SEASIDE AQUARIUM

Some displays in the Aquarium are reliable and long-term. The giant squid in formaldehyde is not swimming

anywhere. There are touch tanks, wolf eels, various kinds of rockfish, and Dungeness crab. Other displays are seasonal or occur spontaneously in the tanks. Interpreters in the Aquarium work to share the most recent, exciting things happening on any given day: a snail laying eggs, tiny fish hiding in intertidal tanks, a unique creature recently discovered. Here is some recent Aquarium activity that we found noteworthy.

Octopus rubescens lay eggs - Two female octopus rubescens laid fertilized eggs this summer. The eggs were placed in a separate display and when some of the eggs hatched, visitors had the opportunity to see baby octopi up-close in the Interpretive Center.

Tiny octopus on display - All octopi are planktonic when they hatch, carried around by the ocean’s currents. As they grow, they settle and find nooks and crannies to occupy. The Aquarium currently boasts a very small octopus. Based on its slow growth, we suspect is it an octopus rubescens. In two months it has grown from the size of a penny to the size of a silver dollar.

New skeletons of common local marine mammals - A harbor seal and a harbor porpoise skeleton have been placed on display, courtesy of Dr. Debbie Duffield, Director of the North Oregon Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network and Professor at Portland State University. They are housed with the gray whale skeleton.

The Interpretive Center and touch tank inside the Aquarium are due for a major renovation this winter. Originally installed in 1991, the touch tank has allowed thousands upon thousands of visitors first-hand experience with intertidal life including ochre stars, sea urchins, anemones, and leather stars. The Interpretive Center debuted in the spring of 1997 with touch tanks and full time interpretive staff. Both displays were due for replacement.

The touch tank has already been replaced with a new display; the Aquarium will close for four days in December to remove the old Interpretive Center and build a new one from the ground up. The new structure will feature touch tanks and a large ground-level tank for visitors to view intertidal fish from above.

Far left: New touch tank in 1991. Left: Removal of touch tank, December 2013. Right: New displays replace the old touch tank.