SEATTLE — June 8 is known as World Ocean Day. It’s a day to celebrate and take action in the name of conservation.
Seattle’s waterfront is a popular draw for tourists, but it’s also home to a nonprofit that serves as the largest platform for ocean conservation and engagement in the Northwest.
The Seattle Aquarium was founded in 1977 with a mission of inspiring conservation of the marine environment. It leads educational, conservation and regional research initiative for a healthier planet.
Seattle Aquarium is in the middle of an expansion project that’s bringing the new Ocean Pavilion to life by the summer of 2024. The Aquarium’s Empathy Fellowship program was established to create pathways into careers in aquariums, zoos and the conservation field for communities of color and other marginalized communities that bear the brunt of environmental harm.
“It’s World Ocean day not Oceans! It’s one connected ocean and that’s the story we’re telling all of our guests and visitors,” said Tim Kuniholm with Seattle Aquarium.
Whether it’s a diver engagement show, visiting with the octopus and other sea life at the aquarium or participating in events like marine summer camp, Seattle Aquarium is leading the charge in education to support their conservation efforts.
“Some of the great work we do isn’t visible to the public because it’s happening underwater,” said Kuniholm.
Dr. Zach Randell is a research scientist with Seattle Aquarium who’s using a sophisticated Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to study the seafloor and specifically declining kelp forest.
“Elliott Bay is one of the busiest waterways in the world and we are using this underwater drone to better understand the critical ecosystem under the surface,” said Randell.
The ROV is controlled by an Xbox video game controller and covers more ground than divers could explore.
“I think people would be surprised to see some of the images that we are able to pull,” said Randell.
The beautiful and complicated chain of sea life is all interdependent on the health of our waters.
June is also Orca Action month and the region's famous killer whales depend on the fish that spawn and feed in the kelp.