese for shell, triumph, or victory.
• Ren: Japanese origins meaning purity. In Star Wars, Kylo Ren is the son of Princess Leia.

Trio 3

• Tala: In Tagalog mythology, Tala is the goddess of stars.
• Alon: Tagalog for wave.
• Bayani: Popular Tagalog name for males, meaning the hero.

Trio 4

• Rani: meaning queen.
• Lei: Chinese for bud.
• Aki: Japanese origins meaning bright, light, clear.

Trio 5

• Li: Chinese for power and beautiful.
• Ryu: Japanese for dragon.
• Bo: Chinese for wave.

Voting is open online at Name the Otter Pups, by QR code on the screens at the aquarium and at the Otters on the Edge habitat with advanced tickets required to visit the Fort Fisher aquarium. Reserve tickets online. 

The pups have reached some important milestones and preparations are underway to introduce them to their public habitat. Stay up with the pups by following their journey on Facebook and Instagram using #OtterPupsNCAFF.   

Asian small-clawed otters are native to Indonesia, southern China, southern India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. They are the smallest of the otter species and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. Population numbers are declining because of many threats, including residential and commercial development, deforestation, the illegal pet trade, pollution, climate change, and poaching.

“Our hope is that by discovering more about Asian small-clawed otters, our community will both celebrate how special they are and take individual actions to prioritize their conservation,” Anderson said.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is just south of Kure Beach, a short drive from Wilmington, on U.S. 421. The site is less than a mile from the Fort Fisher ferry terminal. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is recruiting teen volunteers for the coming summer season.

Volunteers will train with aquarium staff to learn about the unique animals and habitats. After training, students will engage with visitors from all over the world at the Coquina Outcrop touch pool, the sea turtle conservation habitat and at Otters on the Edge.

Registration is open at NCAFF Teen Volunteers for ages 14 to 17.

Teens will experience amazing habitats, learn from animal experts, and develop a love for aquatic environments, officials said.

The aquarium welcomed 16 teen volunteers in 2022.

The aquarium also offers a year-round program for students. These students are expected to volunteer eight hours a month for six consecutive months. This flexible program is recommended for those busy with school, work or sports schedules, out-of-town students, and students seeking year-round volunteer opportunities.

Students wishing to complete their senior project at the aquarium and be assigned a mentor must be a current volunteer, or apply and be accepted to volunteer in the teen volunteer program.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is a short drive from Wilmington on U.S. 421 and less than a mile from the Fort Fisher ferry terminal. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Visitors commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday with North Carolina Aquariums will receive half-off regular admission.

To reserve tickets, visit ncaquariums.com/ticket-sales. The aquariums are popular during holidays and reservations fill up quickly. Visitors must purchase their discounted tickets online in advance of their visit.

The half-off special rate will not apply to already reduced rates or promotional pricing.

N.C. Aquariums is honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Through this half-off admission.

Visitors will be able to participate in the immersive experience of the aquariums, while learning about conservation efforts around the world. King’s advocacy work for equality extended to the natural environment.

“Reflecting on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for racial equality is an important way to keep his dream alive. Dr. King’s work to raise awareness extended to inspiring action on preserving a clean and healthy environment for generations to come. We are honored to welcome guests at a discounted rate on the birthday of this civil rights hero. Please reserve your tickets and enjoy the day,” said Hap Fatzinger, director at North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, in a statement.

Habitats at the Fort Fisher aquarium include the lively Asian small-clawed otter pups Stella, Mae and Selene, who will greet visitors as soon as they walk in the front door, Luna the albino alligator, and the loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings, Pip and Scout.

At the Pine Knoll Shores location, visitors are invited to support the community through a Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Soundside Hall. Be inspired by North Carolina’s 309,000-gallon ocean habitat, the Living Shipwreck, and enjoy Imagination Bay, an immersive indoor play area. Don’t forget to meet Pee Dee and Rocky, two new North American river otters.

At the Aquarium on Roanoke Island, don a lab coat and learn how to diagnose and treat a model sea turtle in the Operation: Sea Turtle Rescue interactive exhibit. The Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation, or STAR, Center is rehabilitating more than 150 turtles. While guest access is limited because of the number of patients, get a peek through our glass doors.  Support the Ton of Love Food Drive through Feb. 14 and receive one complimentary ticket per reservation.

Nearly 250 cold-stunned sea turtles were rescued beginning Dec. 20 after sudden temperature drops during the holidays.

North Carolina Aquariums in Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island, also home to the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation Center, or STAR Center, all care for weak or injured sea turtles throughout the year.

This winter influx of cold-stunned sea turtles included loggerheads, greens and Kemp’s ridleys caught in the frigid water and unable to swim, the aquarium announced this week. Sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles, which means their surroundings determine their body temperature. A sudden drop in temperature can cause cold-stunning, like hypothermia in humans. 

“They become lethargic, unable to swim, and can be pushed onto the shore by the tides and wind. If they can be rescued before they succumb to the cold, they have a chance to be rehabilitated,” Emily Christiansen, chief veterinarian for North Carolina Aquariums, said.

Wildlife Resources Commission leads the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles, collaborating with a number of federal, state and private organizations, such as the aquariums, state and national parks, and volunteer groups.

During cold-stunning events, turtles found from Ocracoke and north are taken to the STAR Center, and those found in the Cape Lookout area are taken to the North Carolina State University’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, or CMAST, in Morehead City for triage. Following initial physicals, treatments and assessments, the aquarium veterinary team and state Wildlife Resources Commission staff distribute the turtles to rehabilitation facilities along the coast.

The aquariums and Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City took in cold-stunned sea turtles from Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Core Sound beaches. The STAR Center admitted more than 200 cold-stunned sea turtles during a two-week period.

“Turtles came in steadily. A special thanks to the teams at the Aquariums and the other turtle heroes this season—the area National Parks staff and N.E.S.T. volunteers who spent their holiday patrolling the beaches in miserably cold temperatures for days on end to locate and rescue as many as possible,” Christiansen explained.

N.E.S.T., or Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of sea turtles and other protected marine wildlife on the Outer Banks. 

The Fort Fisher aquarium is rehabilitating five Kemp’s ridleys and a green sea turtle.

“Together, our North Carolina Aquarium teams have been responding quickly and compassionately to support the rehabilitation of this large number of cold-stunned sea turtles. It is an honor to work with so many partners and volunteer organizations to rehabilitate these turtles and get them back to warmer waters in the ocean,” said Hap Fatzinger, director of the aquarium at Fort Fisher.

The rehabilitation process includes slowly warming up the turtles to their optimal body temperature, administering medications prescribed by the veterinary team, treating any injuries, building up the turtles’ body condition and making sure they can swim and resume appropriate turtle behaviors.

Once the turtles are healthy and have a final veterinary check, they are ready to be released. Before release, the veterinary team places a microchip tag in the shoulder area of each sea turtle. The chip can be scanned if the turtle ever is stranded again, and information for that turtle can be retrieved. 

Many of the turtles will make a quick recovery, and the aquarium teams have already released 16 of the rehabilitated animals.

Crews from Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, Wildlife Resources Commission, and the U.S. Coast Guard, N.C. State University’s CMAST, University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences, and other volunteers transport the turtles to the Gulf Stream where the ocean water is close to 70 degrees in the winter.  

The aquariums also care for cold-stunned turtles found outside of North Carolina. Earlier this season, a volunteer pilot program, Turtles Fly Too, Inc. transported cold-stunned sea turtles from Cape Cod to Beaufort that were then transported to rehabilitation facilities along the coast.

The Old Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station is one of the most beautiful historic buildings on the Outer Banks, situated at a dramatic coastal location that would befit a movie setting. 

But it’s got to go.

Where and when and to whom is what the North Carolina Aquariums — the building’s current owner — is trying to figure out.

“It’s a piece of history — we would really like to see it preserved,” Larry Warner, the director of N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island, recently told Coastal Review. “Our goal now is to move it.”

Built in 1898 for about $7,000 on a picturesque corner of beach between the Atlantic Ocean and the East Coast’s most unruly inlet, the station has not been in use since it was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1988. Standing exposed for decades on the northern tip of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, the deteriorating building was nearly buried in sand and a magnet for vandals.

In 2007-08, the state paid $7 million to elevate and renovate the structure, demolish 1970s-era dormitories, weatherize the building and restore its historic good looks.

Around that time, the North Carolina Aquariums system was planning to turn the site into a satellite facility for students and interns to study in what was envisioned as a marine and coastal wildlife research center on the Outer Banks.

“Then Jennette’s Pier jumped into the picture,” Warner said. “All the focus and all the funds went into the pier.”

With Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head since transformed into a major research/educational asset and attraction for the aquariums, the fate of the life-saving station was put on the back burner.

In the governor’s proposed fiscal 2022-23 budget, Warner said, the Aquariums requested $600,000 to relocate the station, potentially to a 16-acre site near the Roanoke Island aquarium. But the funds never made it into the final budget, and it’s not clear when or if another request will be submitted.

Although the Aquariums is seeking the move, it’s still open to where it might go.

“We are not married to the building coming over to the aquarium,” Warner said.

In addition to the station, the state owns 10 acres under and surrounding it. The Pea Island refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has an easement at the site for management of wildlife, said Rebekah Martin, manager of Coastal North Carolina National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

During the construction of the Marc Basnight Bridge, which opened in 2019 to replace the 1963 Bonner Bridge, the state Department of Transportation right of way easement was modified, she said, resulting in DOT abandoning some of it and maintaining portions of it. The refuge easement was part of the mitigation DOT agreed to provide.

DOT had briefly proposed building a boardwalk between the parking lot and the station, Martin said. But at the realization that it would be constantly covered in sand, the idea was dropped.

The refuge has neither demanded nor requested that the station be moved from Pea Island, Martin added.

Last year the state presented a concept that included moving the building to Roanoke Island, she said, with the condition that costs would be shared by DOT and Fish and Wildlife. But Martin said in a later email that there is no record that she is aware of that documents the discussion between the agencies about the proposed move or the potential cost share.

“From our perspective, we would certainly support the relocation of the building to a safer site,” Martin said in the interview. “We don’t have the funding available to move the building at this point.”

Since the refuge does not own the footprint property or the building, any decision, and the timing, to move the station would be up to the state, she said.

Meanwhile, the refuge continues to manage wildlife on the 10 acres with implementation of seasonal shorebird nesting closures and coordination of bird and other species’ monitoring, Martin said.

Today the station, backdropped by a vista of swirling sea, sitting amid undulating dunes and facing the inlet, presents a living postcard of 19th-century maritime life to drivers crossing the inlet heading south over the Basnight Bridge.

But with its doors and windows reinforced against intruders, the building is inaccessible. Curious sightseers can park at a public lot near the station and follow a foot path in the sand to get a closer look at its exterior.

It’s a rather sad plight for one of the few authentic life-saving stations remaining at its original location on the coast. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the station, deemed to be in remarkably good condition, has had a bumpy road to its state of benign uselessness.

After the Coast Guard departed, relocating to its current station on the calmer northwest side of the inlet, the old 11,361-square-foot, wood-frame station was turned over to Dare County. That prompted a long battle with heirs of Jesse Etheridge, who gave the U.S. Lifesaving Service the land in 1897 with the condition that it would revert to him if the property ceased being held by the service. But evidently the eventual heirs did not make a timely claim to the property, and the U.S. government deeded the station to the county.  Finally, in 2000, the county handed the property over to the state, which promptly assigned it to the N.C. Aquariums to administer.

Aquariums Divisions Director Maylon White said that the situation with the proposed relocation of the station “remains status quo.”

White said that it is too soon to know if the Oregon Inlet station relocation request will be part of this year’s new proposed budget.

“We’re very much interested in preserving it,” he said in a recent interview. But he reiterated that conservation more than location is the overriding goal.

“We’re open to suggestions,” he said. “What we need to get is funding, and then we need to have discussions if there are better places to put it.”

