After several years of planning, the National Aquarium and the City of Baltimore have installed a floating wetland in the Harbor! This pilot project attempts to investigate the potential of a new harbor restoration approach for habitat and water quality improvement using floating wetlands.

The goal of the project is to introduce the floating island model to the harbor ecosystem in order to determine if the habitat and water quality improvements seen in other systems are transferrable to Baltimore’s degraded harbor. Floating wetlands have be successful in retention ponds and others small bodies of water,  so scientists are very interested in introducing them to brackish areas such as the Chesapeake Bay.

The 10 x 20-foot island that has a base made of woven recycled plastic, around 450 planted native species and is intended to improve water quality and habitats of the Harbor. Completing the project, however, was no easy task. Installation required a crane, a giant platform and around 100 people. To watch the plan in action, click here.

The multi-layer biomesh island provides strength, a huge surface area for beneficial colonization, and a rooting matrix for vegetation. The vegetation provides an aesthetic island cover as well as habitats and food for a variety of wildlife. 

 Despite poor water quality and its historical status as a dumping ground, the Baltimore Harbor is teeming with life. Aquarium staff monitoring fish activity at Fort McHenry has documented more than twenty five species of fish in the Harbor including Atlantic menhaden, American eel, spot, croaker, yellow perch, white perch, northern pipefish, striped bass, bluefish, and pumpkinseed sunfish. In addition to finfish, the Harbor provides habitat and food sources for blue crabs, snakes, turtles, waterfowl, and small mammals. The installed wetlands could benefit not only the water quality but the animals that live the Harbor as well.

 The Waterfront Partnership has also installed another 200 square feet of floating islands adjacent to the World Trade Center.  Although the project design and implementation on the two island projects have been separate, both groups have designed a monitoring plan with the help of the University of Maryland that will be led by the National Aquarium.  For the next two years, the Aquarium will monitor plant survival and growth, local water improvements, nutrient uptake, fish use, waterfowl uses and debris accumulation. Biologists will also collect structural and functional parameter data.

The island can be spotted behind the ticket counter of the National Aquarium between Pier 3 and 4. Visitors will soon be able read and understand the purpose and benefits of the island from the educational signs posted along the shoreline. The floating wetland may look small, but it could well be a huge first step in meeting the Healthy Harbor Initiative of making the water fishable and swimmable by 2020. Only time will tell if the floating wetlands can contribute to the Healthy Harbor Initiative, but preliminary results are promising.

About Floating Wetlands

• Floating wetlands have previously been designed for use in small, closed systems and have the potential to provide a combination of habitat and water quality improvements.
• They help remove pollutants from waterways; provide habitat for species native to the waterway; and enhance the aesthetics of surrounding areas.
• The floating island becomes an ecosystem that helps to improve water quality via natural processes.

This past weekend, the National Aquarium, Washington, DC hosted its annual Shark weekend celebration and introduced its newest exhibit, Sherman’s Lagoon. The permanent exhibit is home to Sherman the Shark, a popular character created by nationally syndicated cartoonist Jim Toomey, and is dedicated to the Aquarium’s important work on shark education and conservation.

Jim Toomey partnered with the Aquarium’s shark experts to share his creative ideas of communicating fun and interesting facts about sharks. The exhibit features interactive workstations, educational videos, shark myths and conservation messages from Sherman the Shark. Activities include spinning the “Wheel of Doom” to learn about the dangers that sharks face as well as an art station where visitors can draw their own illustrations of Sherman.

Sherman himself has been brought to life as a costumed character exclusively for the Aquarium. Sherman helps promote greater awareness and protection of these ancient, mysterious and often misunderstood ocean dwellers.

“For nearly 30 years, the National Aquarium has been a leader in shark conservation through our care and research,” commented Bob Ramin, executive director of the National Aquarium’s DC venue.  “With the help of Jim Toomey, we have created an engaging exhibit that will now help us educate our visitors about the importance of shark conservation and eliminate misconceptions about these fascinating ocean creatures.”

