Heal the Bay Blog

Mar. 22, 2016 — Inspiring, family-friendly, free educational fun. Good luck finding such a combination, right? Anyone who stopped by S.T.E.A.M. Machines at the Santa Monica Pier on March 12th found all that and more.

Start with teams of motivated students who designed, built, and operated innovative, complex contraptions that completed a series of whimsical steps to open an umbrella. Add prize money and an opportunity to take the winning contraption to a national competition and you have hundreds of students in varying degrees of excitement, panic, and determination to show off their original machines before a panel of expert judges. This was the third annual L.A. regional Rube Goldberg Machines contest, part of a day-long expo connecting the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts and math to the real world needs of solving today’s environmental issues.

Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium curated this event for the third year in collaboration with the Santa Monica Pier Corporation and sponsors iHeartMedia and Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds. The contest was the centerpiece of a day that included interactive booths showcasing everything from 3-D printing, robotics, an all-electric Volkswagen (converted from a gas combustion engine by Santa Monica High School students), turn-trash-into-art stations, and fresh-churned ice cream–created by bicycle pedal power.

The fun was not limited to the expo on the Pier deck; below at beach level our Aquarium gave visitors the opportunity to pilot our new mini underwater R.O.V. (remotely operated vehicle) and tinker with robotics and circuitry.

Master of Ceremonies for the day was Gray Bright, engineer by day, comedic talk show host by night. Between witticisms delivered in his Australian accent and his sense of wonderment at all the amazing gadgets and gizmos demonstrated, he put his talk show host skills to work, interviewing a series of powerhouse science and technology experts. All available seats were taken to hear about the career paths of Diana Skaar, Head of Business Innovation for X (formerly Google X); Kristina Kipp from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s Mars Rover program; Loretta Whitesides, an astrobiologist, founder astronaut and consultant at Virgin Galactic; and 18-yr-old L.A. robotics champ Cynthia Erenas.

S.T.E.A.M. Machines was a huge success, or as Santa Monica Pier Executive Director Jay Farrand said afterward: “Our success was written across the faces of all the happy students, families, and spectators that enjoyed the Pier in a new way on Saturday.”

Don’t miss it next year!

Feb. 28, 2016 — At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, Gordon Honda, a Santa Monica Pier Aquarium volunteer for 16 years, hit a milestone no other volunteer at the Aquarium has ever attained.

He reached his 5,000th hour of volunteering!

He was celebrated with cupcakes and a round of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” by the staff. “Gordon has given so many hours of his time over 16 years that we have to continue to create new volunteer awards just to keep up,” said programs manager Jenna Segal.  Based on hours logged, Aquarium volunteers earn marine-themed pins to add to their nametags. Gordon’s nametag is weighted down with so much hardware you’d think he was a five star general; his 5,000th hour was commemorated with a bright orange Garibaldi pin to add to collection. This feisty fish is the California State Marine Fish, and its significance represents how important Gordon is to the Aquarium team. “Gordon represents everything we look for in a volunteer, and brings joy to our visitors every week,” Jenna said.

When Gordon was honored with Heal the Bay’s Jean Howell award in 2013, the staff compared him to a Swiss army knife: all-purpose, always dependable, always ready to take up any task.

Congratulations Gordon!

Wanna be like Gordon? Submit an Aquarium volunteer application here.

January 19, 2016 — Aquarium Outreach Manager Randi Parent can’t hide her soft spot for her newest officemate: Our baby giant black sea bass!

“Baby giant” seems like a contradiction in terms, but when it comes to the latest fish on exhibit at our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, it is accurate. Under a year old and just shy of two inches long, our giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas, has a long way to go to live up to its name. But when it reaches maturity at between 13-15 years of age, this critically endangered species can reach seven feet in length and weigh upward of 500 pounds. It’s hard to equate this tiny, brownish-orange fish with oversized fins and dark spots with the much darker gentle giants (one diver’s blog refers to them as “aquatic Volkswagens”) that hang out in groups around kelp beds just off the coast, but they really are the same species.

Giant black sea bass are also described as so chill a diver can hand feed them – a trait that meant they were nearly fished to extinction by the late 1970’s. In 1982 the sport fishing of these big lugs was banned and a few years later gill netting of the species was also outlawed. Now, marine biologists are working to determine the success of these protections, and our Aquarium’s baby giant black sea bass is part of this unfolding story of wildlife conservation.

When researchers from Cal State Northridge and the Monterey Bay Aquarium approached senior aquarist José Bacallao about holding on to one of a handful of babies collected recently along the Southern California coast, he jumped at the chance. It turned out the researchers were “tipped off” by biologist and photographer Michael Couffer, who made an unannounced, stealth visit to the Aquarium the previous week to determine whether we were baby giant sea bass-worthy.  And naturally, we were!

Couffer will return each month to chronicle the fish’s growth, also recording any changes in its color scheme–paying particular attention to its dark spots. Are they unique markers? Can these spots be used to identify a particular giant sea bass throughout its life? The goal is to record a full life history of these giant fish and show the importance of conservation in preserving the species. Couffer can discuss at length the spawning habits of the adults, coloration changes and behavior of the juveniles along the sandy bottom in the most scientific terms. But even a seasoned biologist had to resort to an unscientific, one-word description of our newest fish: cute.