If the relocation is eventually funded, he added, the N.C. Aquariums would “be happy” to discuss the potential transfer of the state’s 10 acres it owns at the station to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

One contender who has put their name in the hat for a location for the station is the nonprofit Pea Island Preservation Society, which owns and operates the Pea Island Lifesaving Station Cookhouse, which was moved from Rodanthe to Collins Park in Manteo.

According to its website, the group’s primary mission is to preserve and interpret the history of the station and of its keeper, Richard Etheridge, the only Black Life-Saving Station keeper in the history of the Lifesaving Service, which was inherited by the Coast Guard.

Etheridge’s gravesite has been memorialized at the Roanoke Island aquarium grounds.

Joan Collins, the Pea Island Preservation Society director of outreach and education, said that the group is in the preliminary stages of investigating the possibility of moving the Oregon Inlet station to a lot near the Cookhouse site in Manteo.

“It’s such a beautiful building and it connects to our history,” she told Coastal Review. But securing that relocation, she acknowledged, would require numerous steps and much planning.

“We would love to get it if we could,” Collins said. “If we can acquire the funding.”

Two new North American river otters, Pee Dee and Rocky, arrived at their new home in the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

The two male, 9-month-old otters are from a litter of otter pups born at Milwaukee County Zoo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan Program.

Both Pee Dee and Rocky are named after North Carolina rivers and will share a space with Eno and Neuse, the aquarium’s current otters.

Staff will keep the two new otters separate from the older otters while they adjust to their new home and each other, aquarium otter deeper, Kristen Cook, said in a statement.

“We’ll have all of them in the same room behind the scenes, separated by plexiglass. They’ll get to hear, smell, and see each other, but won’t be able to interact with each other at first. Slowly the otters will be introduced to each other behind the scenes and then together in their public-facing habitat,” Cook added.

Otter introductions can take anywhere from one week to several months as the Aquarium animal care team follows certain steps during the process.

“The amount of time each step takes will depend on how our otters and the new kids react to one another. It’s difficult to say when exactly all four boys will be together.” Cook continued.

During the process, guests will initially see two otters at a time in the North American River Otter habitat, either Eno and Neuse together, or Pee Dee and Rocky together.

“Guests of the Aquarium are very familiar with our otters, Eno and Neuse. They’re some of the most popular animals and loved by staff and anyone who walks through the Aquarium,” said Liz Baird, aquarium director.

North Carolina Aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island are welcoming military families with complimentary admission 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday for Veterans Day.

The complimentary admission is for all veterans, active, reserve or retired U.S. military and their dependents.

Visitors are encouraged to plan aheadp by reserving their advance tickets, which are required, at either the Fort Fisher aquarium, the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium or the aquarium in Roanoke Island.

“Our staff, volunteers and visitors look forward to thanking the many service members, past and present, and their families, at the Aquarium on Veterans Day. We are grateful for the service and sacrifice of these heroes and can’t wait to welcome them as our special guests for the day,” said Aquariums Director Maylon White.

Service members are reminded to bring military ID cards for themselves and their family members who qualify for the complimentary admission.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded N.C. Aquariums part of a $750,000 grant to build its sustainable aquaculture program, which aims to sustainably breed saltwater fish species and raise awareness of aquaculture.

N.C. Aquariums will use the funding at the Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island locations to increase staffing on their animal care teams and expand breeding programs. The aquariums will work with North Carolina Sea Grant to engage visitors and their communities.

Aquaculture is the breeding and rearing of fish, shellfish, and other organisms.

“The North Carolina Aquariums, in their coastal locations, have a wonderful opportunity to share this information with not only visitors, but to engage the local fishing community,” said N.C. Aquarium Division Director Maylon White said in a statement. “This type of project allows us to contribute to a developing sustainability program that reaches beyond our walls.”

Teams will be working over the next three years with seven other facilities across the country, in collaboration with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to build a network of public aquariums to advance aquaculture strategies. These facilities are New England Aquarium, Roger Williams University, Aquarium of the Pacific, John G. Shedd Aquarium, National Aquarium, and University of Massachusetts Boston.

For commercially valuable species, aquaculture can reduce pressure on wild populations. For public aquariums, aquaculture provides a sustainable way to provide animals for their habitats. It also presents a unique way to engage the public about sustainable seafood choices, according to the aquarium.

“Our Aquarium team is committed to sustainably breeding species that are of value to public aquariums and commercial fisheries,” Hap Fatzinger, Fort Fisher’s director, said in a statement. “This opportunity to put more resources into the aquaculture programs at the North Carolina Aquariums, especially in raising public awareness, is important to our mission to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments.”

Across the institutions, 14 marine finfish species will be part of this sustainable breeding program.

Educators at schools with low-income students have until Sept. 30 to apply for the Aquarium Scholars grant program.

The program through North Carolina Aquariums offers educational opportunities for students across the state in Title I or Title I-eligible schools, which have at least 40% of students from low-income families.

This year, $120,000 in grants is available for applicants. The application period began Aug. 1.

Teachers can apply at http://ncaquariums.com/aquarium-scholars. 

Grant funds are to help cover costs for field trips and special programming at one of the three North Carolina Aquariums or Jennette’s Pier, an onsite educator program at the school, or a virtual program with a live aquarium educator.

Aquarium Scholars is a partnership between the North Carolina Aquariums, North Carolina public schools and the nonprofit North Carolina Aquarium Society, made possible through private donors.

“We hope teachers will take advantage of this opportunity and apply for an Aquarium Scholars  grant for the coming year,” Jay Barnes, president and CEO of the North Carolina Aquarium Society, said in a statement. “Our donors provide this funding to make it easy for Title I eligible schools to connect their students with the Aquariums’ amazing programs, exposing them to the wonders of the ocean and natural world.”

The Aquarium Scholars program has distributed since 2018 more than $400,000 in grants, giving educational opportunities to more than 57,000 students from 78 counties across the state. The grants have funded 322 field trips, more than 150 live animal programs in classrooms, and 219 virtual programs.

The national Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores a grant to build a conservation and sustainability education exhibit about aquaculture, sustainable fisheries and coral propagation.

Part of the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the aquarium received a $240,808 grant for the exhibit, “Future Waters.” The multimedia exhibit will show behind-the-scenes work of aquarists, feature a 750-gallon habitat with a sustainable fisheries project, and an opportunity to engage with the coral rearing area of the aquarium. Paid interns will provide interpretation to the public while working in the visible labs within the exhibit.

“We’re thrilled to receive funding from the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) which will help us create our Future Waters gallery,” said Aquarium Director Liz Baird. “The Aquarium’s mission of inspiring appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments is directly linked to this new gallery, and we hope it will help our guests connect with the multiple ways we can all help protect and conserve our waters.”

The grants were awarded through the institute’s largest competitive grant program, Museums for America, which supports projects that strengthen the ability of individual museums to benefit the public by providing high-quality, inclusive learning experiences, maximizing resources to address community needs through partnerships and collaborations, and by preserving and providing access to the collections entrusted to their care.

In Montgomery County, the Town Creek Indian Mound received a $147,439 grant to improve its interpretation of the Native American experience by planning, designing and fabricating exhibit kiosks in a pilot phase of a larger project to renovate its exhibitions. Nine tribes from North Carolina and South Carolina, along with community groups, will provide critical insight on the interpretation of Native American history and culture. An American Indian Advisory Council is to approve all final decisions.

The project is to culminate with the unveiling of the kiosks, sharing of the videos online through the site’s website and social media, and the production of a white paper and a half-day symposium sharing best practices that can be applied to other historic sites.

“This effort is a direct result of our commitment to an evergreen goal of True Inclusion at our historic sites – sharing the stories of the often-marginalized communities whose lives intersect with these historic places, through inclusion at every level,” said Michelle Lanier, director of the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites. “We are grateful to IMLS for recognizing the importance and power of amplifying North Carolina’s American Indian history as imperative to understanding the history and future of this land.”

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is raising two critically endangered Orinoco crocodile hatchlings until they are big enough to be returned to the wilds of their native habitat in Venezuela.

The two crocodiles arrived at the aquarium in mid-May and have been kept behind the scenes as they adapt to their new surroundings. Visitors can check in on the crocodiles when their exhibit, Journey to the Orinoco, opens later this month.

​The Orinoco crocodile, the largest crocodilian species in the Western Hemisphere, is on the brink of extinction.

The aquarium professional animal care team is raising the two Orinoco crocodiles for about two years until they are big enough to be returned to the wilds of their native habitat in Venezuela as part of a conservation effort, Project Return to the Llanos. The goal is to help preserve the crocodiles through a breeding and release program.

“This program presented us with a unique opportunity to help save a critically endangered species. While we tend to focus on North Carolina animals, we know that it takes all of us working together to help protect the diversity of animals found around the world. We are honored to be entrusted with their care,” said Liz Baird, director of the aquarium, in a statement.

The new exhibit will feature a crocodile habitat specific to the needs of the juvenile reptiles. There will be information about the crocodiles, their special characteristics, see timelines for conservation efforts, and learn ways to help species of concern like the Orinoco crocodiles as well as species closer to home.

Native only to the Orinoco River system in the Llanos of Venezuela and the Meta River system in Colombia, overhunting, habitat loss, and pollution have pushed this animal to the brink of extinction.

“Our American alligators were also once threatened with extinction, and we now see the successful recovery of that species. We must continue to protect habitats and reduce pollution to keep both the Orinoco crocodile and American alligator safe,” said Baird.

In the early 1970s there were an estimated 3 million Orinoco crocodiles, sometimes called “O-crocs,” living in their natural range, but by the early 2000s there were only 1,500 believed to be left in Venezuela and less than 200 in Colombia. 

The aquarium joins the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Gladys Porter Zoo, Zoo Miami, and The Dallas World Aquarium in this global conservation effort to save the critically endangered crocodile through the program that hopes to increase the wild population.

“The greatest challenge for projects like Return to the Llanos is not producing offspring, it’s rearing enough hatchlings to a size that can be successfully reintroduced to the wild. One facility would not be able to raise enough on its own. This is where we can help,” said Fred Boyce, herpetologist for N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

“Raising enough hatchlings to be released into the wild becomes an all-hands-on-deck situation requiring active participation from many accredited zoological zoos and aquariums,” Boyce said. “We are so honored and excited to be able to care for these exquisite creatures as well as share their incredible story with our visitors. We hope that we can spark curiosity in our visitors to learn more, as well as a desire to help protect these and other crocodilian species.”

Asian small-clawed otters, Leia and Quincy, welcomed three female pups into the world May 21 at North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Leia is among 16 breeding female otters in the country that are part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan Program. Leia, 3, and Quincy, 8, are first-time parents.

These otters, native to Indonesia, southern China, southern India, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines, are the smallest of the species and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. Populations are declining because of several threats, including residential and commercial development, deforestation, the illegal pet trade, pollution, climate change, and poaching.

Fort Fisher aquarists Shannon Anderson and Vickie Burgfeld spent the day with the otter couple once there were signs of birth.

“Because pregnancies in this otter species can be difficult to detect and stillbirths are not uncommon, we were thrilled when we began seeing Leia and Quincy gingerly moving the newborn pups from one den to another and were able to count a total of three,” Anderson said in a statement.

Guests will have an opportunity to see the pups in their habitat, Otters on the Edge, once they are eating solid foods and become proficient swimmers.

“Visitors to the aquarium are very familiar with our two otter families. They are the first habitat guests experience when they enter our conservatory, so it is wonderful to share the story of these pups with the public,” said Hap Fatzinger, Fort Fisher director.

Dr. Emily Christiansen, chief veterinarian for North Carolina Aquariums, said staff will continue to monitor the pups’ growth and development, as well as ensure their parents have the calm and support they need to successfully raise them. 

