National Aquarium in Baltimore
Encyclopedia
The National Aquarium, Baltimore is a public aquarium
located at 501 E Pratt St. in the Inner Harbor
area of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was constructed during Baltimore's urban renewal period and opened on August 8, 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million and a collection of 16,500 specimens representing 660 species. Exhibits include the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Upland Tropical Rain Forest, Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance, multiple-story Atlantic Coral Reef, Open Ocean shark tank, and Australia: Wild Extremes, which won the "Best Exhibit" award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
in 2008. Coastal Living magazine named the National Aquarium the #1 aquarium in the United States in 2011. In November 2006, the National Aquarium won a Best of Baltimore award from City Paper as the "Best Over Priced Destination for Families." Most recently, in September 2011, the City Paper Reader's Poll awarded the National Aquarium in Baltimore with the title of "Best Attraction" and the "Best Place to Take Kids"
In 2011, the National Aquarium was selected as the National Wildlife Federation’s Maryland affiliate. The National Aquarium has won several awards and been recognized for their green business practices: In 2011, The National Aquarium was honored with the Maryland Green Registry Leadership Award, as an organization that shows “a strong commitment to sustainable practices, measurable results, and continuous improvement” and was recognized by by the Baltimore Business Journal and Smart CEO Magazine for exceptional green business practices in 2009. .
In 2003, separate aquariums in Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC, joined as one “National Aquarium.”
and the Commissioner of Housing and Community Development, Robert C. Embry, conceived and championed the idea of an aquarium as a vital component of Baltimore’s overall Inner Harbor
redevelopment scheme. In 1976, Baltimore City residents supported the aquarium by voting for it on a bond referendum, and the groundbreaking for the facility took place on Pier 3 in the city’s Inner Harbor on August 8, 1978.
As early as November 1979, the Aquarium’s world-class status was recognized by the United States Congress
, which granted the facility “national” status. The National Aquarium, Baltimore opened to the public on August 8, 1981, after three years of construction.
The National Aquarium, Baltimore’s initial conceptual design, architecture and exhibit design was led by Peter Chermayeff of Peter Chermayeff LLC while he was at Cambridge Seven Associates
. It measures 115,000 square feet and holds more than 1 million gallons of water.
The conceptual, architectural, and exhibit design for the Glass Pavilion expansion was led by Bobby C. Poole while at Chermayeff, Sollogub & Poole. Construction began on the Glass Pavilion on September 5, 2002, and it opened to the public on December 16, 2005. It measures 64,500 square feet, and is 120 feet high at the tallest point.
is a separate aquarium housed in the lower level of the Commerce Building
in Washington, D.C.
. Founded in 1873, it was originally distinct from the National Aquarium in Baltimore. On September 4, 2003, the National Aquarium Society and the Board of Governors for the National Aquarium in Baltimore announced an alliance, in which the National Aquarium in Baltimore would operate the D.C. aquarium. The two aquariums are now joined together under one name with two venues. A signing ceremony hosted by Secretary of Commerce
Donald Evans
was held at the Commerce Department building.
. Each floor possesses several exhibits that communicate a main theme
. This building also houses two large tanks, one of which simulates an Atlantic coral reef, and one of which simulates the open ocean.
, Roughtail Stingray
, Cownose Ray
, Bullnose Ray
, Pelagic Ray
, Spiny Butterfly Ray
, Atlantic Guitarfish
, Zebra Shark
, Bonnethead Shark, and a green sea turtle
.
that are native to Maryland
. The four exhibits create the illusion
that the viewer is traveling down a Maryland stream
from its source
in the Allegheny Mountains
, to a tidal marsh
, to a coastal beach
, and finally ending at the Atlantic shelf
. Featured animals include Painted Turtle, Wood Turtle, American Bullfrog, and Rosyside Dace in the Allegheny Stream, Diamondback Terrapin, Feather Blenny, and Sheepshead Minnow in the Tidal Marsh, Striped Burrfish and Blue Crab on the Coastal Beach, and Clearnose Skate
and Summer Flounder in the Atlantic Shelf exhibit.
