1 WINTER 2014 • TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM

AQUARIUM NEWS SPRING 2015

Greetings Aquarium members and friends,I hope your 2015 is off to a great start. If you have visited the Aquarium recently, you know that big changes are underway. In December of last year, we broke ground on the largest expansion in our 25-year history, the Caribbean Journey building.

A lot of construction activity has happened since then; however, most of it our guests will never see. In order to create a solid foundation, over 200 concrete piers are being installed to support the new wing. Each pier is two to three feet in diameter and up to 90 feet long and is capable of supporting over 100 tons! Piers are constructed by drilling a hole down into the ground about 90 feet deep, and then filling that hole with highly reinforced concrete. On top of each set of the piers, pile caps are formed out of two foot thick slabs of reinforced concrete. This pier and pile cap system will form the foundation for our new 65,000 square feet building.

Over the next several months, after we finish the foundation work, you will begin to see the walls coming up. The top of the new glass roof will be over 100 feet above sea level, and about twice as high as our existing building.

Our goal is to have the new building completed by January of 2017 and open to the public sometime in the spring of 2017. Throughout the next two years of construction, there will be changes to our operations, such as the temporary relocation of our front entrance, and the temporary transport of our two bottlenose dolphins, Kai, and Shadow to our SeaLab center. I ask for your patience as we work through these changes.

This new building program will finish what was started over 25 years ago―a visionary dream and a visionary mission: to create an aquarium, a great aquarium, for Texas. Stay tuned!

Tom SchmidPresident and CEO

LETTER FROM OUR CEO

TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM • SPRING 2015

The Texas State Aquarium is

Proud Partners with:

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AQUARIUM NEWSAQUARIUM NEWS

YOU ‘OTTER’ MEET THE AQUARIUM’S NEWEST ARRIVAL:

3 SPRING 2015 • TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM

She clambers up the stone embankment, her whiskers twitching and eyes taking in everything she sees. She spies a nearby rock and grabs it in both her paws, diving into the water and then playing a game of balancing it on her furry head as she acrobatically darts from the bottom of the Otter Creek exhibit and back to the top.

Ari, a curious and very energetic female North American river otter, is the Aquarium’s newest resident. The 16-pound one-year-old came to call the Aquarium home in early January via the North Carolina Zoo.

We were excited to celebrate the young otter’s first birthday on January 12! For her special day, Ari was treated with a fish-filled Jell-O and ice cake! At first intimidated by the foreign frozen food, the investigative otter swam around it from side to side, checking out every angle and sniffing out what she could. Though she didn’t immediately scarf down the tasty treat, she eventually took the plunge and dared to nibble on one of the edges and grab a few bites of fish.

Soon after, the Aquarium hosted a 10-day online contest to let the Corpus

Christi community and Aquar-ium fans name the

new otter, who shares the

exhibit with 10-year-old male North American river otter Merlin. The proffered name choices were Zoe, Sadie, Mia, Hope, and of course, the winner – Ari, which means “brave.”

Garnering 30 percent of the vote, the social media community commented that they liked the “short, sweet” sound of Ari.

It took Ari no time at all to adapt to her new surroundings in her Otter Creek home. Head Marine Mammal Trainer Emma Gilbert said the animal, who is a very healthy size for her age, took to the exhibit area immediately.

“Oh yeah, she was checking out every nook, cranny, rock and palm tree frond in there,” Gilbert exclaimed, “She’s super curious and exploratory!”

As enrichment, the otters often receive palm tree fronds and other plant leaves. Enrich-ment is a dynamic process for enhancing

animal environments within the context of the animals’ behavioral biology

and natural history. Environ-mental changes are made

with the goal of increasing the animal’s behavioral

choices by drawing out their species-

appropriate be-haviors and to improve their

social,

cognitive, and psychological well being.

To help in this process, zoos and aquariums often use environmental enrichment devices (EEDs), which are objects that animals can manipulate. EEDs can either be novel or pre-existing and can range from natural to man made. Each department within our Animal Husbandry program has its own unique enrichment program that is provided for its animals.

Due to Ari’s love of playing with them, Gilbert said she has been adding a number of rocks to the Otter Creek exhibit to further encour-age her exploratory behavior.

Gilbert said Merlin is adjusting just fine to his new companion. “It’s the same situation wherein you have an older dog and then introduce a puppy into the mix. She keeps stealing his favorite spot to sleep in, but the second she moves, he plants himself right there and claims his space back. It’s pretty funny to watch,” she explained.

Gilbert said she expects the Aquarium’s daily “You Otter Know This” presentation will be double the fun now that two otters will be liv-ing at Otter Creek.