“All three pups are gaining weight, and Leia appears to be providing them with all the nutrition they need, which is especially encouraging and exciting as she is a first-time mom,” Christiansen said. “We know our community is as excited as we are to see these cute little pups in person; however, to ensure they remain safe and healthy, the family will be staying behind the scenes until the pups are more developed and mobile, and Leia and Quincy are ready to venture beyond the nest.”

Read more about the Otter Pups Journey or on Otters on the Edge. Track the pups on Fort Fisher’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

North Carolina Aquariums have joined with other members of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership to work toward climate neutrality.

The 24 institutions, which including the state aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island, along with Jennette’s Pier, will work to “leverage their outstanding legacy of leadership in conservation, science, communication, and education to realize climate solutions,” the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the aquariums, announced Thursday.

As part of this pledge, aquarium officials say they are committing to the following actions:

• Completing an initial greenhouse gas inventory within one year of signing the commitment. 
• Measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions annually. 
• Developing an emissions reduction plan within two years of signing the commitment. 
• Identifying and implementing strategies to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from operations. 
• Leveraging operational commitments to advocate for international, federal, and state climate change policies. 
• Communicating the journey to achieve net-zero emissions

“The NC Aquariums have completed step one and are now focusing our efforts on steps two and three,” said Maylon White, division director, North Carolina Aquariums in a statement.

“We are working with the Verdis group to develop an emissions reduction plan. We gathered information earlier this year from our Aquarium teams through a sustainability survey; these data and our initial greenhouse gas inventory will be instrumental in developing our emissions reduction plan.” Verdis Group is a consulting firm that works with organizations to identify and implement sustainable solutions.

For decades, the global ocean has been taking the heat for climate change, absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat and nearly a third of the carbon dioxide generated by greenhouse gas emissions. The result is an ocean that is warmer, more acidic, starved of oxygen, and less habitable for fish and marine wildlife, according to the aquarium.

According to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, while the rate of emissions growth has slowed, in 2010-2019, average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at their highest levels in human history. Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C is beyond reach. 

“As leaders in conservation, aquariums are expected to walk their talk, and that’s exactly what this partnership is meant to do,” said Aquarium Conservation Partnership Executive Director Kim McIntyre. “We are uniquely qualified to set an example for others—in reducing our carbon footprint, encouraging sustainable operating practices, and inspiring hope in a public that is hungry to be part of the solution.” 

Annually, the 24  Aquarium Conservation Partnership aquariums welcome more than 30 million visitors and contribute more than $22.5 billion to the U.S. economy. The aquariums’ ongoing commitment to expanding sustainable practices has already collectively eliminated more than 1 million single-use plastic bottles from landfills since 2018. 

More than $1.6 million is being distributed to zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and other facilities across the nation, including three on the North Carolina coast, in the first tranche from the federal Endangered Species COVID-19 Relief program.

The program was included in the bipartisan, $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in March 2021. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or AZA, announced Monday the first wave of awards. In North Carolina, the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City is to receive $100,703, the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is awarded $123,672, and the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores gets $59,850.  

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, Congress appropriated $30 million to reimburse expenses related to the care of captive species listed under the Endangered Species Act, as well as rescued and confiscated wildlife that are at risk of extinction, officials said.

“The Service is pleased to work with longtime partner AZA to reimburse  plant and animal care facilities in this first distribution of critical American Rescue Plan funding,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a statement. “We are confident these funds will be used effectively to continue these institutions’ high-quality efforts to protect the nation’s imperiled species.”  

Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, said that as applications were reviewed, it was clear that despite the pandemic, zoos, aquariums and other facilities continued to provide extraordinary care for federally protected species and a critically important service to the agencies dedicated to endangered species recovery.

“That is why we are so grateful to partner with the Service to direct this funding to provide some relief to facilities who need it,” he said.

Other facilities selected include the following:

• Alaska Sea Life in Alaska, $188,229.
• ACNC Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, $196,530.
• Aquarium of the Pacific, $50,855, and Birch Aquarium, $110,190, both in California.
• Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado, $1,738.
• Sea Research Foundation, Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, $44,642.
• The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Florida, $88,718.
• Chehaw Park & Zoo, $2,965, and Georgia Aquarium, $97,811, both in Georgia.
• Hutchinson Zoo in Kansas $18,811.
• Alexandria Zoological Park in Louisiana, $42,316.
• Friends of the Zoo Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri, $158,760.
• New York Marine Rescue Center, $68,506.
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, $20,206, and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, $142,296, both in Ohio.
• National Aviary in Pennsylvania, $87,141.
• Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas, $12,605. 
• Mill Mountain Zoo in Virginia, $15,487.

The money can be used for food, veterinary care, direct animal/plant care staff time, life-support systems, transport for medical, reintroduction into the wild, and captive breeding purposes, real property debt and holding space improvements/modifications, and lastly utilities such as electricity or natural gas to power the facilities.

Zoos, aquariums and other facilities work alongside the federal government to support recovery programs, rehabilitate injured animals, care for confiscated wildlife and help save endangered species from extinction. 

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is celebrating Earth Day April 22-29 with a Party for the Planet.

Presentations, up-close animal encounters and nature-based activities will focus on the year’s theme, Spring into Action.

“Celebrating Party for the Planet is important because it’s an opportunity to show our appreciation for wildlife by learning about conservation issues, and also participating in those efforts,” Aquarium Educator Sarah Wright said in a statement.

Throughout the aquarium there will be education stations that highlight issues that relate to coastal communities, each with a suggested conservation action visitors can choose to put into practice at home. Topics will include native plants and pollinator gardens, North Carolina sustainable seafood, recycling and citizen science projects including City Nature Challenge, FrogWatch USA, North Carolina King Tides Project and Spot A Shark USA.

“Our goal for Party for the Planet this year is to introduce different ways Aquarium visitors and community members can contribute to local and global conservation. Whether a person chooses to plant a pollinator garden, participate in a beach cleanup, or start recycling at home, every little bit can have a positive impact,” Wright said.

In addition to the on-site events, the aquarium will host three off-site events in May and June where anyone can contribute to the preservation and protection of our local ecosystems, Wright said. There will be a community recycling workshop May 7, Suds for Sharks fundraiser for shark species May 20 and habitat restoration projects June 4.

For more than 20 years, Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited zoos and aquariums nationwide have hosted Party for the Planet events making it North America’s largest combined Earth Day, Endangered Species Day and World Ocean Day celebration, according to the aquarium.

It’s the association’s fourth year of the “Spring into Action” campaign with support from the Disney Conservation Fund. The campaign goal is to provide family-friendly, conservation-based events and volunteer opportunities that improve the health of our planet’s habitats and ecosystems.

For more information on the Aquarium’s on-site Party for the Planet events April 22-29 visit the website https://bit.ly/NCAPKS-SpecialEvents.

The inaugural Carnival to Combat Climate Change at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores was created to provide a space for all ages to discuss the environmental issue.

The free event will be on the aquarium parking lot from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. April 2. Admission to the aquarium is not required to attend.

Representatives from science and conservation organizations from across the state will be on site to discuss climate change and how individuals can help lessen its effects on coastal communities. There will be hands-on activities and carnival games throughout the day and live music from noon to 2 p.m. with Brant Island Strings of Arapahoe.

Kaylee Whitley, one of the aquarium’s teen volunteers, created the event as part of a community service project requirement for the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center, or CELC, Network virtual youth summit she and another aquarium teen volunteer, Kaitlyn Riggs, attended in 2021.

“We wanted to host a carnival about climate change to provide the public with fun and exciting ways to learn about a topic that some might find uninteresting at first glance,” Whitley said in a statement. “I’m so grateful to have so many environmentally-based organizations from around the state coming to support this carnival and help teach about climate change and ways to combat it,” she said.

Whitley said she hopes people who come to the carnival “will learn something new to use in their daily lives and help make the planet cleaner and greener.”

The North American Association for Environmental Education, in partnership with CELC, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and eeBLUE, which is an environmental education organization, awarded the aquarium’s youth program a $4,000 grant through the aquarium’s nonprofit N.C. Aquarium Society for the event.

“The NAAEE and CELC grants are a great opportunity for our teen programs at the Aquarium to be recognized, and Kaylee is an amazing representation of a teen who wants to inspire others to care for and conserve the ocean,” said Aly Mack, aquarium volunteer coordinator. “We are so impressed by her willingness to educate others about a complicated subject.”

There are to be representatives during the event from the North Carolina Zoo, North Carolina Conservation Network, Surfrider Foundation, Bald Head Island Conservancy, North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, Carolina Wetlands Association, North Carolina Aquarium Green Team, Possumwood Acres, Aurora Fossil Museum, Master Gardeners of Carteret County, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association and the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter.

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is celebrating the achievements of Women in Science.

An event is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, which is International Women’s Day.

Throughout the day visitors of the aquarium will have the opportunity to hear about the women who have contributed to various science fields through virtual and in-person activities. There will be presentations from area professionals, activities to help understand career paths, and videos in the aquarium’s Neptune’s Theater.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will host a Women in Science event in September.

Activities are included with general admission tickets. To purchase tickets, visit the registration page.

Last month, the North Carolina Aquariums joined with other institutions to encourage women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or STEM, Feb. 11 during International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

At the North Carolina Aquariums, women in STEM are scientists, biologists, conservationists, researchers and veterinarians and engage in shark research, butterfly and frog conservation, marine animal husbandry and enrichment, and sea turtle care.

Teachers at Title I public schools can apply until Sept. 8 for the latest round of Aquarium Scholars mini-grants.

These mini-grants through the North Carolina Aquarium Society help fund field trips to North Carolina Aquariums facilities or have educators visit the teacher’s location.

The aquariums are at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island and Jennette’s Pier is in Nags Head.

Applications for the 2021-2022 Aquarium Scholars can be submitted through Sept. 8. For more information or to contribute, visit www.ncaquariums.com/aquarium-scholars.

This is the fifth cycle of funding available from the North Carolina Aquarium Society for Title 1 schools. Most students at Title 1 schools are from low-income households and a federal program provides funding for schools where the poverty level is at least 75%.

Nearly 50,000 students from 77 counties have benefited from almost $320,000 in grants since the program began in 2018. Grants have funded nearly 300 field trips to the state’s three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.

“For nearly five years the Aquarium Scholars program has provided one of our state’s most innovative educational experiences for students from under-resourced communities,” said Reid Wilson, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in a statement.

“It’s wonderful to watch the children’s faces light up with wonder as they experience and learn about things they’ve never seen before,” he said, “and it gets them excited about science and nature.”

The North Carolina Aquarium Society’s Director of Development Jim Mulvey said that to him, the most important aspect of the program is “reaching underserved students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit the pier or one of our aquariums or even see the ocean,” he said. “We hear from teachers all the time about the experience of their students seeing the ocean for the first time.”

Pine Knoll Shores’ social media specialist Shannon Kemp said that an educator will travel to the school for a live animal presentation through their Aquarium Scholars program.

“One of those programs is called Journey through North Carolina, which includes encounters with live animals that can be found across the state,” she said. “We also offer in-house educator led programs, behind-the-scenes tours, interactions with live animals like our sea turtle ambassadors, and special activity programs like squid dissection, water labs, beachcombing biology and more.”

Gatesville elementary students visited Jennette’s Pier on a field trip last month. Many of the students have never even seen the sea before and Aquarium Scholars was designed to help achieve goals such as this for these Title I children who attend schools like Gatesville Elementary, Mulvey said.

“For some of our funders, it expands students’ perception of and exposure to careers in science and conservation,” he said. “Others may consider this a social justice issue, in providing equal educational opportunities for students, regardless of financial circumstances.”

Jennette’s Pier Education Curator Christin Brown said she often gets to see first-hand how the program impacts these students.

“I enjoy how excited the students are to be at the pier catching fish for their first time or walking along the beach collecting shells,” she said. “Students also really enjoy learning about renewable energy and building their own devices such as solar cars or boats and mini wind turbines.”

Though sharks are often the “bad guys” in myths and movies, the reality is that a healthy ocean depends on sharks.

