Watermarks

Summer 2024

Welcome to Watermarks

In the latest issue of Watermarks, our digital magazine for National Aquarium members, we're shining a light on what might be hiding in plain sight. In a photo essay and a video, we share the years of quiet work our team puts into building relationships with Aquarium animals so we can provide them with industry-leading care throughout their lifespans. This issue will also examine the many ways that algae—from phytoplankton to seaweed—are the unsung heroes of the ocean. The latest installment of our subwatershed series takes a look at the hidden headwaters of the Gwynns Falls stream in Baltimore County and follows as it flows through West Baltimore, eventually meeting the Patapsco River far beneath a busy highway interchange. Plus, you'll get to sneak a peek at our newest exhibit, National Aquarium Harbor Wetland presented by CFG Bank, opening this summer in the Inner Harbor.

In This Issue

Peek into this issue to explore how we care for National Aquarium animals throughout their lives, why algae deserve our appreciation, where the Gwynns Falls begins and ends, and how the new National Aquarium Harbor Wetland presented by CFG Bank is shaping up ahead of its opening this summer!

Getting on in Years: Caring for Older Animals

Meet some National Aquarium animals whose advanced ages may (or may not) be apparent, and learn how staff tailor care for these older individuals.

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The Ocean's Unsung Heroes

Gwynns Falls: West Side Story

Building the Aquarium's Newest Exhibit

Time Waits for No One

From sharks and birds to tortoises and frogs, caring for National Aquarium animals as they age requires careful observation, creativity, patience and flexibility. Meet some Aquarium animals whose advanced ages may (or may not!) be apparent and learn how our team tailors care for these older individuals.

Unsung Heroes

Much of the oxygen we breathe is thanks to algae, from phytoplankton to seaweed. In fact, algae help produce about half of the oxygen on Earth. As remarkable as that is, it's not the only reason algae are admirable. We take a close look at three types of algae—sargassum, kelp and coccolithophores—to learn why they're the unsung heroes of the ocean.


Taking Care of Pepe

Meet Senior Aquarist Emily Kelly who cares for Pepe, the black blotched fantail stingray in Blacktip Reef. Emily has been working with Pepe for more than 10 years; in this video, she describes the process of building trust with and performing regular medical exams on this 200-plus-pound animal she calls a gentle giant.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), populations of black blotched fantail stingrays are declining, making them a vulnerable species. This species' primary threats are overfishing and loss of healthy coral reef habitat.

Westside Story

The Gwynns Falls subwatershed shares its name with the stream that flows southward from the Glyndon/Reisterstown area of Baltimore County down through the western edge of Baltimore City before emptying into the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River near the neighborhood of Westport. The subwatershed is home to historic communities and valuable green spaces, including Gwynns Falls Leakin Park, the largest old-growth forest in any East Coast city.


Curator Ken Howell

"A key tenet of our work at the National Aquarium is to always meet the animals where they are. The animals are actively teaching us about themselves every day, and it's up to us—the people responsible for their care and wellbeing—to listen, observe and to put into practice those lessons learned."

Harbor Wetland: It's Happening!

Our newest exhibit, National Aquarium Harbor Wetland presented by CFG Bank, is coming soon. When it opens this summer, Harbor Wetland will bring visitors closer to wildlife in the Inner Harbor by re-creating the salt marsh habitat that used to exist in Baltimore City hundreds of years ago.


More from Past Watermarks

Multimedia Director of Dive Programs Holly Bourbon in Antarctica

Animals The Tooth About Animal Dental Care

Conservation Baltimore Harbor: Replenishing What We've Depleted

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