“She brings so much fun and energy to the Aquarium,” said Gilbert, “We’re lucky and happy to have her.”

Aquarium President & CEO Tom Schmid echoed Gilbert’s feelings, saying, “Ari’s youthful excitement and energy make her

a wonderful, fun new addition to Otter Creek, and we hope you will all

come out to see her.”

TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM • SPRING 20154

AQUARIUM NEWS

The exciting new Caribbean Journey addi-tion will have a surgical center with state-of-the-art equipment dedicated for our animal collection thanks to a charitable gift from philanthropist and Aquarium Trustee Celika Storm.

“I care deeply about the health and well-being of all animals,” says Storm, “And supporting a project like this allows the Aquarium staff to be even more helpful and responsive when needed.”

“It’s a suite that is separated into three differ-ent areas - a treatment area, a radiology area and an isolated surgical area where they can do complete sterile surgeries,” explains Jesse Gilbert, Aquarium Vice President & COO. “We will be able to completely contain all of our veterinary practice here on site.”

Storm said making a transformational impact on the Aquarium’s veterinary care ability is the motivation behind her generous gift.

“It is very important to give to grounds and habitats for all animals,” says Storm, “But I also like to help the ones that are sick or injured, and the Aquarium staff does a great job with both.”

The new equipment afforded by Storm’s gift is state-of-the-art digital technology for radi-ology and endoscopic procedures. Due to the machinery’s portabil-ity, the staff has more flexibility in its use. For example, the x-ray machine can be taken

to Dolphin Bay to perform x-

rays on the dolphins, and then wirelessly send those im-ages to computers through-out the Aquarium, thereby eliminating the time-consum-ing and sometimes stressful

task of moving animals.

And the benefits of such tech-nology don’t stop there.

“The digital endoscopic equipment allows us to also have digital results,” says Gilbert. “We can take the equipment to any site, do a

procedure on any animal, capture all the im-ages on a digital medical file and then share them with other facilities and teams. We have

not been able to do anything like this in the past.” There is even a float-ing table – powered by magnets - that will allow our patients to be centered with the radiology equipment,

making the process easier on staff and the patients.

“You can load a 700-pound turtle on the table, and the table glides with the push of a finger,” explains Gilbert.

The Aquarium is grateful for such a gift and looks forward to utilizing the Celika Storm Surgical Center to greatly benefit our flip-pered, four-legged, and feathered friends.

“I care deeply about the health and well-being of all animals,” says

Storm, “And supporting a project like this allows the Aquarium staff to be even more helpful and re-

sponsive when needed.”

Campaign Caribbean CornerCelika Storm Surgical Center

YOUR AQUARIUM

SeaCampWhere can kids learn a lifelong love for the ocean and all of its inhabitants while having the best summer ever? That’s right – it’s that awesome time of year again – SeaCamp registration! This summer, help your student continue to advance his or her education and nature-inspired fascination by registering for one or more of our 12 week-long sessions that provide an inclusive and collaborative learning environment to spark that interest in the sciences!

SeaCamp focuses on promoting (STEM) science, technology, engineering, math, and similar subjects through exploration and discovery that empower campers to reach their full potential. Students will learn to think critically about their environ-ments, while sharpening their investigative skills and, of course, experiencing that good old fashioned summertime fun full of outdoors, fishing, kayaking, and pool time.

By using age appropriate learning through physical play, creative and critical think-ing, and hands-on exploration, your student will gain a unique view of and appreciation for science.

We are excited to introduce three new specialized SeaCamp topics- Sharks, Oceanography and Bioinspiration! Camp-ers will be immersed in all things sharks, oceanography or bioinspiration as they enjoy some of our “most loved” activities, such as Aquarium visits, along with a whole host of new and engaging activities, such as chatting with an ocean scientist, tracking a shark or designing “prod-ucts” from nature.

Sessions run June 1- August 21, 2015 and are available for students ages 4-17. For more informa-tion and for rates, please contact Rosanna Gossett at 361-881-1204 or visit texasstateaquarium.org./seacamp

CURRENT EVENTS5 SPRING 2015 • TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM

Aquarium Releases Rehabilitated Brown Pelican Back Into Its Natural HabitatThe Aquarium’s Second Chances Wildlife Re-habilitation Hospital took in a juvenile brown pelican on January 2, after the lethargic shorebird was found on Saratoga Boulevard in front of a restaurant and turned over by Corpus Christi’s Animal Care Services.

The underweight animal was found to have several older abrasions on its left wing and a bacterial infection on both feet, once inspect-ed by Second Chances staff. According to staff, this was likely the pelican’s first winter and it was simply unprepared for and unable to handle the cold weather.