Unfortunately, more than 30% of all shark species are threatened with extinction.

“Simply put, a healthy ocean depends on sharks, and an ocean out of balance impacts us all,” Hap Fatzinger, director of the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, said in a release. “The North Carolina Aquariums are committed to learning more about sharks, protecting them and supporting the delivery of science-based facts to the public.”

Research scientists at N.C. Aquariums are working to learn more about sharks and make sure people know the facts, according to the aquarium.

Some of their work will be included on Discovery’s Shark Week and NatGeo’s Sharkfest 2021 this week. “Shark Gangs” premiered July 7 and will be shown again on Disney+ and Nat Geo WILD. “Ninja Sharks: Mutant Rising” premiers 8 a.m. Sunday on Discovery.

Fatzinger and other aquarium researchers have been working since 2016 to answer questions about sand tiger shark populations found around the many shipwrecks off the state’s coast.

The aquariums’ conservation scientists have focused their efforts on the acoustic tagging of sand tiger sharks and the Spot A Shark USA community science initiative, using diver photographs and special software to identify sharks through individual spot patterns.

The data provide critical information about the sharks’ movements and use of wrecks, which helps with ways to protect the vulnerable animals and their habitats. 

“The North Carolina. Aquariums’ research has revealed new information about female sand tiger sharks returning to our state’s shipwrecks, a behavior known as site fidelity,” said Fatzinger. “This suggests the shipwrecks’ are important habitats for these migratory sharks. But many questions remain about mating, pupping and residency patterns and we look forward to learning more to help shark species around the world.”

There is a new art installation open until Oct. 4 at the Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Spadefish Gallery showcases the award-winning underwater photography of scuba diver and shark advocate Tanya Houppermans. Her images feature sand tiger sharks swimming amongst North Carolina shipwrecks. Houppermans is a regular contributor to the Spot A Shark USA project.

MANTEO – The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island announced Monday that its new North American river otter, Olive, is ready for guests.

Olive has become accustomed to her new home under the careful care of the aquarium’s husbandry and veterinary teams. She is regaining her health and strength after suffering an injury that made it impossible to release her back in the wild.

“We’ve been working with her behind the scenes and during non-public hours to acclimate her to her new life and home here at Roanoke Island,” says Connie Quattlebaum, aquarist.  “Olive’s health has improved greatly and after careful observation and review, we feel it’s time for her to meet the aquarium’s visitors!”

Olive can be visited in the Wild Wetlands gallery between the hours of 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. from now through Sunday, Feb. 21.  Although the aquarists do not foresee any issues with the schedule, Olive’s health and comfort will always remain top priority.  Beginning Feb. 22, Olive will gradually be introduced to her fellow North American River otters, Finn and Banks. Some scheduling flexibility will be needed at that time, aquarium officials said.

After learning that educational animal ambassador Webster had inoperable cancer, the veterinary team at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island made the decision Wednesday to humanely euthanize the Virginia opossum.

The difficult decision came after biopsy results confirmed a form of invasive cancer in Webster’s mouth the aquarium announced.

“These kinds of decisions are always, always difficult – and the team here at Roanoke Island is taking it very hard,” said Elizabeth Huber, husbandry curator at the Roanoke Island aquarium. “But Webster’s quality of life outweighs all else, and he will always be in our hearts and minds as we celebrate the joy he brought to so many of our visitors through our educational programs.”

Webster came into the care of the aquarium’s husbandry team almost four years ago after he was orphaned, and it was discovered that his rear hip joints were not properly developed. In the wild, this condition would prevent him from climbing trees to search for food, escape predators, and to rest, making a release into his natural habitat unfeasible, according to the aquarium.

While opossums only have a 1-to-2-year lifespan in the wild, Webster lived almost four years.

“I take comfort in knowing he is so loved,” said Dr. Emily Christiansen, North Carolina Aquarium Division veterinarian. “He had such an excellent long opossum life that he would not have had otherwise if he wasn’t part of our family.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has been certified as a sensory inclusive facility by KultureCity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sensory accessibility and acceptance.

This new initiative will promote an accommodating and positive experience for all visitors, including those with sensory needs, according to the release Thursday.

Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and similar conditions. One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to over stimulation and noise.

“We are very excited to partner with KultureCity to meet the sensory needs of any guest with sensory issues,” said Liz Baird, North Carolina Aquarium director. “We’ve added signs to identify areas that might be a bit overwhelming and areas that are quieter.”

Families can download the free KultureCity App before visiting to view what sensory features are available and where to access them. Also, on the App is the Social Story that provides a preview of what to expect at the aquarium.

“To know that you soon will be able to see families attend the aquarium, a true community binding experience, with their loved ones who have a sensory challenge and who were not able to previously attend, is truly a heartwarming moment,” said Dr. Julian Maha, co-founder, KultureCity. “Our communities are what shapes our lives and to know that the aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone, no matter their ability, is included in their community is amazing.”

Guests will have access to sensory bags equipped with noise canceling headphones provided by Puro Sound Labs, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads if they feel overwhelmed.

“The items in the sensory bag are specially designed to help individuals with sensory needs. We know from our Seaside Sensory Fun Day event that the aquarium can be exciting and fun, but also overstimulating at times,” said aquarium educator Ellie Fallaize. “Our three-story waterfall and touch pools are fan favorites, but also can be noisy and overwhelming environments. Having noise canceling headphones really helps to dampen that sound and create a space where everyone has a meaningful aquarium adventure.”

There are also dedicated quiet areas for those who may need to take a break.

“We are so excited to have begun creating an inclusive environment at the aquarium with KultureCity, and we have just put our foot through the door,” Fallaize said. “Inclusion is a mindset, and we are all so much better when every voice is heard.”

Many of the aquarium’s staff attended online training on how to recognize and help those guests with sensory needs.

“Our staff have participated in the online training and now have a deeper understanding of the ways that we can best support our visitors with sensory needs,” Baird said. “We have always been welcoming, but now we have more training and tools that allow us to help every guest have a terrific experience.”

Fallaize added that staff welcomes feedback from visitors. “It is by working together, as a community, that we will truly be successful,” said Fallaize. “We are committed to creating a culture of caring, compassion, and inclusion.”

Olive, a female North American river otter that can’t be released back into the wild due to health issues, has found a new home at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

Before coming to the aquarium, Olive was being cared for by a wildlife rehabilitator in Scotland County following an injury. Her caretakers are monitoring her carefully behind the scenes to determine whether or not she can be introduced to the aquarium’s otter habitat in the Wild Wetlands Gallery.

“We would love for our guests to get to know Olive, but we have her health and best interest at heart,” said aquarist Kristine Davis. “Since she is an older animal with an injury in her past, we are watching her closely and providing the care she needs. Her comfort and well-being are our priority.”

Olive’s arrival came after careful review by a team of experts including the Roanoke Island husbandry staff, the aquarium’s veterinary team and the North American river otter Species Survival Program.

If it is determined that Olive won’t be in the public gallery, she will continue to receive care during her continued life at the aquarium.

“We care for many animals behind the scenes and their health and well-being is as important to us as any other animal here,” Davis said.

Wild Wetlands is home to two male otters, Banks and Finn and of the otter Molly, who passed away in July 2019, following decline in her health and the determination by husbandry and veterinary staff that euthanization was the most humane decision for her.

The aquarium plans to share updates, photos and videos of Olive as she progresses. Follow the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest on all the animals and programs at the aquarium.

The aquarium is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pre-reserved tickets and cloth face coverings are required. Information is available at ncaquariums.com/roanoke-island.

There’s a few new critters to see and a better view of sea jellies at the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island.

Baby alligators and yellow stingrays recently were relocated to the aquarium and a viewing window has been restored to better watch sea jellies, the aquarium recently announced.

The Seven Rivers Gallery is home to four new hatchling American alligators from a partner facility in South Carolina, Alligator Adventure, which provided the animals on loan to the aquarium.

Four years ago, four hatchlings, which were recovered by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission after being illegally sold online, spent their early years at the aquarium. As they matured and began to grow too large for the habitat, they were safely transferred to the same South Carolina facility earlier this year.

The new alligators are all responding quickly to training that helps their caretakers keep them safe and healthy, according to the aquarium.

“They are really fast at learning because they are really motivated by food,” said Aquarist Connie Quattlebaum. The baby alligators can be seen actively swimming in the gallery, floating on the surface of the water or basking on rocks.

At the Sea Senses touch pools visitors can meet the newly introduced yellow stingrays while they mingle with Atlantic stingrays and horseshoe crabs.

The five yellow stingrays have distinctive light coloring accented with spots resembling the sand on the bottom of the pool, which helps them to camouflage.

Like all the rays in the touch pools, the yellow rays have their barbs trimmed regularly, but Aquarist Sheena Jones said the task differs from the Atlantic rays because of the barb’s location near the end of the tail.

“Yellow stingrays have short, blunt tails so they have a little more force and leverage. So you have to be careful,” Jones said, adding that she and the rays have always remained safe during handling.

No longer in the Sea Senses gallery are the cownose stingrays, known for their blunt snouts and sleek skin. The aquarium’s animal experts thought these animals would be better suited in larger habitats and were relocated to the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in Connecticut.

In the Delicate Drifters Gallery, a restored viewing window known in aquariums as a kreisel allows visitors a view of Pacific sea nettles that have drifting tentacles and unique coloration. Unlike most of the animals at the aquarium, the sea nettles are not native to North Carolina.

While guests have been able to watch moon jellies and other species through another wall display and three viewing tubes, now that larger kreisel has been restored, the Delicate Drifters Gallery again offers a surround view of these creatures.

The aquarium, along with the Pine Knoll Shores, Fort Fisher and Jennette’s Pier locations, reopened Sept. 14 after being closed since March 17 as part of the statewide effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. While the aquariums were closed, staff continued to provide for the health and well-being of animals in its care.

In the eight weeks since the aquarium reopened, all guests have been asked to purchase tickets in advance online at ncaquariums.com and to remember that cloth face masks are required inside.

Meanwhile, social distancing markers and hand sanitizer stations can be seen throughout the aquarium.

“These steps help provide the safest possible environment for both our guests and our staff,” said Communications Manager Brian Postelle. “We need our animal caretakers healthy to best provide for the well-being of all of the animals here. And we greatly appreciate the community support.”

To see more about the North Carolina Aquariums, visit ncaquariums.com

Luna, the albino alligator, is the star of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher program, “Luna’s Holiday Special.”

The virtual, one-hour program featuring Luna and her aquarium friends engaging in holiday-themed enrichment activities begins at 10 a.m. Dec. 12.

Viewers will see Luna and her co-stars while their caregivers explain some of the ways the animals stay happy and healthy year-round.

In addition to Luna, those tuning in will see Maverick the rescued bald eagle, Sprout the wood duc, and the newest additions to the Aquarium family, Asian small-clawed otters, Asta, Oscar, Ray and Titan, share the spotlight.

The program will include exclusive behind-the-scenes views and explanations in coordination with our animal care team. An Aquarium educator will also present winter animal facts and answer real-time questions.

To view the program, participants must reserve their spot at ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher. Cost is$15 per screen. N.C. Aquarium Society members receive a 10% discount.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has organized a costume parade and virtual party for families with toddlers to safely celebrate Halloween.

There will be three opportunities from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 27, Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 to participate in a socially-distanced stroller and wagon parade during the aquarium’s FISH-tacular Preschool Halloween Parade & Virtual Event.

“We are offering two different Halloween activities, hoping to engage children at a variety of levels,” said Liz Baird, aquarium director. “We are looking forward to connecting with our youngest visitors and sharing their excitement over wearing a costume while visiting our animals. It will be fun to have everyone join us on Zoom to continue the aquarium experience from home on Friday.”

The socially-distanced “costume parade” is included in the cost of a regular visitor ticket, or free for members. Admission tickets are online reservations, and Halloween activity bags are limited.

