Learn About COVID-19 Impacts Now and in the Future with Aquarium’s Free Five-Session Live Webinar Course

November 4, 2020

WHAT: The COVID-19 pandemic has many people thinking about the implications for our relationship with nature and wildlife, public health policy, economics, education, and the environment. The pandemic has impacted everyone and all industries and institutions. It has also highlighted inequities throughout society and will lead to lasting changes in the ways we work, how cities function, and other possible futures. The Aquarium of the Pacific invites the public to join a free live virtual course with leading experts to explore these and other topics starting on November 10, 2020.

In a five-session online course called COVID-19 Exposed: The Lessons We Need to Learn, the Aquarium will host live talks with experts to examine the pandemic’s many facets and its wide-ranging impacts. Class sessions will cover an overview of the disease and pandemic, the public health response in the U.S. and around the world, and impacts of COVID-19 on the economy, education, environment, businesses, museums, zoos, and aquariums. It will also address the intersections of healthcare and social inequities and what our future might look like in 2021 and beyond.

Topics will be presented by different experts and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. Speakers will include John Keisler, director of economic development for the City of Long Beach; Celeste DeWald, executive director of the California Association of Museums; Kelly Colopy, director of the City of Long Beach Health and Human Services Department; Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities; Holly Buck, postdoctoral research fellow at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability; Dr. Anissa Davis, health officer for the City of Long Beach; Nicole Meek, director of operations at the Aquarium of the Pacific; and Peter Kareiva, president and CEO at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

The Aquatic Academy is part of the Aquarium’s Online Academy, which offers free educational resources for both children and adults ranging from live classes and webcams to on-demand content.

WHEN: Introduction: Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT Course sessions: Wednesdays, November 11 & 18, December 2 & 9, 2020, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT

WHERE: Aquarium of the Pacific’s website: aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/aquatic_academy

COST: The course is free to registered participants, but donations to help cover the course cost are welcomed.

INFO: (562) 590-3100 or visit aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/aquatic_academy

AQUARIUM: The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored by scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature’s services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include Shark Lagoon, Lorikeet Forest, June Keyes Penguin Habitat, the Molina Animal Care Center, moon jelly touch tank, and the Seals and Sea Lions Habitat. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, including through its Online Academy. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months, VIP Entrance, and other special benefits. Visit the Aquarium’s website for current information at aquariumofpacific.org or call (562) 590-3100.