After monitoring the bird’s flying capabili-ties and weight gain, Second Chances staff deemed it healthy and able to be returned back to its natural environment at Corpus Christi’s Packery Channel Park. Local news stations KIII and KRIS were on hand to film the pelican reacclimatize himself with his natural surroundings and fly off into the after-noon sun.

Spring Break CampJoin the adventure as we explore marine environments near and far. Participate in local field investigations and hands-on science activities to find out how our actions at home, and at school, can help or harm the ocean. We offer fun opportunities during school break times for children Kindergarten through 5th grades at our SeaLab facility. Your child can spend March 16-20 learning about ma-rine life and making new friends!

Camp is each day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Our camps and camp environments are designed to support inclusive and collabora-tive learning, promote STEM exploration and discovery and empower campers to reach

their full potential. Camps are designed specifically for each grade range with age ap-propriate interactions, games, investigations, and activities.

Each camp includes some water play or activities. Camps can fill quickly and are reg-istered on a first come, first-served basis. Call 361-881-1204 or email rgossett@txstateaq.org for registration information

CURRENT EVENTS

Current Events

The brown pelican is one of

the only two pelican spe-cies which feeds by diving

into the water.

WCCR SPOTLIGHT

TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM • SPRING 2015

WILDLIFE CARE, CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH FUND

WCCR SPOTLIGHT

Water for Wildlife

Before

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Droughts affect both human and wildlife populations. While humans can construct water storage facilities to provide reliable water supplies during droughts, wildlife must adapt to drought conditions, migrate to wetter areas, or suffer the effects of reduced food and drinking water supplies.

Increasingly frequent and more severe droughts affecting the Central Texas coast pose a threat to the recovery of the last naturally migrating population of endangered North American Whooping Cranes (Grus americanus), which winter in the coastal marshes on and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

In 2013, the San Antonio Bay Partnership, Inc. (SABP), with funding from the Texas State

Aquarium’s Wildlife Care, Conservation and Research Fund (WCCRF) and other organiza-tions launched the “Water for Wildlife” initia-tive to address this problem.

Working with ANWR staff and a water well drilling contractor, SABP first evaluated existing, but inoperable, windmill wells to determine if they could be converted to solar powered electric pumps. Based on the results, the only existing well proving suitable was converted to a solar pump and a new well drilled and equipped with a solar pump.Shallow ponds receiving the water pumped by these two wells are already being frequented by whooping cranes and other wildlife, and will prove to be reliable water sources for years to come.

Under the Water for Wildlife initiative, SABP will continue partnering with other organiza-tions to plan and implement projects aimed at mitigating the impact of drought on the estuarine resources and wildlife populations in the Coastal Bend Region of Texas. This now includes: developing water manage-ment strategies to increase the frequency and magnitude of freshwater inflows to the San Antonio Bay/Guadalupe Estuary system, developing a strategic plan for the deployment of solar powered water wells in whooping crane habitats, and installing more solar wells based on that plan.

Courtesy of James Dodson, The San Antonio Bay Partnership, Inc.

Installing Solar Water Wells on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to Provide Fresh Water Sources for Whooping Cranes and other Wildlife during Drought

After

For Senior Wild-life Specialist Kelley Shutt, the numbers never lie. So, when

the indefatigable animal care worker is having a bad day or feeling frustrated, she reminds herself of what the numbers reflect – that she and her team are not only making a differ-ence, but a sizeable one at that.

In 2014 Shutt and the Aquarium’s Second Chances Wildlife Rehabilitation Center rehabilitated and released nearly 70 birds back into their natural habitats. The animals are brought into Second Chances in various states of dehydration and malnutrition; they may have injuries like broken wings, foot infections, or even be entangled in monofila-ment, or have fishing hooks caught in their beaks or mouths.

Though it may sound misleading, Second Chances’ 30 percent release success rate is

something to be very

proud of in the world of animal rehabilitation.

“We’re thrilled to see such a high number of releases,” said Veterinary Technician Laura Martinelli. “We worked really hard last year, had a high number of patients, and it feels so good to see that reflected in the stats.”

Martinelli said many cases from last year are memorable, but the recovery and subsequent release of one special Crested Caracara, a scavenging falcon native to the area, will be one for the history books.

After attending a conference on the proce-dure, Martinelli became very interested in im-ping the injured bird. Imping is the method of facilitating feather growth in birds by inserting foreign feathers from a deceased bird of the same species into the injured bird’s feather shafts. It was the first time Second Chances staff had performed the procedure, and to see it be such a success on the first try made Martinelli extra excited to release the animal.