While at the parade, purchase for $10 a bag with supplies to participate in the virtual event 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 30. To participate in the virtual event only, follow the link to reserve a ticket and an activity bag.

The virtual event activity bag comes stocked with a mini-pumpkin, stickers, sweet treats, crafts, a treasure from the sea and a ticket for a virtual program that will be held on Zoom. The link for the Halloween virtual Zoom program is included in the activity bag.

“Halloween at the Aquarium is a family tradition for many, and while it is different this year, we wanted to continue to offer families the opportunity to engage with us and enjoy the season in new and special ways,” said Windy Arey-Kent, the aquarium’s education curator.

The aquarium will be decorated with a not-too-spooky Halloween theme and friendly costumed characters.

“It will be fun for adults and children, alike! Dressing up, taking photos, learning about the aquarium and our animals while taking home some treats … what could be better?” Arey-Kent said. “Any time you get to see the animals at the aquarium it’s exciting, but to get to show the animals your coolest costumes, take some fun pictures, get some yummy treats and awesome crafts to take home … well that is a great day at the aquarium.”

After being closed since March 17 to slow the spread of COVID-19, the North Carolina Aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island will reopen to guests Sept. 14.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced this week that the state would move into Safer at Home Phase 2.5 starting Friday.

The aquariums will be bringing back staff and preparing the grounds prior to the Sept. 14 opening and will have in place some new procedures in place to help ensure the safety of guests and staff.

“We can’t wait to be able to do what we do best, which is share the truly astounding animals and habitats we care for,” said Maylon White, North Carolina Aquariums director in a statement. “The public is a key component in our mission of education and inspiration, and we’ll be so happy to have them back.”

Guests will need to reserve online their tickets for specific arrival times online at ncaquariums.com to allow the aquariums to best provide a safe and enjoyable visit by reducing overall building capacity.

Also, in accordance with Executive Order 163, both guests and employees will need to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.

“There is a lot of work we need to do to make sure everything runs smoothly after being closed to the public for this long,” White said. “We want the experience to be a great one.”

While the North Carolina Aquariums was closed as part of the statewide effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, staff continued to care for the animals.

The North Carolina Aquariums Run for the Planet is going virtual Sept. 12-20, and organizers say this year it is more than a race, “It’s movement to make a difference for participants, the aquariums and the planet.”

While the aquariums in Kure Beach, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island have been closed to the public for more than five months due to COVID-19, officials said daily animal care and virtual education programming have continued. Without visitation since March 17, the aquariums have been operating with no attendance revenue, a major funding source.

To register for the 2020 North Carolina Aquariums Run for the Planet visit ncaquariums.com/NCA-Virtual-Run-for-the-Planet. Proceeds from the race will go to the conservation and sustainability efforts of the three North Carolina Aquariums and Jennette’s Pier.

Participants from anywhere can register for the 1-mile race, which is $15, or $35 for the 5K, 10K or the 13.1-mile half-marathon. Racers will use the app, RaceJoy that has live leader boards, turn-by-turn directions and a way for friends and family to compete and show support.

The Fort Fisher aquarium usually holds a 5K Race for the Planet in the spring, but was postponed this year to the fall, giving organizers time to re-imagine and expand the race as well as make it virtual.

Registration gives access to a private Facebook group where participants can post pictures of themselves making the world a little greener to compete for prizes.

For those runners who opt out of the T-shirt, $10 of their registration fee is to be donated to the aquariums.

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island and Jennette’s Pier announced Monday that they are joining the North Carolina Aquariums in Fort Fisher and Pine Knoll Shores in offering virtual programs and opportunities for the public to connect with nature and learning and stay engaged with animals and staff.

The three North Carolina Aquariums in Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head all closed to the public in March to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Jennette’s Pier opened in June with precautionary measures in place, but the aquariums remain closed in accordance with the state’s Safer at Home Phase 2. However, all four facilities are offering new ways to explore and experience the world of the ocean.

Guests now have the opportunity to take virtual behind-the-scene tours at each aquarium to see the continued work by caretakers, as well as virtual animal encounters and cameos. At the aquarium on Roanoke Island, for instance, participants can get an up-close virtual view behind-the-scenes at several animal habitats.

“These new virtual programs allow us to continue sharing the fascinating world of the aquarium even when we don’t have guests in the building,” said Dia Hitt, education curator at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. “We are excited to have the ability to connect with families that we might not normally see here. It’s really about adapting and making use of the best opportunities at hand.”

Jennette’s Pier, which is open to the public for fishing, is also offering virtual opportunities. Regardless of where someone lives, they can receive an activity kit used for exploring wind power and renewable energy, plankton investigations and much more.

“The activity kit gives a hands-on experience while engaging with our staff,” said Christin Brown, education curator for Jennette’s Pier. “Even though we are far apart we are connected through this immersive virtual field trip.”

In addition to virtual experiences, the aquariums are together offering outdoor adventures for online registered guests. The outdoor tours allow individuals the opportunity to get outside and explore nature on guided kayak and paddleboard trips while practicing safe distancing.

“Whether it is kayaking, fishing or stand-up paddle boarding, these are fun outings for visitors and residents who want to enjoy some adventure on the water in a safe, socially distanced environment,” Hitt said.

Throughout the closures, the aquarium team has continued to provide excellent care for thousands of animals daily. Expert staff have ensured the animals receive all they need for their health and well-being. Animal caretakers feed, clean habitats, conduct health checks, monitor water quality, and offer enrichment with no interruption for holidays, weekends or closures.

“In these times where everyone’s lives have shifted and the aquarium has remained closed for public health, virtual engagement has offered us an opportunity to stay connected,” said Windy Arey-kent, North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores education curator. “We’ve been able to shift our focus from in-person to online and this has allowed us to connect with an entirely new audience that we would never see in person.”

Pine Knoll Shores staff have also created a unique opportunity that lets participants burn off energy and use their body to move like an animal in a Whale of a Workout. During this 30-minute exercise class learn about how animals use their body to move, capture prey, avoid a predator, or defend themselves. Break a sweat by mimicking their actions and discover what it takes to move like an ocean dweller, land-lover, or feathered friend.

One of the virtual opportunities hosted by the Aquarium at Fort Fisher focuses on the extensive conservation work of the aquariums. “Virtual Behind the Scenes: Saving Species,” shares how the aquarium helps save animals locally and globally, including sand tiger shark research, raising and releasing endangered Carolina gopher frogs, growing corals, and more.

“All of these virtual programs demonstrate the aquariums’ continued commitment to education, but also focus on the ongoing care and dedication of staff to our animal residents and species in the wild, even amidst our public closure,” said Andy Gould, education curator at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. “Our teams have been hard at work moving our mission forward even while our doors have been closed to guests.”

Learn more

• Online and outdoor opportunities on Roanoke Island. 
• Online opportunities at Jennette’s Pier.  
• Virtual opportunities at Fort Fisher.  

In her workweek, Dr. Emily Christiansen might remove a tumor from a fish, perform an annual health exam on a moray eel, care for a sea turtle’s wound, treat a river otter’s injured paw and help researchers study sand tiger sharks off the North Carolina coast.

As a veterinarian for the North Carolina Aquariums, Christiansen spends about nine intense days per month checking and treating animals at the three aquariums on the state’s coast. She spends the rest of her workweek updating animal records, preparing for upcoming aquarium visits and responding to a slew of calls, texts and emails from aquarium staff, veterinary residents, researchers and concerned citizens.

Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, she didn’t have her heart set on becoming an aquatic animal veterinarian from a young age. She did go through a phase of wanting to be a dolphin veterinarian but outgrew it.

In college, Christiansen almost majored in linguistics because of her fascination with language. She chose biology though, since it would satisfy course requirements in case she decided on a career in animal medicine, toward which she was starting to gravitate.

After graduating, she moved to Florida to intern at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium while applying to veterinary school. With her acceptance to Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, her colleagues nudged her onward.

“They kicked me out because I got into vet school. Otherwise I’d still be there, scooping turtle poop,” she laughed.

Christiansen knew she didn’t want to work with dogs or small animals, which is why Tufts’ wildlife medicine program attracted her. She earned both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a Master of Public Health.

As a new doctor, she interned at a bird rehabilitation center in Florida, then went back to Tufts to intern in wildlife medicine and teach vet students, all while applying to residency programs. Though internships and residencies aren’t required to practice animal medicine, they’re needed for specialty certifications, Christiansen explained.

In 2011, Christiansen moved to North Carolina to start a residency program at N.C. State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. It’s one of fewer than 20 schools in the country to offer training programs in zoological medicine, a specialty that includes wildlife, zoo animals and aquatic animals.

Christiansen spent most of her three-year residency focusing on aquatic animals at the coast, where the N.C. State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, or CMAST, offers clinical training with nearby aquariums, sea turtle hospitals, marine mammal and turtle stranding networks. Dr. Craig Harms, director of the Aquatic Animal Health group at CMAST in Morehead City runs the residency program.

The program is fast-paced. Students must publish five research studies and prepare for a grueling two-day specialty board exam, where they’re expected to know all the latest research published in dozens of journals on zoological medicine.

After finishing, Christiansen never left the coast. Just 15 days after her residency ended, she became the N.C. Aquariums’ first full-time veterinarian. The North Carolina Aquariums initiated the position to improve animal care and comply with recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as an upgrade from their once-a-month visits from Harms.

Christiansen kept her ties to N.C. State. She’s an adjunct faculty member and her office is based at CMAST. She helps coordinate with N.C. State zoological medicine residents in her work at the aquariums.

The three state aquariums are located at Roanoke Island on the Outer Banks, Pine Knoll Shores on Bogue Banks, and Fort Fisher just south of Wilmington. While the aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is just a 20-minute drive from CMAST, it’s more than three hours to Roanoke Island and two and a half hours to Fort Fisher. Visits to the more distant aquariums make for long days for Christiansen and veterinary technician Heather Broadhurst, who check and treat about 30 animals per visit.

Animals can’t always wait for a scheduled vet visit, though. When asked if she was always on call, Christiansen pulled two smartphones out of her pockets. In many cases, she can guide aquarium staff through procedures over the phone. Staff are uniquely skilled to handle ailing animals, she noted, especially at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island, which is home to the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation, or STAR, Center. Christiansen typically needs to visit the aquariums for emergency visits “only a handful of times a year,” she said.

Caring for such a wide variety of aquarium animals, from river otters to bald eagles to stingrays, seems daunting, but Christiansen responded that “they’re all animals,” meaning they have the same basic internal systems.

Her work not only benefits the aquarium animals and their 1.3 million annual visitors but also helps researchers investigate how to conserve aquatic species.

Animal cases can be used as research opportunities for veterinary residents at N.C. State and other local collaborators. Many cases the aquarium team sees aren’t in the books yet, Christiansen explained, and the aquatic animal medicine field is still relatively new. For unfamiliar cases, she’ll often need to try out a treatment and see if it works. She also consults other aquariums across the country to see what they’ve already tried for similar cases.

Wildlife researchers also seek Christiansen’s help.

“I get tapped for a lot of cool projects that need a vet or need to train graduate students,” she mentioned.

For example, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers from the Beaufort Lab may need her on board while they study sea turtles. She may need to teach area graduate students, such as those from CMAST or the University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences, also in Morehead City, how to surgically implant a small tracking device in a fish.

She’s also involved in fieldwork for a collaborative project on sand tiger sharks. The species is in decline and doesn’t reproduce in captivity, Christiansen said. Pregnant females hang out off the North Carolina coast around shipwrecks, and researchers are tracking them to determine where they travel and give birth. The project was started by Madeline Marens, a master’s student at UNC Wilmington and an aquarist at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

The N.C. Aquariums are involved in other conservation research projects as well, and spearheaded the Spot A Shark citizen science project for divers to submit photos of sharks.