This level features fish that possess adaptations that are needed to survive in their various environments. For example, the electric eel has the rare ability to shock
its prey with electricity
. Featured animals include Electric Eel, Chambered Nautilus, and Giant Pacific Octopus.
exhibit; a kelp forest
exhibit; and an Amazon River
forest
exhibit, in which animals can be seen down in the water and up in the overlying foliage. Animals here include Atlantic Puffin in the Sea Cliffs exhibit, Banggai Cardinalfish in the Pacific Coral Reef, and Giant Amazon River Turtle in the Amazon River Forest exhibit.
, and includes an elevated platform for bird-watching and a cave of various glass enclosed displays of reptiles, amphibians, and terrestrial arthropods. Featured Animals Include:
, and is filled with fish that would be found anywhere from closer to shore to out into the trench and open ocean, including a Green Moray Eel.
s, nurse sharks
, and sawfish
.
This smaller building, opened in 1990, features the marine mammal exhibit, which is home to Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. It also holds a temporary exhibit on assorted jellyfish
called "Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance".
, and also illustrates how these animals are important bioindicators, which means that they are sensitive to changes within their environment, and therefore, serve as an early warning sign that changes are occurring within an ecosystem
, whether from pollution
, invasive species
, climate change
, or other factors. Featured animals Include:
, and allows many of the flying animals to roam freely throughout the exhibit. The exhibit represents a river gorge in Australia
, and contains many pools in which Australian aquatic life can be found. It is designed to show the wild extremes faced by this particular part of Australia: fire, drought and flood.
The Aquarium completed the renovation and a multimillion-dollar expansion on December 16, 2005; the expanded portion is 64,500 ft² (6,000 m²). The exterior of the expansion features an interactive area designed to teach visitors about bayscaping, bird-box building, the National Aquarium's nationally recognized Marine Animal Rescue Program, water quality testing, marine debris issues and wetland restoration.
Inside the expanded portion of the Aquarium, directly in the main entrance, is a 35-foot (10 m) waterfall
that was modeled from an actual waterfall in a Maryland state park. The prominent display is also visible from outside the Aquarium. Also inside the expanded portion is a recreation of an Australian habitat. The Umbrawarra Gorge of Australia is carefully depicted inside the upper portion of the expanded building, and the exhibit depicts lands of fire, drought, and flood. Aboriginal artwork, based on actual work discovered in Australia, is also found in the gorge exhibit. These images depict aboriginal interpretations of the land that they live on.
Featured animals include:
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
located at 501 E Pratt St. in the Inner Harbor
Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and iconic landmark of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as “the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the World.” The Inner Harbor is actually the end of the...
area of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was constructed during Baltimore's urban renewal period and opened on August 8, 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million and a collection of 16,500 specimens representing 660 species. Exhibits include the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Upland Tropical Rain Forest, Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance, multiple-story Atlantic Coral Reef, Open Ocean shark tank, and Australia: Wild Extremes, which won the "Best Exhibit" award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
in 2008. Coastal Living magazine named the National Aquarium the #1 aquarium in the United States in 2011. In November 2006, the National Aquarium won a Best of Baltimore award from City Paper as the "Best Over Priced Destination for Families." Most recently, in September 2011, the City Paper Reader's Poll awarded the National Aquarium in Baltimore with the title of "Best Attraction" and the "Best Place to Take Kids"
In 2011, the National Aquarium was selected as the National Wildlife Federation’s Maryland affiliate. The National Aquarium has won several awards and been recognized for their green business practices: In 2011, The National Aquarium was honored with the Maryland Green Registry Leadership Award, as an organization that shows “a strong commitment to sustainable practices, measurable results, and continuous improvement” and was recognized by by the Baltimore Business Journal and Smart CEO Magazine for exceptional green business practices in 2009. .
In 2003, separate aquariums in Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC, joined as one “National Aquarium.”
History
The aquarium began in the mid-1970s when then-Mayor William Donald SchaeferWilliam Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer was an American politician who served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. A Democrat, he was mayor of Baltimore from 1971 to 1987, the 58th Governor of Maryland from January 21, 1987 to January 18, 1995, and the Comptroller of...
and the Commissioner of Housing and Community Development, Robert C. Embry, conceived and championed the idea of an aquarium as a vital component of Baltimore’s overall Inner Harbor
Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and iconic landmark of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as “the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the World.” The Inner Harbor is actually the end of the...
redevelopment scheme. In 1976, Baltimore City residents supported the aquarium by voting for it on a bond referendum, and the groundbreaking for the facility took place on Pier 3 in the city’s Inner Harbor on August 8, 1978.
