Seattle needed a companion, so they took a seal from a facility with only one? Doesn't that mean NEAQ is now in need of a companion for Luna instead?
New England Aquarium New England Aquarium News
- Thread starter BeardsleyZooFan
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No, she gets along great with the sea lions.
Does anyone know that status of the fur seal breeding program in the US? Seems like they may be hard to breed in captivity and now we face a fairly shallow gene pool?
I don't think there is a breeding program. Seattle has two males. New England has one female. Since NEA's male was sent to join another male, I assume those three animals do not have any potential to breed. Mystic has four - Yura and Ziggy Star both have serious neurological conditions, Tuk is Yura's son (born the day she was rescued). I'm not sure who the fourth is. Ocean World in CA might have one, as well.
On July 30th, the aquarium announced that (0.0.25+) epaulette sharks, coral catsharks, chain catsharks, and cloudy catsharks were born (they don't list which babies have been born in each species, just rounding it up to "more than 25").
On September 22nd, it was announced that the New England Aquarium and Roger Williams University are partnering to develop an aquaculture program for rearing and propagating marine fish in other AZA facilities. This comes after the facility (alongside some others) received a $750,000 grant from the NOAA.
New England Aquarium & Roger Williams U. Team Up to Advance Marine Fish Aquaculture & Conservation
New England Aquarium & Roger Williams U. Team Up to Advance Marine Fish Aquaculture & Conservation
Piece of News not Mentioned:
On August 16th, it was reported that the aquarium transferred (0.2) southern rockhopper penguins named Tussock and Pinguino to the Shedd Aquarium in Illinois.
Penguin population at the Shedd Aquarium has gone up
On August 16th, it was reported that the aquarium transferred (0.2) southern rockhopper penguins named Tussock and Pinguino to the Shedd Aquarium in Illinois.
Penguin population at the Shedd Aquarium has gone up
On January 21st, 2023, the aquarium announced that they opened a new exhibit showcasing the stages of life of a dwarf cuttlefish.
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I will be visiting tomorrow and was wondering if there is anything that stands out here amongst other facilities. Anything about rare species, special presentations or shows, and unique exhibits would be helpful. My last visit was at least eight years ago, so my memory is rather cloudy.
I posted most of the rare species that impressed me on my November 2021 visit in the New England Aquarium gallery on this site. Their Caribbean reef fish collection is extremely comprehensive, with several rare deep reef butterflyfish and basslets.
They have a Northern Fur Seal in the marine mammal center, which is an uncommon species in the US. There are also seal/sea lion feedings throughout the day, and a sign is usually posted in the lobby with exact timings.
The aquarium also has some rare seabirds in a netted enclosure on the third floor. They are currently the only place with semipalmated sandpiper on-exhibit, although it looks like the National Zoo will start displaying the species when the new bird house opens.
New England Aquarium’s Statement on U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan
The Plan Aims to Harness the Power of the Ocean to Address Climate Change.
The New England Aquarium in Boston, Mass., has issued a statement in reaction to the Biden Harris Administration’s release of a first-of-its-kind U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan that acknowledges the ocean’s essential role in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises and provides a roadmap to help solve these challenges.
New England Aquarium’s Statement on U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan
The Plan Aims to Harness the Power of the Ocean to Address Climate Change.
The New England Aquarium in Boston, Mass., has issued a statement in reaction to the Biden Harris Administration’s release of a first-of-its-kind U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan that acknowledges the ocean’s essential role in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises and provides a roadmap to help solve these challenges.
New England Aquarium’s Statement on U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan
I guess the New England Aquarium is getting two more sea lions. This seems strange to me as the enclosure was probably barely adequate for the pinnipeds that it holds already. They are from the Birmingham Zoo.
From the Birmingham Zoo's Facebook:
"The Birmingham Zoo has made the difficult decision to rehome California sea lions, Farley and Giovanni (Gio), who will move to the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts later this spring, in cooperation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) California Sea Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP)."
"Farley and Gio will be joining three female California sea lions at the New England Aquarium: 12-year-olds Sierra and Zoey and 10-year-old Tipper, all rescued animals who could not be released and were given a forever home in the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center.
'We are very excited for the addition of a male sea lion and an additional female sea lion. Farley and Gio are at the perfect age to socialize with our resident sea lions, and we feel that this will not only be very enriching for all five of the animals but also align with our goal of providing the highest level of animal welfare for the animals in our care,' said Kristen Van Oss, Curator of Pinnipeds and Penguins at the New England Aquarium. 'It has been a pleasure collaborating with the team at the Birmingham Zoo and utilizing our experiences to set up for a safe transition and acclimation of the animals from their facility to ours.'
Birmingham Zoo Staff are working very closely with the New England Aquarium to ensure a smooth and successful transition for Gio and Farley."
An African penguin was also hatched recently. This is exciting for the zoo and hopefully the chick will be regularly on display in the coming months for my visit.
From Facebook:
"Surprise! We have a new African penguin chick!
This newly-hatched (and very fluffy!) chick is the first chick to join our African penguin colony since 2019. The penguin chick was born to parents Malgas II and Demersus III on March 23, and is growing at a remarkable speed. It now weighs 16X its hatch weight! Although the chick has made significant progress since hatching, it still has many milestones ahead.
In the coming weeks, this chick will begin hand-feeding, will receive a full physical exam + blood test to determine its sex, and a name will be given to our newest penguin resident!"
