Aquarium Audio

Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Francisco J. Ayala, states while although it is desirable to improve the human condition, there are issues surrounding the human genome. There also is an ongoing conflict between science and religion, but Ayala attempts to explain that these two viewpoints can coexist and are simply different dimensions of the world.

Francisco J. Ayala, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California at Irvine, shares how evolution shows us the history of life through time and how natural selection is the mechanism by which change in organism occur. Ayala also covers ways to improve awareness of the current ecological crisis our world faces, and ways to preserve the environment and biological diversity.

Monitors are intelligent carnivorous lizards that include the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world. A species of monitor known as “Kalabeck’s monitor” was rediscovered in the 1990s after it had been re-identified as a distinct species. Baxter the monitor at the Aquarium is an example of this species.

The menacing-looking sand tiger shark is unfairly labeled as a man-eater. The species is vulnerable across much of its range due to bycatch and recreational fishing. In Australia, efforts to restore the sharks’ population include endangered species listing, recovery planning, and captive breeding.

Are you seafood savvy? Do you know what fish are good for you, which are sustainably fished and which are overfished? Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret), Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, talks about FishWatch. This new program of NOAA’s Office of Fisheries presents up-to-date scientific data and is designed to help the public make intelligent, informed decisions about the fish they select to consume.

Rear Admiral Richard West, USN (Re.) is president of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) division of the Consortium of Ocean Leadership whose mission is to advance research, education, and sound ocean policy. In his view of the ocean from Washington, Admiral West gives us a candid look at what’s happening now and a peek into the future.

The National Ocean and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), under the direction of Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret), is charged with analyzing and predicting the nation’s climate and weather now and into the future. Admiral Lautenbacher explains how NOAA agencies are responding to the need to help society understand, plan for, and respond to climate variability and change.

Tom Bowman is one of the premier interpreters of global warming science, impacts, and solutions. Tom led the design teams that created hands-on climate exhibitions for the Marian Koshland Science Museum, the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, and the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA. Policymakers and the design press have acknowledged these award-winning exhibitions for bringing balanced, authentic science to the public in engaging ways.

The Cabo Pulmo reefs along Baja California support marine life ranging from strikingly colorful fish to playful seal lions, but these reefs have been endangered by a variety of sources. Due to this threat, the Mexican government has made it a national marine park. See some of the animals native to Cabo Pulmo represented at the Aquarium.

There are rescue animals, or animals that would not be able to survive in the wild, that reside at the Aquarium of the Pacific, including sea otters, sea lions, and other marine creatures. One of those is a recent addition to the Aquarium family, a sea lion named Odin. Despite the fact that Odin is nearly blind, he has acclimated to his new home quite nicely.

An informative talk on the sea otters in our Sea Otter Habitat located in the Northern Pacific Gallery here at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

There are several types of diving birds that can be found at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The Horned Puffins, in particular, prove to be popular among visitors. And Horned Puffins have been sighted in Southern California more than ever before.

Aquarium of the Pacific visitors have the opportunity to not only interact with marine animals, but also discover some unexpected terrestrial creatures as well. These creatures are referred to as Program Animals, and include various mammals, birds and reptiles.

Bill Patzert has a PhD in oceanography and is a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab at the California Institute of Technology.

Coral reefs can be found all over the world, and are as old as they are diverse. Although they've survived millions of years, human impact threatens the longevity of coral reefs and the organisms that inhabit them.