As early as November 1979, the Aquarium’s world-class status was recognized by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, which granted the facility “national” status. The National Aquarium, Baltimore opened to the public on August 8, 1981, after three years of construction.
The National Aquarium, Baltimore’s initial conceptual design, architecture and exhibit design was led by Peter Chermayeff of Peter Chermayeff LLC while he was at Cambridge Seven Associates
Cambridge Seven Associates
Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc. is an American architecture firm founded in 1962 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm was founded upon the idea that the collaborative efforts of a varied group of designers and architects would be far more effective than those of any one individual...
. It measures 115,000 square feet and holds more than 1 million gallons of water.
The conceptual, architectural, and exhibit design for the Glass Pavilion expansion was led by Bobby C. Poole while at Chermayeff, Sollogub & Poole. Construction began on the Glass Pavilion on September 5, 2002, and it opened to the public on December 16, 2005. It measures 64,500 square feet, and is 120 feet high at the tallest point.
Relationship with the National Aquarium, Washington, D.C.
The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.
The National Aquarium, Washington, D.C. is an aquarium in Washington D.C. It is located in the Herbert C. Hoover Building , which is bounded by 14th Street NW on the east, 15th Street NW on the west, Pennsylvania Avenue NW on the north, and Constitution Avenue NW on the south.-History:The National...
is a separate aquarium housed in the lower level of the Commerce Building
Commerce Building
The Commerce Building is a 12-story office building in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was built in 1912 and is now a mixed use commercial, office, and residential building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007....
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Founded in 1873, it was originally distinct from the National Aquarium in Baltimore. On September 4, 2003, the National Aquarium Society and the Board of Governors for the National Aquarium in Baltimore announced an alliance, in which the National Aquarium in Baltimore would operate the D.C. aquarium. The two aquariums are now joined together under one name with two venues. A signing ceremony hosted by Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
Donald Evans
Donald Evans
Donald Louis Evans was the 34th U.S. Secretary of Commerce. He was appointed by his longtime friend George W. Bush and sworn into office on January 20, 2001...
was held at the Commerce Department building.
Pier 3 Pavilion
This building contains five levels or floors that are accessible via escalatorEscalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
. Each floor possesses several exhibits that communicate a main theme
Theme (arts)
In the visual arts, a theme is a broad idea or a message conveyed by a work, such as a performance, a painting, or a motion picture. This message is usually about life, society or human nature. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a work. Themes are usually implied...
. This building also houses two large tanks, one of which simulates an Atlantic coral reef, and one of which simulates the open ocean.
Level 1: Wings in the Water
This large pool on the bottom floor houses animals such as: Southern StingraySouthern stingray
The southern stingray, Dasyatis americana, is a stingray of the family Dasyatidae found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to Brazil. It has a flat, diamond-shaped disc, with a mud brown, olive, and grey dorsal surface and white underbelly...
, Roughtail Stingray
Roughtail stingray
The roughtail stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, with separate populations in coastal waters of the northwestern, eastern, and southwestern Atlantic Ocean. This bottom-dwelling species typically inhabits sandy or muddy areas with patches of invertebrate cover, at a depth of...
, Cownose Ray
Cownose ray
The cownose ray is a species of eagle ray found throughout a large part of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England, USA to southern Brazil. Cownose rays grow rapidly, and male rays often reach about in width and weigh . Females typically reach in width and weigh .-Gestation:The...
, Bullnose Ray
Myliobatis
Myliobatis is a genus of eagle rays in the family Myliobatidae.-Species:* Genus Myliobatis** Myliobatis aquila ** Myliobatis australis Macleay, 1881...
, Pelagic Ray
Pelagic stingray
The pelagic stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, and the sole member of its genus. It is characterized by the wedge-like shape of its pectoral fin disc, which is much wider than long, as well as by the pointed teeth in both sexes, whip-like tail with extremely long tail...
, Spiny Butterfly Ray
Spiny butterfly ray
The spiny butterfly ray or giant butterfly ray, Gymnura altavela, is a species of butterfly ray, family Gymnuridae, native to the shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A large ray that can measure over 2 meters across, it may be distinguished from the sympatric smooth butterfly ray The...
, Atlantic Guitarfish
Rhinobatos
Rhinobatos is a genus of fish in the Rhinobatidae family.It contains the following species:* Rhinobatos albomaculatus Norman, 1930 * Rhinobatos annandalei Norman, 1926...