You can visit this adorable fish at the Aquarium Tuesday-Friday from 2-5pm, and weekends from 12:30-5. Count its spots and watch for updates!

From this…	To this!

December 17, 2015 —  Sleigh bells ring…holiday tunes play…everyone wants to sell you peppermint bark…is it really snowing on that corner of Santa Monica Boulevard?

Our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium has the perfect antidote for the holidaze: A break with the marine life at the Aquarium. (Gazing at fish is a soothing experience, trust us!) We’ve got special holiday hours the last two weeks of 2015. You can drop by Dec. 22-24, between 2 and 5 p.m. We’ll all take a holiday on Dec. 25, but from Dec. 26-31, you and out-of-town guests can visit us from 12:30-5 p.m. We’ll wish all a Happy New Year on the 31st, remain closed New Year’s Day, and reopen with our regular winter schedule beginning at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 2.

• Special Holiday Hours! 
  Closed Dec. 25
  Open Dec. 26 through Dec. 31 from 12:30 – 5:00 pm
  Closed Jan 1, 2016

A visit to the Aquarium can also solve the problem of what to get for the hard-to-buy for folks on your list. Consider making a donation to Heal the Bay in a special someone’s name or give the unique gift of Aquadoption, the program that underwrites the daily care of our marine life along with a yearlong membership to Heal the Bay, which includes free family admission to the Aquarium to visit your adopted animal for the full year.

For a limited time during the holiday season, the Aquarium is offering its round stingrays for adoption. And for a special holiday price, a plush stuffed animal stingray (incredibly cuddly, no sharp stinger on this cutie) is included in the adoption package. Four other animals exhibited at the Aquarium are available for “aquadoption” year-round; the stingray will only be featured for the month of December.

Arrange an Aquadoption by registering online, during a visit to the Aquarium at 1600 Ocean Front Walk, beach level, beneath the Carousel building, or by calling 310-393-6149, ext. 114 for more information.

From all the folks and the fishes at the Aquarium, Happy Holidays!

Bill Patzert may be a JPL super-scientist and El Niño geek, but he really is a fun guy, says Heal the Bay vp Sarah Sikich. Come hear him speak next week at our Aquarium.

I’m very excited to announce that Dr. Bill Patzert, a leading climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will be joining us for El Niño week at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium on Oct. 13 for a feature presentation, “Whiplash: From Super Drought to El Niño.”  Dr. Patzert’s forecasting prowess has earned him the nickname “Prophet of California Climate.” His work involves improving our understanding of Earth’s climate and important environmental problems ranging from El Niño, La Niña and longer-term climate forecasts. I’ve enjoyed talking with and learning from Dr. Patzert at meetings and science forums over the past several years. With a quick wit and fresh sciencey style, he makes forecasting and environmental science fun. He also loves to surf! He joined me for a little appetizer Q&A to get you ready for the special event:

What piqued your interested in science, and compelled you to pursue it as a career?

My dad was a sea captain and taught me celestial navigation, shooting the stars and the sun with a sextant. At night he would point out the North Star and the many constellations and tell me about the mythology of each. This was heady stuff and fascinating for a budding geek. Many men and women have inspired me. My parents were supportive and stimulating. They loved ideas, education and the natural world. Many of my mentors and professors were superb. And, reading Rachel Carson’s “The Sea Around Us” opened new worlds to me. I also had the good fortune to spend a week with the late Arthur C. Clark at his home in Sri Lanka. Wow, what a great guy! He encouraged me to be fearless and let my imagination soar.

You received your Ph.D. in Hawaii?! You must have taken some study breaks to enjoy the beach. Do you have a favorite beach or snorkel spot on the islands?

Honestly, I chose Hawaii for graduate school so I could surf (which I did and still do), check out the ladies at Waikiki and blast my eardrums with the great music of the 60’s – The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, etc. I surfed and dove every Hawaiian Island and much of the South Pacific. It was sweet!

El Niño vs. The Blob: who wins?

El Niño trumps The Blob. Come to my talk to find out why.

With the recent discovery of water on Mars, have you considered taking your oceanography skills to space?

There is no space more important than Earth space. I’ve got my hands full here at home. I follow and admire the research of my Martian buddies here at JPL, but fending off man-made climate change keeps me Earth bound.

What are your hobbies when you need a break from climatology?

I’m a reader, a mystery junkie. Mysteries are addictive! Good historical novels are a treat, too. I collect art of all types… my tastes are eclectic. I have Mexican folk art, Japanese prints, Persian rugs and, my prize collection – Hawaiian surf shirts. For exercise, I do some biking, romantic walks on the beach, some swimming and surfing, and have good intentions of being fitter. And, I raise cacti and succulents.  I love HBO.

You can read more about Patzert’s take on the coming El Niño, which he describes as “too big to fail,” in this week’s interview with the Los Angeles Times.