Aquarium Audio

Natalie Webster is the granddaughter, daughter, and wife of tuna fishermen so tuna fishing and the ups and downs of the tuna industry have long been part of her life. Five years ago she helped found the American Albacore Fishing Association, a small fishery made up of 21 family-owned boats in San Diego, California. She talks to us about her views of the state of the tuna industry today and how the instability and potential bleak future for the industry can be helped.

Desray Reeb, Ph.D., is what is commonly called a whale hugger. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where her research included studies of pygmy right whales, mike, humpback, and both northern and southern right whales. More recently she has participated in studies of the northern Pacific right whale in the Bering Sea and sperm whales and other cetaceans in the Gulf of California.

Sara Gerhardt and Elizabeth Pepin not only know how to surf waves, they also know how to make them. Each in her own way has pushed the envelope for women in the male-dominated world of surfing. Gerhardt, who has a PhD in physical chemistry, has been a surfer for over 20 years. She was the first woman to surf Mavericks with its 20 foot tall waves. Pepin has been capturing the women's surf scene with her camera since 1997. Her skills at photographing the surfing scene have earned her four Emmy Awards.

Carl Palazzolo, DVM, likes large animals as evidenced by his experiences caring for a 300 pound Siberian tiger. He has traveled the world to work on the conservation of endangered species such as black rhinos in Zimbabwe, Africa and the critically endangered orangutans of Borneo. De Palazzolo shares his experiences with the orangutans and the adventures he has had working to save other endangered species.

Robert Gottlieb is a Henry R. Luce Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College in Los Angeles. He is a writer, educator, and activist who has been described as a "pioneer in redefining environmentalism, turning ideas into action, and forging coalitions in the often murky atmosphere of Los Angeles". The author of "Reinventing Los Angeles", he believes that LA can become a more livable and sustainable city.

Clipperton Island is the easternmost coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean. This remote island enjoys a colorful history. Its isolation is not enough to protect its pristine reefs and unique wildlife from human impacts.

The demand for live fish for both the marine aquarium and seafood trade spurs the use of destructive collecting techniques, including cyanide fishing. Cyanide is a toxic chemical used to stun the fish, allowing them to be gathered by hand. Many fish suffer lasting injury and experience early mortality. The fishermen frequently cause physical damage to reefs during collecting as well, destroying branching corals while getting at small fish in crevices.

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.

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.

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.