Aquarium Audio

Between 1946 and 1958 the United States exploded nearly two dozen nuclear bombs at Bikini Atoll. How has this affected the life of the coral reef over the last half-century?

The Aquarium of the Pacific is pleased to announce Brendon Thompson as its January 10th Anniversary Scholar for his excellence in community service. A student at Bethany Christian Elementary School, Thompson has shown an outstanding understanding of, respect for, and stewardship of the ocean through his involvement in the Long Beach Pier Clean Up. In addition, he has worked to bring awareness of cancer and helped to raise money for research, education, and patient services by participating in the 10K American Cancer Society Walk. He also actively works to support and encourage cultural diversity.

Dr. Carl Safina brought ocean conservation into the environmental mainstream. His hundred-plus publications and award-winning books include "Song for the Blue Ocean and Voyage of the Turtle." He’s been profiled by the New York Times, Nightline, and Bill Moyers. His awards include a Pew Fellowship, Lannan Literary Award, John Burroughs Medal, and a MacArthur Prize, among others.

Dr. Julie Hagelin’s research has shown that in addition to their senses of sight and sound, some birds also use a sense of smell to communicate with others and to attract mates. She explains how studies of Crested Auklets at the Aquarium of the Pacific and at a breeding site in western Alaska have led her to say: “The bird nose knows”. Dr Hagelin is an assistant professor at Swarthmore College where she teaches classes in animal behavior, behavioral ecology, and general biology.

Tim Brick is chairman of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, representing the City of Pasadena on that board since 1985. Brick played an important role in the development of MWD’s World Water Forum program, which provides grants to Southern California colleges for educational efforts addressing world water problems. Brick graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and has pursued further studies in broadcast journalism and resource economics.

Brian Fagan is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and widely acknowledged as the world's leading archaeological writer. His many books include The Rape of the Nile, The Adventure of Archaeology, and four books on ancient climate and human society, including the bestselling The Little Ice Age and The Great Warming. He is also the author of Fish on Friday: Feasting, Fasting, and the Discovery of North America as well as the widely used Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California.

Dr. Griggs has been a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz since 1968. He is presently the director of the Institute of Marine Sciences and also the chair of the University of California Marine Council. He served for 15 years as a geologic advisor to Santa Cruz County and has consulted widely for local, state, and national government agencies. Griggs' research and teaching have been focused on coastal processes, hazards, and coastal engineering. Since 1991, he has led an effort to develop a major marine research and education center at the University’s Long Marine Laboratory. Dr. Gary Griggs has written or co-written over 150 articles published in professional journals as well as several books.

Daniel Botkin is a scientist who studies life from a planetary perspective. He writes about nature, and is one of the world’s leading researchers who has helped solve major environmental issues. Dr. Botkin is a research professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California Santa Barbara and president of The Center for the Study of the Environment. For 39 years, as a Ph. D. ecologist, Botkin has tried to understand life on the Earth. He has studied moose in the far north, elephants in Africa, bowhead whales in the northern ocean, and forests in North and Central America. Botkin has worked as a professional journalist and has degrees in physics, biology, and literature.

Some species of crabs utilize novel forms of camouflage, covering their shells with other living organisms to fool their predators.

Richard Ellis is one of America's leading marine conservationists, and is generally recognized as the foremost painter of marine natural history subjects in the world. His paintings of whales and sharks have appeared in Audubon, National Wildlife, Australian Geographic, the Encyclopedia Britannica,Sports Afield, and Reader's Digest among many others. In addition to painting, Mr. Ellis is the author of more than eighty magazine articles. In 2008, he published Tuna: A Love Story, and in 2009, On Thin Ice: The Polar Bear and Global Warming. His books have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, and Korean. He is currently serving as co-curator of Mythic Creatures for the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

For more than three decades, Peter Howorth has been involved in numerous nonprofit environmental organizations. He was president of the Santa Barbara Underseas Foundation, an organization devoted to education, conservation, and research involving the sea. He was a founding director and president of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park. Howorth has also been involved in numerous research projects with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. He has the distinction of being their first staff associate. Since 1975, Howorth has been a member of the Shark Research Committee, which studies shark attacks on humans worldwide. Howorth's work with marine mammals earned him both state and federal Senatorial Commendations. His work has been featured in numerous television documentaries, ranging from Cousteau's "Rediscovery of the World" to Tom Brokaw's Nightly News.

Dr. Margaret Leinen is the Chief Science Officer of Climos, Inc., a company leveraging natural processes to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Between 2000 and 2007, Dr. Leinen managed the Geosciences Directorate, the second largest at NSF, that funds the majority of new publicly funded research initiatives in ocean, atmospheric and earth science in the United States. Before going to the National Science Foundation, Dr. Leinen was Dean, Graduate School of Oceanography and Vice Provost for Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Leinen is also a well-known researcher in paleo-oceanography and paleo-climatology.

Lynne Cherry is a conservationist and the author and/or illustrator of over 30 award winning books that teach children to respect Planet Earth, help them learn how they can make a difference in the world they will inherit, and motivate them to act. Gary Braasch, a recipient of the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography, is a nature-photojournalist who connects with the natural world through his photographs of environmental issues and conservation, nature, biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate change.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Aquarium is honoring Long Beach students who have shown outstanding efforts in the areas of science, environment, ocean science/marine biology, promoting cultural diversity, and exceptional community service. Juan Lopez, has not only made outstanding achievements in the field of computer systems and information technology, but has also donated coutless hours of service to the Aquarium, his school and the community. Lopez has repaired countless computers for the Soledad Enrichment Charter School and the Bikes 90800 Program, and has taught a 3D computer aided design course. He has also shown tremendous dedication for the Aquarium through his leadership of fellow student volunteers at numerous cultural festivals.

The Gulf of California is home to a diverse assemblage of wildlife. This diversity is a reflection of the Gulf's distinctive geography. Impacts to wildlife from a variety of sources threaten many of the rare and endangered species that make the Gulf their home.