Despite these efforts, the N.C. Aquariums are not always seen as a major research institution in eastern North Carolina, even though they were originally founded as the N.C. Marine Resources Centers in the 1970s and displayed researchers’ work. Christiansen is on a mission to change that. As someone straddling both worlds of aquariums and academia, she fosters collaborations between researchers, veterinary trainees and the aquariums to create win-win scenarios.

Though not in her job description, Christiansen is also seen as the friendly neighborhood wildlife expert in Beaufort, where she’s resided for the past eight years. Inquisitive children she coaches in youth soccer will come to her with turtles and other animals they find.

She also inspires students at outreach events, such as the annual Girls Exploring Science and Technology, or GEST, event for middle schoolers at the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort and the Women in Science Day at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher. At GEST, she spends a Saturday teaching students how to anesthetize a fish and then take measurements like weight and heart rate. She’s also participated in a GEST panel discussion, sharing her own journey to becoming a veterinarian.

Christiansen said she plans to continue developing partnerships between the research community and the aquariums, and her work as a veterinarian and community member help drive the N.C. Aquariums’ mission of “inspiring appreciation and conservation of North Carolina’s aquatic environments.”

PINE KNOLL SHORES –The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will host Feb. 9 a Seaside Sensory Fun Day, an event designed to make the aquarium more accessible for families with children and adults who have sensory needs.

Activities are to include nature walks, weather permitting, as well as live animal programs, a sensory exploration room, a “quiet” dive program, calm space for families, guest guide passports and a chance to meet with local support organizations.

Space is limited for the nature walk and live animal programs. Families will be able to register for the nature walks and live animal programs on the day of the event, which is free with aquarium admission.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be home to a few new furry residents.

Construction is expected to begin in January on the 3,000-square-foot exhibit that will be home to Asian small-clawed otters, North Carolina Aquariums announced Tuesday.

This new exhibit will enable the aquarium team to help the semi-aquatic species native to southeast Asia and listed as vulnerable on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species,

A renovation of existing space in the aquarium’s freshwater conservatory, the exhibit, “Otters on the Edge,” will include interactive water elements, living space for separate family groups and behind-the-scenes care areas. The renovation will also benefit the rescued bald eagle in aquarium care, who will be relocated to a new, outdoor habitat in the attraction’s garden in late spring.

Paragon Building Corp. of Wilmington is building the $1.8 million project expected to be complete in about six months. Funding was secured through the North Carolina Aquarium Society, private donations and aquarium receipts.

“The aquarium cares about saving animals locally and globally,” said Aquarium Director Hap Fatzinger in a statement. “Caring for these otters, helping our visitors understand the threats the animals face will help inspire action for wildlife and wild places.”

The aquarium expects to care for two to three otters. The Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan for Asian small-clawed otters will help the team scientifically identify specific animals to ensure a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically varied population of otters.

“From the beginning the primary focus of the otter project and new habitats has been animal care and welfare,” said Fatzinger.

Plans for the new exhibit have been ongoing for several years, with construction initially planned for early 2019, but the project was delayed due to the impacts of Hurricane Florence.

The aquarium’s conservatory building closed to visitors in November to accommodate roof and fire suppression repairs and will likely remain closed into late spring 2020. However, the aquarium remains open during the construction, as all saltwater galleries, touch pools and outdoor gardens are accessible. Educational activities, daily dive programs and feedings continue, while sharks, jellies and sea turtles engage and inspire guests.

The Fort Fisher aquarium is one of three state aquariums in North Carolina administered by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island has been certified as a N.C. Green Travel destination, designating it among sites in the state that have achieved sustainability goals to reduce energy use, landfill waste and overall impact on the environment.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality administers the N.C. Green Travel Program, and issued the certification following an application process and visit to the aquarium.

“We are so happy to have the Aquarium in our program. You are doing a fantastic job with your sustainability efforts.” said N.C. Green Travel Program Manager Tom Rhodes in a letter to the aquarium. “We enjoyed our tour of the facility and were pleasantly surprised to see all the sustainable practices you have put in place.”

The aquarium achieved a ranking of three “Dogwood Blossoms,” the highest level awarded by the program. It joins the North Carolina Aquariums at Fort Fisher and Pine Knoll Shores, as well as Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head on the list of Green Travel destinations.

Green initiatives highlighted in the aquarium application include onsite recycling for guests and employees, water and electricity use monitoring, LED lights and timers, exhibits made with recycled materials, onsite composting and a pollinator garden.

“As advocates for our natural surroundings and the health of aquatic environments, decreasing our impact is a huge priority for us as an organization,” said NCARI Director Larry Warner. “This kind of recognition not only confirms we are on the right track, but also highlights some new opportunities in which to move our sustainability initiatives.”

The aquarium’s sustainability initiatives are led by its Green Team, a committee made up of members from multiple departments that has implemented positive steps like cigarette butt recycling, reduction of paper usage, and collection of unwanted items for donation to thrift stores. Additionally, two employees sit on the N.C. Aquariums Sustainability Committee which charts goals for green initiatives across the aquarium division.

The aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is dedicated to the mission of “Inspiring appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments.” Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Learn more

• ncaquariums.com/roanoke-island

COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA -– Two of the state’s aquariums are under new leadership.

The North Carolina Aquariums Division announced Monday that Larry Warner will serve as director for the Roanoke Island location and Liz Baird will oversee the aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores.

Warner, who has worked in museums and aquariums for 32 years, most recently acted as the director of exhibits for Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium, overseeing the development of numerous conservation-based exhibits. Previously he has served for six years as exhibits curator at the Roanoke Island aquarium, where he was instrumental in the development of several of the aquarium’s programs and the aquarium’s $6.5 million renovation, completed in 2016.

Warner holds a master’s degree from Arizona State University and has served on the honors and awards committee for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and acted as co-vice chair of evaluation for the Visitor Studies Association Zoo & Aquarium Focus Interest Group.

“It’s truly an honor to be returning as director to a facility, a staff, and a community for which I have great respect,” Warner said in a statement. “I’m eager to strengthen and forge new community and statewide partnerships for preservation and conservation of aquatic environments while continuing to provide an educationally enriching and quality guest experience.”

Warner’s arrival follows the departure of Maylon White, who accepted the position of division director for the North Carolina Aquariums in March.

“Larry’s familiarity and previous contributions to the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, as well as the new perspectives he gained while at Mystic Aquarium, make him a great pick for director,” White said. “His experience and knowledge will help us continue our mission and advance the aquarium’s goals.”

Baird, the new director of the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium, served for 24 years at the state Museum of Natural Sciences and founded national “Take A Child Outside week” program in 2007 to reconnect children and nature and was instrumental in the development and cultivation of the museum’s education and outreach program.

“We’ve had the opportunity to work with Liz on a variety of projects over the years and her experience and partnerships in research will be invaluable to the work the aquariums are currently doing,” White added. “Her understanding of dynamic ecosystems from rainforests to reefs and how to share with people of all ages is incredible and make her an excellent fit for the aquarium team.”

Baird is a 2010 recipient of the environmental educator of the year from the Environmental Educators of North Carolina and succeeds Hap Fatzinger, who accepted the position of director for the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher in December.

“This is like coming home,” Baird said in a statement.  “I have grown up going to and camping at Salter Path. It was here that I grew a love for the coastal region.”

Baird has a bachelor’s degree from Salem College and a master’s science education from North Carolina State University. She serves as an adjunct professor for Johns Hopkins University in addition to her work at the museum.

MANTEO – Staff at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island are mourning the loss of Molly, the North American river otter that has delighted guests at the aquarium for nearly 18 years.

Molly was under 24-hour supervision after experiencing a seizure early Monday morning. When she did not regain consciousness over the following days, the aquarium and veterinary staff decided to euthanize Molly rather than have her experience any suffering.

“Like all of the animals in our care, quality of life is our highest priority,” said Husbandry Curator Kristen Clark. “We all are so devastated to lose Molly, but this was the most humane route to prevent any further discomfort or health problems on her part.”

In 2017, Molly first experienced a similar seizure. Following a CT scan, veterinarians determined that she had an unidentifiable mass in her brain. Surgery was deemed too risky, and she remained under close observation. She quickly recovered from that incident, displaying normal energy and behavior of an otter her age, according to the announcement Wednesday.

To make her more comfortable, she was separated from the younger and more energetic males, Banks and Finn. Under the constant care and observation by her caretaker, Molly continued to behave normally, including swimming, eating and participating in enrichment activities, until this latest incident.

Molly came to the aquarium from the Florida Aquarium in 2001 at less than a year old. Two weeks later, she was introduced to the public. Her then-caretaker described her as highly energetic and playful – a real “handful.”

During the nearly two decades since, she became a well-loved ambassador of her species, allowing the aquarium staff to share stories benefiting the conservation and preservation of otters and their habitats.

At 18, Molly was considered an elderly otter – the life expectancy of otters under care is around 18-20 years. In the wild, otters live to be 9 or 10 years old.

“She definitely lived a full life,” Clark said.

Caretakers, aquarium staff and volunteers alike form special bonds with the animals under the aquarium’s care, as do many guests. As the resident matriarch, Molly held a special place at the aquarium and she will be missed by many, said North Carolina Aquariums Director Maylon White.

“We are so grateful for Molly’s time with us, and our thoughts are with her caretakers who were constantly devoted to her health and well-being,” White said.

MANTEO — The Seven Rivers gallery at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is now a nursery for five green anoles hatchlings.

Living alongside the two adult anoles already on exhibit, the baby lizards are under the care of the aquarium husbandry team, which is monitoring the progress and health of each hatchling.

Native to North Carolina, anoles’ coloration can range from green to brown. Adults typically eat crickets, mealworms and roaches, smaller insects are being offered to the hatchlings, including pinhead crickets and flightless fruit flies, aquarist Emily Kolonia said in the release.  The hatchlings have also been observed drinking water, which anoles primarily get from the mist on leaves.

Reproductive behavior like this is an indicator that the anoles are healthy and comfortable in their habitat. It is possible the female laid more eggs, and staff will monitor the exhibit for more hatchlings.

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Five anole hatchlings are making themselves at home at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Photos: NC Aquariums

PINE KNOLL SHORES – The North Carolina Aquarium here is set to open July 4 its “Eagle Landing” exhibit, a habitat for two flightless bald eagles, Uwohali and Shagoie Watha.

The aquarium is providing the two eagles, which officials said are unable to fly and would not survive in the wild, a permanent home and lifelong care in a 3,000-square-foot space with large perches and a rock pond designed by aquarium staff.

The aquarium staff worked with the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs and North Carolina’s tribes to create a short list of names for each bird. Fans of the aquarium on Facebook were offered the chance to vote for the names in March. Naming is a part of the care and training of each bird because it helps build relationships between trainer and bird, fosters respect and awareness for the animal and creates a connection with visitors, officials said.

A juvenile, Uwohali came to the aquarium from the Cape Fear Raptor Center in Rocky Point. Both of her wings were amputated near the wrist after being electrocuted by what staff believe was an encounter with power lines. Her name, which means “one who soars with the creator,” comes from the Meherrin Indian Tribe and is pronounced “oo-woe-hah-lee.”

Shagoie Watha, an adult female who came to the aquarium from TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow, Illinois, had her left wing amputated just below the elbow after being found with an irreparable injury. Her name, which means “one who causes an awakening,” comes from the Meherrin Indian Tribe and is pronounced “Sha-go-ee-yay Wa-ta.”

“I have wanted to work with eagles in any capacity my entire life,” Amanda Goble, the aquariums’ aviculturist who has worked with birds for more than 10 years, said in a statement. “This is truly a childhood dream. Being able to care for them and work with them every day is a huge responsibility and a complete honor.”

The habitat was initially set to to open Memorial Day but was delayed due to the ongoing effects of Hurricane Florence.

“It is a trickle-down effect. Materials and labor were hard to get into place after the hurricane,” said Clint Taylor, aquarium curator, in a statement. “Although the habitat was completed by Memorial Day, we also needed time to allow the birds to acclimate to their new environment. Moving the habitat opening date was the best thing to do for the welfare of animals in our care.”