, Zebra Shark
Zebra shark
The zebra shark is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, frequenting coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of 62 m...
, Bonnethead Shark, and a green sea turtle
Green Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
.
Level 2: Maryland: Mountains to the Sea
This level features fishFish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
that are native to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The four exhibits create the illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
that the viewer is traveling down a Maryland stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
from its source
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
in the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
, to a tidal marsh
Tidal marsh
A tidal marsh is a type of marsh that is found along coasts and estuaries of which the flooding characteristics are determined by the tidal movement of the adjacent estuary, sea or ocean . According to the salinity of the flooding water, freshwater, brackish and saline tidal marshes are...
, to a coastal beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, and finally ending at the Atlantic shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
. Featured animals include Painted Turtle, Wood Turtle, American Bullfrog, and Rosyside Dace in the Allegheny Stream, Diamondback Terrapin, Feather Blenny, and Sheepshead Minnow in the Tidal Marsh, Striped Burrfish and Blue Crab on the Coastal Beach, and Clearnose Skate
Raja (genus)
Raja is a genus of skates in the family Rajidae, containing nearly thirty species. They are flat-bodied cartilaginous fish with a rhombic shape due to their large pectoral fins extending from or nearly from the snout to the base of their tail. Their sharp snouts produced by a cranial projection of...
and Summer Flounder in the Atlantic Shelf exhibit.
Level 3: Surviving Through Adaptation
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
its prey with electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. Featured animals include Electric Eel, Chambered Nautilus, and Giant Pacific Octopus.
Level 4: Sea Cliffs, Kelp Forest, Pacific Coral Reef, Amazon River Forest
This level displays several aquatic habitats, including a Sea Cliffs exhibit, which houses several species of seabirds; a Pacific coral reefCoral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
exhibit; a kelp forest
Kelp forest
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds....
exhibit; and an Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
exhibit, in which animals can be seen down in the water and up in the overlying foliage. Animals here include Atlantic Puffin in the Sea Cliffs exhibit, Banggai Cardinalfish in the Pacific Coral Reef, and Giant Amazon River Turtle in the Amazon River Forest exhibit.
Level 5: Upland Tropical Rain Forest, Hidden Life
This level simulates the Amazon rainforestAmazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, and includes an elevated platform for bird-watching and a cave of various glass enclosed displays of reptiles, amphibians, and terrestrial arthropods. Featured Animals Include:
- Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
- Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)
- Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)
- Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot (Amazona oratrix)
- White-Tailed Trogon (Trogon viridis)
- Blue-Crowned Motmot (Momotus momota)
- Blue-Gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
- Blue Poison Dart FrogDendrobates azureusDendrobates azureus is a type of poison dart frog found in the forests surrounded by the Sipaliwini savannah, which is located in southern Suriname and northern to central Brazil. Dendrobates azureus is widely known as the Blue Poison Dart Frog or by its Tirio Indian name, Okopipi...
(Dendrobates azureus) - Two-toed Sloth ("Choloepus didactylus")
Atlantic Coral Reef
This large exhibit replicates the Atlantic Coral ReefCoral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
, and is filled with fish that would be found anywhere from closer to shore to out into the trench and open ocean, including a Green Moray Eel.
Open Ocean
This exhibit simulates the open ocean, and contains several species of sharks, including sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharkSandbar shark
The sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. It is distinguishable by its very high first dorsal fin and inter-dorsal ridge....
s, nurse sharks
Nurse sharks
Ginglymostomatidae is a cosmopolitan family of carpet sharks, containing the three monotypic genera of nurse sharks. Common in shallow, tropical and subtropical waters, these sharks are sluggish and docile bottom-dwellers...
, and sawfish
Sawfish
Sawfish, also known as the Carpenter Shark, are a family of rays, characterized by a long, toothy nose extension snout. Several species can grow to approximately . The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied...
.
Pier 4 Pavilion
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
called "Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance".
Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance
This temporary exhibit in the Pier 4 Pavilion building showcases several species of jellyfishJellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
, and also illustrates how these animals are important bioindicators, which means that they are sensitive to changes within their environment, and therefore, serve as an early warning sign that changes are occurring within an ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
, whether from pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
, invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, or other factors. Featured animals Include:
- Atlantic Sea Nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha)
- Pacific Sea NettleChrysaora fuscescensChrysaora fuscescens is a common free-floating scyphozoa that lives in the Pacific Ocean, and is commonly known as the Pacific Sea Nettle or West Coast Sea Nettle....
