Scroll down to see what has these students mesmerized.

Serena Nanji-Totani

In contrast to Seaworld’s captivity and marine exploitation controversy, the New England Aquarium is a global leader in marine conservation and exploration. Through engaging exhibits and programs, the aquarium increases public engagement and advances scientific research on oceans. Visiting the aquarium can have a huge impact on increasing political will and reducing the psychological disconnect associated with oceans and people.

Visitors can learn methods to prevent environmental damage by reading the “What can you do” boxes posted on the walls. Some of these boxes encourage the reduction of waste, particularly plastic, that is a persistent pollutant. There were also signs promoting sustainable seafood purchases located next to sting rays, species often caught in nets as bycatch, and also penguins whose food supplies are impacted by overfishing. In 2000, the aquarium also launched the Sustainable Seafood Program that makes scientific recommendations to large companies to purchase their seafood from well-managed fisheries with low bycatch rates, who do not overexploit fishing areas and whose aquaculture operations have minimal environmental impact such as effluent runoff. It was nice to see the aquarium was putting effort targeting the demand side of ocean resources because most of the policy readings we did in class about anthropogenic impacts only focused on supply side recommendations.

I was particularly interested in learning about Phoenix Islands Protected Area that the aquarium helped to create in 2008. After writing about the Kiribati region in a policy essay, it was evident that Kiribati is extremely vulnerable to sea level rise and extreme weather. Protecting the reefs can significantly help to protect the coasts. MPAs can also help to eventually revive the ecosystems and thus improve the direct and indirect values of the area that relies heavily on fishing and agriculture for food supply. PIPA is now one of the world’s largest MPAs, and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Emma Esterman

The New England Aquarium (NEAq) boasts thousands of marine animals in colorful habitats that entertain visitors while simultaneously educating them about marine issues and conservation. The informational signs in exhibits not only describe the organisms but also explain the issues facing them, what the NEAq is doing to mitigate these issues, and how the visitors can help. I recognized many parallels between the issues highlighted around the Aquarium and the ones we discussed in class. For example, a plaque beneath the lionfish tank mentioned that lionfish have become invasive in the Atlantic Ocean and threaten the balance of reef ecosystems. Messages like this urge viewers to think critically about what they see in the Aquarium and realize that small actions like releasing pets can have large impacts. A sign near the corals came to a similar conclusion as my group’s reef presentation—mitigating anthropogenic stressors can help corals withstand natural stressors like bleaching. The corals near this message made it more tangible for me, as I had never seen live coral in person.

The conservation message permeated every part of the NEAq, from the “What the Aquarium is doing” headings on signs to the calls for turtle stranding volunteers during feeding time. One of the most interesting actions I read about was the Sustainable Seafoods Programs. The Aquarium works with fishermen, chefs, and organizations to increase the amount of sustainable seafood brought to market. They demonstrate that large organizations can use their power and resources to effect change by providing stakeholders with the tools to enact more sustainable practices.

Finally, one of the most impactful moments of the trip was when I noticed a question in the Science of Sharks exhibit that had been lingering at the back of my mind — “Where are the big sharks?” The NEAq responded by stating that big sharks would not be comfortable in exhibits, as many are migratory. This made it clear that the NEAq puts animal welfare and conservation first, and uses this value to further educate its visitors and inspire ocean stewardship.

Lily Lockhart

The New England Aquarium is committed to marine animal conservation and advocates for the ocean. For nearly 50 years, the Aquarium has been a “catalyst for global change through public engagement” (Neaq.org). Being a global leader in ocean exploration, the NEAq’s goal is to make people aware of the issues within the oceans and to find potential solutions through research and marine conservation. The New England Aquarium’s website is full of information on marine conservation and various hands-on exhibits offered.

The most noticeable feature on the website is the charismatic megafauna. Sea turtles, sharks, fish, and even penguins are shown as a way to attract attention to the underlying marine issues that affect these animals. The usage of charismatic megafauna not only draws in customers to the aquarium, but also causes people to care more about the issues presented. As we discussed in class, these large and well known animals will cause people to take action much more than say zooxanthellae (though they are extremely important to marine ecosystems).

The aquarium has partnered with sea food industries to promote sustainable fishing, and advises restaurants and other sea food providers to only purchase harvested marine life from fisheries that practice sustainable fishing.

Look past the two adult seahorses and you’ll see hundreds of tiny babies that just hatched!