North Carolina’s aquariums are celebrating Saturday as World Oceans Day, an international observance that provides the opportunity to honor, help protect, and conserve the world’s shared oceans.

At the Roanoke Island aquarium from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday will be educational activities celebrating the ocean, free with regular admission.

Jennette’s Pier is celebrating World Oceans Day noon to 2 p.m. Saturday with the Pier to Pier Beach Cleanup. The beach cleanup starts at Jennette’s Pier and ends at Outer Banks Fishing Pier. A shuttle will be available after the cleanup. email jenna.livernois@ncaquariums.com or call 252-255-1501, ext. 212 for more details.

At Pine Knoll Shores, the focus will be on plastic pollution prevention and how marine debris affects marine life. Visitors can learn how long it takes plastics to degrade through an interactive activity, how baleen whales eat, pin the jellyfish dinner to the sea turtle and make a craft to take home.

Fort Fisher is hosting a Party for the Planet and Spring into Action at the beach to celebrate World Oceans Day.

Volunteers are needed to help plant sea oats or to clean up the beach from 10 a.m. to noon at the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. The first 100 preregistered participants will receive one free admission ticket to the Fort Fisher aquarium to be used that day.

Boxed water and donuts will be provided at the free program to be held outdoors at the beach. Please dress and pack accordingly and do not bring any single-use plastic. Registration is required and can be done online.

MANTEO – See Outer Banks birds at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island’s new nature play adventure “For the Birds” set to be unveiled Memorial Day weekend.

For the Birds is a nature trail that is home to year-round birds and those that visit the Outer Banks at certain times of the year. Expect to see woodpeckers, herons, osprey and many more birds. Visitors are invited to build a nest like a mockingbird or a killdeer, hop like a chickadee and balance like a heron.

For the Birds will be open throughout the summer and fall seasons and is included with regular aquarium admission, details of which can be found online.

All of the activity stations along the For the Birds trail are intended to be fun, educational and adventurous exploration into the variety of birds seen in the area, and the grounds of the aquarium are great for viewing birds in their habitats, including purple martins, nesting osprey, cormorants fishing in the sound, and many species visiting the bird feeders on the trail, according to the release.

“Birds are such a big part of our ecosystem and surroundings on the Outer Banks,” said Exhibits Curator Colleen Shytle in a statement. “We see them every day and it’s natural to wonder what they are up to. ‘For the Birds’ gives visitors a peek into the lives of birds and the skills they use to make the Outer Banks their home.”

The wooded Nature Play area covers roughly 2.5 acres on the grounds of the  Roanoke Island aquarium. The trail connects to the wildflower Meadow and soundside fields for even more outdoor excursions.

Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. has added his name to the list of those opposed to the federal plan to issue permits to five companies to begin seismic surveying for oil and natural gas off the East Coast.

The Trump administration announced Nov. 30 plans to issue under the Marine Mammal Protection Act five Incidental Harassment Authorizations, or IHAs, which advance permit applications for seismic exploration.

Jones was one of 93 members of Congress who signed a bipartisan letter led by Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross urging that they not allow seismic testing in the Atlantic to move forward.

Rutherford said he was worried about the effects seismic testing would have on vulnerable marine mammal populations and other marine life and how it would affect naval operations and training missions off the East Coast.

“We have very little information on what this would mean for our national security, the health of our recovering fisheries, or our coastal economies. Not to mention that any data collected about oil and gas reserves off our coast would be proprietary, meaning neither the public nor government officials would have access to this information. I am encouraged by today’s strong showing of bipartisan opposition to opening the Atlantic to seismic testing,” Rutherford said in a statement.

Last week, Gov. Roy Cooper’s spokesman Ford Porter issued a statement outlining the governor’s opposition. “Seismic testing that opens the door to offshore drilling threatens marine mammals and our fragile ocean ecosystem and is simply not worth the risk to North Carolina’s coastal communities, tourism economy and commercial fishing industry. Governor Cooper has made clear that North Carolina is opposed to this kind of seismic testing and will continue to take steps to protect our coast from the threat of offshore drilling.”

State Aquariums Opposed

In addition, the North Carolina Aquariums have joined a coalition of major public aquariums that announced opposition to the federal plan.

The North Carolina Aquariums have joined the New England Aquarium, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and the New York Aquarium with its parent Wildlife Conservation Society in opposition to the plan.

Citing marine scientists’ concerns that the activity will affect already stressed ocean environments, the aquariums said NOAA’s authorization comes following unusual mortality events for large whale species along the East Coast. During the past two years, there has been a higher than usual number of humpback, minke and right whale deaths.

“To introduce the additional major and possibly lethal stressor of seismic blasting to already beleaguered whale populations along the Atlantic seaboard is an abdication of NOAA’s responsibility for the sound management of the living marine resources in the region,” said Scott Kraus, vice president and chief scientist for marine mammals at the New England Aquarium.

PINE KNOLL SHORES – Vultures will get their day in the spotlight Saturday during International Vulture Awareness Day at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

The aquarium is working to educate the public about the worldwide dangers threatening these birds and the essential role in the ecosystem vultures play. Their consumption of carrion helps prevent the spread of many diseases that may be harmful to humans and wildlife, according to the aquarium’s announcement.

The global threats to vultures include lead poisoning, toxicity, hunting and poaching, and the effects of the pesticide DDT on eggshell strength.

Visitors to the aquarium Saturday will have a chance to meet live ambassador vultures, make a vulture craft to take home, engage in interactive activities in Discovery Classroom and get feel for vulture anatomy by touching wings, feet and other features.

Native black vultures and turkey vultures are included in the Bird’s-Eye View free bird show held daily.  The show ends Sept. 4 for the 2018 season.

International Vulture Awareness Day activities and Bird’s-Eye View are free with admission or membership.

Learn More

• N.C. Aquariums

RALEIGH — A state budget line item for an aquarium at a private development triggered a formal complaint this week from a Democrat who questions the appropriation’s legality, WRAL.com reported.

Richard Poole, an attorney and chairman of the New Hanover County Democratic Party, said he filed the complaint online Monday evening with the lobbying division of the Secretary of State’s Office. It goes in the mail Tuesday, Poole said, to other potential investigative bodies, including the Pender County District Attorney’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.

The complaint mentions developer Raiford Trask, state Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, state Rep. Holly Grange, R-New Hanover, and former state Rep. Chris Millis, R-Pender, by name. The three legislators have said they requested a six-figure appropriation earlier this year for a new state aquarium at Blake Farm, a large mixed-use project Trask is building in Pender County.

Details on the project appear to be unwritten, and there is disagreement between the players as to who would cover actual construction costs, but the plan seems to be for Trask to lease the building or the land it sits on back to the state, developing homes and commercial districts around it.

Plans to use state dollars for the project initially ran under the radar in the budget, but questions arose earlier this month when the budget was tweaked, clarifying the project wouldn’t just be studied, it would be designed. There’s no indication the state reviewed other potential locations, and the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which operates North Carolina’s four existing aquariums, said it never requested the funding.

The budget simply states that $300,000 is allocated to design and permit an aquarium at Blake Farm. The actual amount available is about $254,000, according to legislative budget writers, though, with the discrepancy due to an error in budget documents.

Rabon, Millis and Grange pushed for state spending that “directly benefits a favored real estate developer with budgeted tax dollars, and raises numerous questions under North Carolina law,” Poole’s complaint states.

Coastal Review Online is partnering with WRAL.com to provide readers with more news from the state capitol that is relevant to the coast.

MANTEO —  The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is now a collection point for recycling plastic bags and plastic film.

On select Tuesdays during the next seven months, the aquarium will accept these hard-to-recycle items during Plastic Bag and Film Collection Days.

The first opportunity to bring over clean and dry plastics for recycling is noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. The designated collection station can be found just outside the aquarium’s admission windows at 374 Airport Road, Manteo.

Many different types of plastics will be accepted, including the following:

• Plastic shopping bags
• Bread bags
• Dry cleaning bags
• Produce bags
• Newspaper bags
• Product overwrap such as covering on paper towels and cases of bottled water

Learn about all the right plastics to bring by visiting plasticfilmrecycling.org. Only clean and dry plastics can be accepted, so please make sure all debris, including any receipts or labels, is removed from the packaging and no moisture is present.

Learn More

• Plastic Bag and Film Collection Days Schedule
• plasticfilmrecycling.org

ROANOKE ISLAND — The North Carolina Aquarium here is partnering with the Outer Banks SPCA to host Proper Pet Awareness Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21.

Visitors can meet and visit with adoptable dogs from the SPCA, and learn about animals that should be left to live in their natural environment, including various species of turtles, snakes and frogs.

“We want to show people that if they’re looking for a pet, it’s best to let wild animals remain in their natural habitats,” said NC Aquarium educator Beth Harkness. “Instead, look into adopting one of the many amazing animals from your local shelter.”

The event is included with regular aquarium admission.

The NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is dedicated to the mission of “Inspiring appreciation and conservation of North Carolina’s aquatic environments.”

The aquarium is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Learn More

NC Aquarium at Roanoke Island

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA – The North Carolina Aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and on Roanoke Island have joined with other top aquariums across the country to create the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, which launched earlier this summer the national “In Our Hands” campaign address plastic pollution.

Through the In Our Hands campaign, these aquariums hope to empower their 20 million visitors and their communities to drive a national shift away from single-use plastic that poses a major threat to ocean and freshwater animals and toward innovative alternatives. The campaign includes a website that inspires visitors to make positive everyday behavior changes and raise awareness of the issue.

“As leaders in conservation, the North Carolina Aquariums strive to make impactful efforts that reduce the flow of plastic to the ocean,” said Hap Fatzinger, director of the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium. “Our hope is that our visitors and communities will see what we are doing to cut single-use plastics and will be inspired to make their own efforts. The ‘In Our Hands’ campaign is a great way for all of these voices to come together to make a difference on this pressing issue that threatens the health of wildlife in the ocean, lakes and rivers.”

All of the aquariums are also supporting this shift away from single-use plastic on their own grounds. As of Monday, Aug. 21, all partnership members have eliminated plastic straws and single-use plastic take-away bags in their facilities.

This summer, the North Carolina Aquariums and the other aquariums are raising awareness and sparking consumer action by bringing focus to the many ways they’ve cut back on single-use plastic in their operations.

To help reduce single-use plastic bottles, the  Pine Knoll Shores aquarium has installed water bottle filling stations for public and staff. They have also installed several new recycling stations on their grounds, and will host beach cleanups late this summer.

In hopes of additional plastic reduction, the aquariums have also committed to significantly reduce or eliminate plastic beverage bottles by December 2020 and showcase innovative alternatives to single-use plastic in their facilities.

About 8.8 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean each year worldwide, or roughly a dump truck full of plastic every minute of every day. In the United States alone, plastic waste averages more than 200 pounds per person each year.  If nothing changes, by 2025 the flow of plastic into the ocean is expected to double.

The partnership was first championed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, National Aquarium in Baltimore and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, in collaboration with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Coalition partners include the following: Aquarium of the Pacific; California Academy of Sciences/Steinhart Aquarium; Monterey Bay Aquarium; Mystic Aquarium; The Florida Aquarium in Tampa; Shedd Aquarium; Newport Aquarium in Kentucky; Audubon Nature Institute/Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans; National Aquarium in Baltimore; New England Aquarium; Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium; Wildlife Conservation Society/New York Aquarium; South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston; Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga; Texas State Aquarium; Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center; Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium; and Seattle Aquarium.

Learn More

• In Our Hands

The North Caroline Aquarium on Roanoke Island announced Monday it was granted an accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, signifying that the aquarium is providing its animals with the best care possible.

In a press statement, NCARI said that the aquarium underwent a thorough review process to meet standards for accreditation, and must do so every five years to maintain its membership with AZA. The review process looks at the aquarium’s animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, financial stability, education and safety. Top officials are also interviewed as part of the process.

