Aquarium News Archive

Approximately one hundred and seventy critically endangered southern mountain yellow-legged frogs were released into their wild habitat in the Southern California mountains on August 29 and 30, 2023.

The one male and two female sea otters were found stranded and were deemed non-releasable to the wild by government wildlife officials.

Kelp forests have been under threat and the Aquarium is joining partners in a new scientific project to help kelp.

In a bid to help protect an endangered species and encourage science-based decision making, the Aquarium of the Pacific has published a paper on managing the U.S. population of endangered gray wolves in the peer-reviewed journal Conservation Science and Practice.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of several partners on a team that was awarded a $750,000 NOAA Sea Grant to fund sustainable fish breeding and raise awareness about aquaculture among the public and commercial fishers.

Mountain yellow-legged frogs faced near-extinction after the devastating Bobcat Fire in 2020. Now, with help from the Aquarium and other partners, this species has a chance at survival.

The Aquarium’s longtime partnership with SECORE International has made it possible for several staff members to travel around the world to participate in hands-on coral reef restoration projects.

The study was envisioned by Aquarium Veterinarian Dr. Lance Adams and involved four zebra sharks living at the Aquarium of the Pacific, one male and three females. Zebra sharks are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

The Aquarium is lending a helping hand to a baby sea otter that was recently rescued off the coast of Pismo Beach, California. Government wildlife officials determined that the orphaned pup could not survive on his own in the wild and deemed him unreleasable. The Aquarium offered to help, and the pup made his way to Southern California.

After the oil spill in Orange County in October 2021, four of the Aquarium’s staff members who are trained by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network were called into duty to help search beaches and rescue oiled birds and animals.

The Aquarium is currently housing mountain yellow-legged frog tadpoles in a behind-the-scenes area as part of a survival plan for the species, which is endangered. They will be raised at the Aquarium with the goal of eventually releasing them back into the wild.

The Aquarium of the Pacific has been assisting with recent efforts to rescue elegant tern chicks in the Long Beach Harbor.

SoCal students in grades 9-12 are invited to submit short films for the chance to win cash prizes and be featured in the Aquarium’s High Tide Student Film Festival

The survey’s findings, that sharks are functionally extinct on nearly 20 percent of the world’s coral reefs, were published in the journal Nature this month.

After successful breeding programs in aquarium settings, the project partners hope to help local populations of this distinctive fish rebound. Juvenile giant sea bass are being released in local waters.