“To be so involved in the recov-ery process and to have had the caracara with us for so long, it just made it that much sweeter

when we released him,” said Martinelli, “It was really us living out the mission of the Aquarium.”

2014 was memorable was for many reasons and releases, all of which Shutt says keep her and her staff

going every day.

“Those re-lease numbers

take away our bad days,

and they give us such a sense of

purpose,” explains Shutt, “The numbers

just help the spirit.”

SECOND CHANCES

7 WCCR SPOTLIGHT

Second Chances:Taking Flight

SPRING 2015 • TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM

“We’re thrilled to see such a high number of releases,” said Veterinary Technician Laura Martinelli. “We worked really hard last year, had a high num-ber of patients, and it feels so good to see that reflected in the stats.”

The brown pelican

is one of the only two pelican species which

feeds by diving into the water.

CALENDAR

March 14: H-E-B Splash Park OpensThe H-E-B Splash Park will be open every day of Spring Break 2015, Saturday, March 7 – Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

March 1: Aquarium Hours ChangeBeginning Sunday, March 1, the Aquarium’s hours of operation will be 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

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1 texasstateaquarium.orgHours of OperationSummer Hours: Winter Hours:9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Monday – Sunday Monday – Sunday(begins March 1) (begins Labor Day)

Our MissionConnecting people with nature and inspiring conservation of the Gulf of Mexico.

Our VisionTo be a nationally-recognized Aquarium leader in creating entertaining, educationally-enriching programming; con-ducting wildlife rehabilitation; and supporting conservation.

How To Contact Us:Accounting (361) 881-1286Admissions (361) 881-1230Donations & Development (361) 881-2612Education & SeaCamp (361) 881-1204Executive Offices (361) 881-1200Event Rentals (361) 881-1244Food Court (361) 881-1239General Information (361) 881-1200Gift Shop (361) 881-1232Group Reservations (361) 881-1307Guide Office (361) 881-1250Injured Animal (361) 881-1210Membership (361) 881-1340Volunteers (361) 881-1381

The Texas State Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). AZA is America’s leading

accrediting organization for zoos and aquariums, and ac-credits only those institutions that have achieved rigorous, professional standards for animal care and management, veterinary care, wildlife conservation and research, educa-tion, safety, staffing, and more. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 ac-credited members, AZA is building North America’s largest wildlife conservation movement and is your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information, visit www.aza.org.

The Texas State Aquarium was desig-nated as a Coastal America Coastal Eco-system Learning Center in 1998. Coastal America combines the resources of federal agencies with marine educational centers. The mutual partnership extends

to involving communities in protection, preservation, and restoration projects throughout the Nation.

April 18: Party for the PlanetHelp us celebrate Earth Day as we Party for the Planet! We’ll have games, crafts, and giveaways, plus you can learn some easy ways that you can help keep our planet healthy. The mission of the Texas State Aquarium is to inspire appreciation and wise stewardship of the Gulf of Mexico. Party for the Planet celebrates Earth Day and emphasizes our mission with fun, family events that encourage discovery at the Aquarium and beyond.

May 15: Endangered Species DayJoin us as we celebrate the amazing animals that inhabit our world and learn all about how to help and protect the ones that are endangered or threatened. We will have a host of fun and educational programming you won’t want to miss!

March 22: Splash Park Hours ChangeFrom Sunday, March 22 through Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, the H-E-B Splash Park will be open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

May 20: Homeschool Program: It’s a Bird World Pelicans, sandpipers, spoonbills, and herons – oh my! Students will fly right into facts and fun featuring the many feathered friends of the Coastal Bend are and beyond.

March 25: Homeschool Program: Guardians of the Sea Part 1We depend on the ocean for our food, air, weather, fun, travel, and climate. When the ocean isn’t healthy, we aren’t healthy. Marine debris and other ocean pollution has become a serious problem over the decades as we neglect our ocean and use waterways as dumping grounds. During March and April, students will become “Guardians of the Sea” as they learn about marine debris, investigate its impacts and identify ways to keep our ocean healthy.

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CALENDARTEXAS STATE AQUARIUM • SPRING 20158

April 15: Homeschool Program: Guardians of the Sea Part 2Students will continue their investigation and delve deeper into what it means to protect our world’s oceans and how things they do every day can impact the health of the ocean.

15APRIL June 6: World Oceans Day Party

Hundreds of events are planned around the nation to help people get involved in solutions for a healthy ocean and society. By supporting clean energy choices, trash-free coasts and beaches, sustainable seafood, and more, we can celebrate the world’s oceans and keep them in good shape for generations to come. We’ll be featuring games, great activities, giveaways and more!

The Aquarium has extended Spring Break hours!

We will be open 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. from Saturday, March 7 – Saturday, March 21