The aquarium reopened to the public in 2016 after it underwent a $6.5 million renovation to enhance and upgrade exhibits, including the Ironclad Sanctuary, which tells the story of the Civil War ship, the Monitor.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in conservation, animal welfare, education, science and recreation.

Learn More

• North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums

MANTEO – Registration is open for summer camps at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

Summer camp programs at the aquarium offer a wide variety of fun, educational and active adventures for children aged 5-14.

This year, the aquarium offers seven different camps with activities ranging from snorkeling, kayaking and exploring in Aquatic Adventures to getting an up-close look at sea turtles in Sea Turtle Hatchling Camp and learning what it’s like to take care of aquarium animals in the Aquarist Camp. Aspiring anglers can wet a line in Fisherman’s Camp, while wanna-be pirates can follow in the footsteps of Roanoke Island Explorers in Croatan Treasures.

All camps take place in June, July and August. Parents can find more details and register online.

Learn More

• Register at ncaquariums.com/Roanoke-island or call 252-475-2314.

Volunteers are needed on Feb. 24 to help the North Carolina Coastal Federation and the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores bag oysters shells that will become habitats for marine animals and will help protect shorelines.

The first Volunteer Service Corps project of 2017 will be held at the North Carolina Coastal Federation office off 3609 N.C. 24 in the Ocean community from 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will cut, tie, lift and stack shell bags. This summer, the bags will be placed along shorelines to create living shorelines, which provide habitats and dissipate wave energy to prevent erosion.

The aquarium’s Volunteer Service Corp program was created in 2016 to encourage collaboration between the aquarium and conservation leaders in the community.

Volunteers must be adults or supervised children over the age of 12. The event will accommodate a wide range of physical capability.

The event is free but registration is required.  Volunteers should dress in layers and in clothes they are comfortable getting dirty. Snacks will be provided.

Learn More

• Register for the event
• Learn more about living shorelines

MANTEO — The North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island has added four new juvenile alligators for public viewing in the aquarium’s Seven Rivers gallery, one of four new galleries included in a major renovation this year.

The four alligators, Ham, Cheese, Turkey and Gravy, are all about two years old. They were seized from a private residence where they were being fed what they were named after, which is an unhealthy diet for growing alligators. At the aquarium, they enjoy fish, crayfish, crickets and other healthy options.

At the time of their arrival, the aquarium was under renovation. The alligators lived behind the scenes for a year while the gallery was being completed.

The alligators were introduced to the Seven Rivers gallery earlier this month. Aquarium officials said the alligators have taken to their new home nicely.

The alligators join the aquarium’s two adult alligators, Harlow and Bleu, and two other juveniles, Bo and Al.

Learn More

• The North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island will honor the first all African-American crew of the lifesaving service on Pea Island’s lifesaving station at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5.

The community celebration will honor the life of Richard Etheridge, the keeper of the first all African-American Coast Guard Lifesaving station, whose burial site was rediscovered from 40 years ago during the construction of the aquarium. The lifesaving station operated from 1878 to 1947, and Etheridge ran as its keeper from 1880 to 1900.

The restored burial site also contains the plots of some Etheridge’s family members.

One of the crew’s most notable moments was the rescue of the crew of the E.S. Newman during a hurricane in 1896. The 120th anniversary of the rescue will be honored at this week’s event with a rededication ceremony at a redesigned memorial site.

Speakers at the event include retired Coast Guard Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon, who initiated a posthumous award for the lifesaving crew; Virginia Tillett, former member of the Dare County Board of Commissioners and the county’s board of education; and Darrell Collins, a National Park Service historian.

The ceremony will be held outside of the aquarium, near the front entrance. Guests can stop by at 3 p.m. to learn about the celebration.

The Pea Island Cookhouse Museum in Manteo will also be open from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4 as part of the event.

To Learn More

• Visit the aquarium’s website
• Read the Outer Banks Voice article

MOREHEAD CITY- Sea turtle enthusiasts traveled more than 20 miles offshore Wednesday to witness the release of rehabilitated juvenile sea turtles into the Atlantic Ocean.

The 33 turtles, all loggerheads, began their lives on one of North Carolina’s beaches injured, sick or weak. They were nursed back to health and released by the staff of the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Loggerhead sea turtles are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

20 staff members and 50 attendees met at the Carolina Princess dock in Morehead City to embark on the two-hour trip aboard the 95-foot headboat to reach a location 22 miles off the coast.

One attendee, Corinne Everett Belch of New Bern, said she wanted to go on the trip to participate in something the aquarium was doing for the good of the environment.

“I’m excited to go out and definitely see the sea turtles swim away,” she said. “I like the idea of seeing their first taste of freedom.”

Among the turtles released this week were 20 hatchlings that had been rescued during the summer, some only a few weeks old. Many were found weak, struggling at the bottom of their nests, or sick and washed up on a beach.

The remaining 13 turtles range in age from a year to 2 years old. Four of them were loaned to partner aquariums, the National Aquarium in Maryland, the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky and Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey, for educational purposes. The remaining yearling turtles were given to and rehabilitated by the aquariums throughout the year.

Aquarium officials invited the public — for a $100 fee — to join 20 aquarium employees and volunteers, including representatives from visiting aquariums, and reporters to witness the release.

Michele Lamping, an aquarist at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores who took care of the turtles, said there had been public demand to watch the releases. But meeting the demand had been difficult because of time, temperature and location requirements. For the last two years, however, she said the aquarium has responded by offering the opportunity to a limited number of interested people.

“The only way to do that is to take the public with us offshore,” Lamping said.

During the release, staff members placed the turtles into laundry baskets and then slowly lowered each basket into the water. As the basket was submerged, the turtles glided out.

Most turtles shot straight out to the water, quickly darting away until they were nearly out of sight. One released turtle, however, swam back toward the boat, prompting shouts of “it’s coming back!” from adults and children alike. This turtle eventually made its way as well.

The aquarium released the turtles at sea rather than on the beach in order to give them the best shot at survival. Baby turtles are naturally born with a yolk sac that provides them enough energy to get to the warmer parts of the Gulf Stream current to find areas where their food, namely small fish that live in sea weed, is plentiful. However, once the aquarium has had the turtles for a few days, this yolk sac dries up and is no longer viable. In order to ensure that the turtles can make it to the Gulf Stream, which the turtles use to find food and travel, the staff tries to get them as close as they can by dropping them off in the ocean.

“It should be an easy swim for them to get to the Gulf Stream,” Lamping said.

Long Road to Release

Before the turtles were released into their natural habitat, they had to be nurtured back to health.

Lamping said the turtles were fed daily a healthy diet of omnivore gel food, also known as reptile treats, modified fish food and krill. In addition, turtles with injuries go through physical therapy and treatments. In order to be released, Lamping said the turtles must pass a health test from a veterinarian and must be approved for release by the state Wildlife Resources Commission.

The healthiest turtles become part of the one-year loan program with other aquariums. Those turtles were taken Thursday to the partner aquariums. Following the program, they will be released back into the Atlantic Ocean.

In a previous article, CRO reported on the first five baby sea turtles of the summer to be rescued by the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. One of these turtles was released this week and one more will remain at the aquarium where it will be fitted with a satellite tracking tag before it is released. The other three are going to other aquariums for the one-year education loan program.

All the turtles are tagged with passive integrated transponder tags that are injected under the skin and help identify and track turtles that may be found later, similar to microchips used for pets.

Lamping said she thought attendees had a good time on the trip. She said programs such as the release are important because the public can learn about the problems sea turtles face.

“The whole conservation message gets to them,” she said. “I think it’s an important way to reach people, and then those people will tell their friends and family what they did, what they learned.”

To Learn More

• The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
• Loggerhead Sea Turtles (NOAA Fisheries)

PINE KNOLL SHORES  — Every summer in the back halls of the North Carolina Aquarium here, several large tanks become hospital wards for injured, sick or weak baby sea turtles brought in from local beaches. The aquarium welcomed the first five hatchlings of the season last week, with dozens more expected in the coming months.

Michele Lamper, an aquarist at the aquarium, runs the rehabilitation program, which seeks to treat and release juvenile sea turtles back into the ocean. She works on the project with the state Wildlife Resources Commission, which makes decisions regarding sea turtles on land.

Most sea turtle species, including loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley and green are endangered. Lamping said saving as many babies as possible is important because only one in a thousand will make it to adulthood. Saving and releasing a turtle, she said, still means that turtle might die, but it could increase the chance of another turtle surviving.

“Once they get to the water, then it’s up to nature, and most of the time it will get eaten,” Lamper said. “If he happens to be the one that gets eaten and it happens to save another one who does reach adulthood, then okay, great. We’re still accomplishing.”

Sea turtles come to the aquarium for a variety of reasons between May and October, their nesting season. Some are injured by predators, buried in their nest or are found moving away from the ocean after following a light source in the wrong direction.

This year’s nesting has been record-breaking, with about 1,520 sea turtle nests identified along the North Carolina coast. Of the nests, only four are Kemp’s Ridley and 17 are green. The rest belong to loggerhead turtles. Since the arrival of the initial five turtles, Lamping now has a dozen under her care.

With such large numbers of nests, Lamping expects more hatchlings to arrive. The aquarium, she noted, has never had less than a hundred in a season.

The five hatchlings, which are all loggerheads, represent a diversity of ailments afflicting baby sea turtles.

Two of the turtles were found on Atlantic Beach with little energy. Their shells and flippers were still soft and folded. Too weak to live in water, the turtles were placed by Lamping into a dry bucket with a moist towel upon arrival, but Lamping said they’re now swimming and eating on their own.

Two more turtles were found, dehydrated, at the bottom of a nest in Emerald Isle. A ghost crab had dug a hole in their nest, making it impossible for them to climb out. They also suffered from folded left flippers that Lamping plans to correct with physical therapy, including flipper rotations and stretches. One of the turtles was also taking antibiotics for an eye infection. Lamping said the turtles are also swimming and eating on their own.

The last turtle was found in Pine Knoll Shores after he made it out to the ocean, but was washed back to the beach. Lamping said the turtle hasn’t been able to eat on his own since he was found, and is not optimistic about his survival.

“We’re doing a mixture of force-feeding and we also have some fluids on him since he hasn’t been able to turn it around,” she said.

There are a variety of treatments for the turtles, including vitamins in their food, plankton and injectable fluids. Lamping said most of her time is spent flushing out wounds and keeping the turtles clean.

“I clean them every day. I flush them every day,” she said.

Before they are released back into the ocean, a vet checks on all of them to make sure they’re swimming, diving and eating properly. Most will be released back. Lamping said some may need additional time to strengthen up or may have to stay in captivity if they are unable to live in the wild.

The turtles stay in the facility anywhere from a couple of days to months, depending on the illness or injury. Some turtles simply hatch too early and are released within days if they still have their yolk sacs, a nutrient source, attached. Those that do not will be released in October, when they are stronger.

Lamping said that for those turtles, the aquarium cannot simply release the turtles onto the beach after a few days because they won’t have yolk sacs to nourish them in waters near the shore, which don’t have much food. Instead, the aquarium waits a couple of months, until they know the turtles are healthy, can catch their own food and can swim proficiently, releasing them into the ocean with a higher chance of survival.

Ten to 15 healthy turtles are selected to stay in the aquarium or are used as part of an educational loan program, where they are sent to aquariums all over the country for one to three years, after which they are released into the ocean. Lamping said programs like these help educate hundreds of visitors every day.

Lamping said there are several human factors that can contribute to the obstacles hatchlings face. For example, lights on beaches lead hatchlings away from the ocean and can lead to their deaths at the hands of ghost crabs or the scorching sun. Tire marks that run parallel to the water and holes left by beachgoers can trap the babies, leaving them vulnerable to prey and dehydration.

She recalled an incident when a group of hatchlings were found dead in tire tracks.

“It was probably enough time, enough heat and sun,” she said, “that it killed them.”