From the Birmingham Zoo's Facebook:
"The Birmingham Zoo has made the difficult decision to rehome California sea lions, Farley and Giovanni (Gio), who will move to the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts later this spring, in cooperation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) California Sea Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP)."
"Farley and Gio will be joining three female California sea lions at the New England Aquarium: 12-year-olds Sierra and Zoey and 10-year-old Tipper, all rescued animals who could not be released and were given a forever home in the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center.
'We are very excited for the addition of a male sea lion and an additional female sea lion. Farley and Gio are at the perfect age to socialize with our resident sea lions, and we feel that this will not only be very enriching for all five of the animals but also align with our goal of providing the highest level of animal welfare for the animals in our care,' said Kristen Van Oss, Curator of Pinnipeds and Penguins at the New England Aquarium. 'It has been a pleasure collaborating with the team at the Birmingham Zoo and utilizing our experiences to set up for a safe transition and acclimation of the animals from their facility to ours.'
Birmingham Zoo Staff are working very closely with the New England Aquarium to ensure a smooth and successful transition for Gio and Farley."
An African penguin was also hatched recently. This is exciting for the zoo and hopefully the chick will be regularly on display in the coming months for my visit.
From Facebook:
"Surprise! We have a new African penguin chick!
This newly-hatched (and very fluffy!) chick is the first chick to join our African penguin colony since 2019. The penguin chick was born to parents Malgas II and Demersus III on March 23, and is growing at a remarkable speed. It now weighs 16X its hatch weight! Although the chick has made significant progress since hatching, it still has many milestones ahead.
In the coming weeks, this chick will begin hand-feeding, will receive a full physical exam + blood test to determine its sex, and a name will be given to our newest penguin resident!"
Other 2023 News:
On January 30th, the aquarium announced that they transferred (0.0.6) cownose rays to the Landry's Aquarium Restaurant in Tennessee.
New England Aquarium
How We Moved Six Cownose Rays to a New Aquarium - New England Aquarium
On March 31st, the aquarium announced that they acquired a new coral species, staghorn coral, which is now on exhibit in Yawkey Coral Reef Gallery.
New England Aquarium
Staghorn Coral: An Endangered Species at the Aquarium - New England Aquarium
On June 21st, the aquarium announced its gender (0.1) and name, Bray. The aquarium also announced that the penguin is now on exhibit.
Bray, the African Penguin Chick! | We are pleased to introduce "Bray," our female African penguin chick! "Bray" is the donkey-like vocalization made by African penguins, and is now the... | By New England Aquarium | Facebook
On July 1st, it was announced that the aquarium transferred (0.0.2) pyjama sharks named Breaker and Double Dot to the Aquarium of Niagara in New York the week prior.
Aquarium of Niagara
On July 11th, the aquarium announced that (0.0.5) wood turtles were released into the wild as part of the facility's headstart program.
New England Aquarium
On January 30th, the aquarium announced that they transferred (0.0.6) cownose rays to the Landry's Aquarium Restaurant in Tennessee.
New England Aquarium
How We Moved Six Cownose Rays to a New Aquarium - New England Aquarium
On March 31st, the aquarium announced that they acquired a new coral species, staghorn coral, which is now on exhibit in Yawkey Coral Reef Gallery.
New England Aquarium
Staghorn Coral: An Endangered Species at the Aquarium - New England Aquarium
An African penguin was also hatched recently. This is exciting for the zoo and hopefully the chick will be regularly on display in the coming months for my visit.
From Facebook:
"Surprise! We have a new African penguin chick!
This newly-hatched (and very fluffy!) chick is the first chick to join our African penguin colony since 2019. The penguin chick was born to parents Malgas II and Demersus III on March 23, and is growing at a remarkable speed. It now weighs 16X its hatch weight! Although the chick has made significant progress since hatching, it still has many milestones ahead.
In the coming weeks, this chick will begin hand-feeding, will receive a full physical exam + blood test to determine its sex, and a name will be given to our newest penguin resident!"
On June 21st, the aquarium announced its gender (0.1) and name, Bray. The aquarium also announced that the penguin is now on exhibit.
Bray, the African Penguin Chick! | We are pleased to introduce "Bray," our female African penguin chick! "Bray" is the donkey-like vocalization made by African penguins, and is now the... | By New England Aquarium | Facebook
On July 1st, it was announced that the aquarium transferred (0.0.2) pyjama sharks named Breaker and Double Dot to the Aquarium of Niagara in New York the week prior.
Aquarium of Niagara
On July 11th, the aquarium announced that (0.0.5) wood turtles were released into the wild as part of the facility's headstart program.
New England Aquarium
A rockhopper chick hatched.
Penguin chick ‘healthy, thriving' after assisted hatch at New England Aquarium
Penguin chick ‘healthy, thriving' after assisted hatch at New England Aquarium
Exciting news from the aquarium! A Nurse Shark has gone on exhibit in the Giant Ocean Tank. It has been around a decade since the aquarium has had any large shark species at all, so I am really happy about this addition.
Nurse shark joins animal population at New England Aquarium - New England Aquarium
Nurse shark joins animal population at New England Aquarium - New England Aquarium
They have Bonnethead signed for the tank, but an employee said they haven't had one since 2019.
~Thylo
Excellent news! One of my biggest disappointments at NEAQ was the lack of big sharks. While the sea turtles are really cool, the Giant Ocean Tank was in need of some more star power.