(Chrysaora fuscescens) - Purple-Striped JellyChrysaora colorataThe purple-striped jelly is a species of jellyfish that exists primarily off the coast of California in Monterey Bay. The bell of the jellyfish is up to 70 cm in diameter, typically with a radial pattern of stripes...
(Chrysaora colorata) - Northern Sea NettleChrysaora melanasterThe Japanese sea nettle , also called a northern sea nettle or brown jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is sometimes referred to as a Pacific sea nettle, but this name is also used for Chrysaora fuscescens....
(Chrysaora melanaster) - Black Sea NettleChrysaora achlyosThe black sea nettle , sometimes informally known as the "black jellyfish" due to its dark coloration, is a species of jellyfish that can be found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Its range is thought to be from Monterey Bay in the north, down to southern Baja California and Mexico, though there...
(Chrysaora achlyos) - Moon JellyAurelia auritaAurelia aurita is one of a group of more than ten morphologically nearly identical jellyfish species in the genus Aurelia...
(Aurelia aurita) - Egg Yolk Jelly (Phacellophora camtschatica)
- Lion's Mane Jelly (Cyanea capillata)
- Spotted Lagoon Jelly (Mastigias papua)
- Blue Blubber Jelly (Catostylus mosaicus)
- Upside-Down JellyCassiopeaThe Cassiopea jellyfish belongs to the Order Rhizostomeae and mostly lives in sandy areas and seagrass beds. The Cassiopea jellyfish is also called "Upside Down Jellyfish", because it lies on its back, so that the bell touches the ground. In this position it resembles a sea anemone...
(Cassiopea xamachana) - Leidy's Comb JellyMnemiopsis leidyiThe warty comb jelly or sea walnut is a species of tentaculate ctenophore , originally native to the western Atlantic coastal waters. Three species have been named in the genus Mnemiopsis, but they are now believed to be different ecological forms of a single species M...
(Mnemiopsis leidyi)
Glass Pavilion (Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes)
Like the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit, this exhibit is structured like a large walk-in aviaryAviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
, and allows many of the flying animals to roam freely throughout the exhibit. The exhibit represents a river gorge in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and contains many pools in which Australian aquatic life can be found. It is designed to show the wild extremes faced by this particular part of Australia: fire, drought and flood.
The Aquarium completed the renovation and a multimillion-dollar expansion on December 16, 2005; the expanded portion is 64,500 ft² (6,000 m²). The exterior of the expansion features an interactive area designed to teach visitors about bayscaping, bird-box building, the National Aquarium's nationally recognized Marine Animal Rescue Program, water quality testing, marine debris issues and wetland restoration.
Inside the expanded portion of the Aquarium, directly in the main entrance, is a 35-foot (10 m) waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
that was modeled from an actual waterfall in a Maryland state park. The prominent display is also visible from outside the Aquarium. Also inside the expanded portion is a recreation of an Australian habitat. The Umbrawarra Gorge of Australia is carefully depicted inside the upper portion of the expanded building, and the exhibit depicts lands of fire, drought, and flood. Aboriginal artwork, based on actual work discovered in Australia, is also found in the gorge exhibit. These images depict aboriginal interpretations of the land that they live on.
Featured animals include:
- Grey-Headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)
- Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
- Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)
- Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
- Snake-Necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)
- Pig-Nosed Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta)
- Black-Headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus)
- Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
- Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii)
- Spiny-Tailed Monitor (Varanus acanthurus)
- Australian Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni)
- Empire GudgeonEleotridaeSleeper gobies are members of the Eleotridae fish family, found predominantly in the tropical Indo-Pacific. There are approximately 35 genera and 150 species. While many eleotrids pass through a planktonic stage in the sea and some spend their entire lives in the sea, as adults the majority live in...
(Hypseleotris compressa) - ArcherfishToxotes chatareusToxotes chatareus, sometimes known by the common names seven-spot archerfish or largescale archerfish, is a species of perciform fish in the archerfish genus Toxotes. They are usually no larger than but may grow up to . Unlike most archerfish, T. chatareus are sooty rather than silvery in...
(Toxotes chatareus) - Barramundi (Lates calcarifer)