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A watershed is defined as a specific land area that drains water into a river system or other body of water. The prominent cities in Southern California would not be located where they are today were it not for the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers and the fertile soil around its watersheds.

For centuries these rivers were the sole source of water for its inhabitants. The rivers’ water not only helped make Los Angeles County and Orange County two of the richest agriculture regions in the nation, but also shaped its image as the “Southern California Eden”. Today however, the images of our watersheds contradict its importance to the history and development of this region.

This meeting was the second in what is planned to be a series of meetings having the end goal of creating a public exhibit and collateral programs on the Ports of San Pedro Bay at Aquarium of the Pacific. These programs and exhibits will serve to educate guests of all ages about our ports and why they are an essential component of a sustainable coastal community in the future.

As the Aquarium of the Pacific plans to expand, there is a need for fresh ideas to incorporate into the programs and exhibits. In order to increase and sustain attendance, the Aquarium must refresh itself through growth and improvements to the existing facility. Opportunities may be presented through future additions and extensions, but can also be started on a smaller scale with more modest and meaningful enhancements to the existing building. The second of a series of workshops on animals ranging from whales to corals, today’s meeting focused on the plight of turtles and the different ways the Aquarium can bring out their stories, threats, experiences, and habitats. A list of participants is included in Appendix A, and the workshop agenda is included in Appendix B. This workshop is an outgrowth of a discussion held by the Forward Planning Committee of the Aquarium’s Board of Directors.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is developing plans for a port exhibit. The Aquarium is the only aquarium in the country, perhaps the world, that focuses on building and sustaining natural capital—nature—by building and sustaining social capital—the ties between and among people.