Sherman’s Lagoon is one of the many exhibits in the aquarium that incorporates education with fun. While tending to the activities, visitors will learn about sharks and the National Aquarium’s ongoing work in shark conservation and protection. 

Visitors are encouraged by the Aquarium to help their cause by signing a personalized petition to send to congressional lawmakers just down the street in support of the Shark Conservation Act. The act is intended to protect sharks, mainly from fishing and shark finning, from possible endangerment or extinction. On average around 73 million sharks are killed each year equating to around 200,000 per day, making them one of the most threatened animals in our waters. 

After exploring Sherman’s Lagoon visitors can also stop by the Channel Islands, National Marine Sanctuary Exhibit to see the various sharks lurk around in their exhibit and witness Lunchtime with Sharks, one of the Aquariums many daily animal encounters. Feeding of the Leopard, Swell and Horn shark take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. Visitors will also learn what makes sharks different from other ocean creatures.

Conservation of animals and the environment continues to be a large priority of the National Aquarium. The National Aquarium promotes respect and care for the environment and the animals that live in it through research and multiple education programs. To learn more about the National Aquarium’s conservation work, aqua.org/conservation.

(July 19, 2010 – Baltimore) - Baltimore City’s Congressional Delegation was thanked by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake today for their unrelenting support of the YouthWorks summer jobs program during a press conference held at the National Aquarium.

“Job opportunities for young people have dried up in this difficult economy.”

Congressman John Sarbanes said it right. With unemployment rates on the rise, it is even harder for high school students to find good, high-quality summer jobs. Summer jobs do not only provide extra cash, but they give our youth a sense of responsibility and the skills needed for their future career.

“This year, thanks to a grant sponsored by Congressman John Sarbanes and supported by the entire delegation, our YouthWorks summer jobs program is able to employ 300 young people in career-oriented positions at worksites such as Sinai Hospital, Civic Works and the National Aquarium,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

The congressional delegation acquired a Department of Labor grant that provides six-week summer jobs to Baltimore’s youth and young adults as a part of YouthWorks new Baltimore Career Corps project. This project helps connect youth to jobs at more than 20 various worksites, including the National Aquarium.

The National Aquarium has been an economic engine for the city of Baltimore and state of Maryland for almost 30 years, and is proud to be a worksite for the YouthWorks summer job program. This summer the National Aquarium helped provide jobs to 28 of Baltimore’s youth and young adults.

“We’re very pleased to partner with the city to support our future workforce through the 2010 Youth Works Baltimore Career Corps,” said Paula Schaedlich, chief operating officer for the National Aquarium in Baltimore. “The kids who are participating learn so much during the time they’re with us, and it’s gratifying to help them begin to develop the skills they’ll need to have successful careers.”

Two YouthWork participants from the National Aquarium expressed their graditude for having a job this summer. Dayna King, a senior at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, first worked at the National Aquarium last summer through the YouthWorks program. He was then hired to work at the Aquarium part-time during the school year.

“Summer 2009 was the best summer ever because I had a job,” he said.   

Derrick Murrell, a 2010 Patterson High School graduate, started at the aquarium this summer. He plans to study at TESST College of Technology in the fall.

Baltimore – July 13, 2010 – The National Aquarium, in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University, is conducting a comprehensive study designed to ensure that pre- and post- Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact status of Sarasota Bay is documented as rigorously as possible. This will enable scientists to demonstrate causality between the release of oil and injured resources and/or lost human use of those resources and services. The first phase of this research will provide vital information needed to evaluate the status of this sensitive aquatic environment before potential contamination by the Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Baltimore (June 21, 2010) – On Saturday, June 19, three endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were treated like “diplomats of the sea” as they were escorted from Baltimore to the southern tip of Maryland in a new 2010 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid – the Official Conservation Vehicle of the National Aquarium – and released into the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout State Park in Scotland, Maryland. The successful transfer and release marks the first of many animal rescue efforts that will take place as part of an ongoing partnership between the National Aquarium and Chevrolet.