MBA release/newsletter

Monterey Bay Aquarium "Sea Notes" September 2005
Welcome to Sea Notes, your monthly email update from the Monterey
Bay Aquarium.


1. EXHIBIT NEWS: CHINOOK SALMON
We introduced 11 Chinook salmon (also called king salmon) into
the Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit. All were collected in Monterey
Bay. Like most of the fishes we collect, they first spent a few
weeks behind the scenes in quarantine to assure they wouldn't
introduce disease or parasites to the other animals in the
community exhibit.

TAYLOR'S SEA HARE
You'll need sharp eyes to spot a Taylor's sea hare in the mud
channel exhibit of the Coastal Wetland to Sandy Shore gallery.
Unlike the more familiar and much larger purple sea hare,
Taylor's sea hares are only about three inches long. They're also
the same width-and color-as a blade of eelgrass, which allows
them to hide in plain sight.

Visit What's New on our web site to learn about these and other
new arrivals in our exhibits.
http://www.mbayaq.org/news/

2. AQUARIUM NEWS: AWARD-WINNING "SHORELINES" ONLINE
Our quarterly newsletter for aquarium members is now available to
read or download in a paperless PDF format on our web site. The
American Association of Museums recently named "Shorelines" as
best newsletter for institutions with budgets of $500,000 or
more.

If you'd like advance notice when we publish a new edition or
would be interested in receiving it at home by mail, become an
aquarium member. "Shorelines" is one benefit of membership,
along with unlimited visitation for a year, express entry and
discounts to our special events.

You'll find more reasons to become an aquarium member and the
latest "Shorelines" at
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/md/

FALL TEACHER WORKSHOPS & NEWSLETTER
It's time to register for our fall teacher workshops or sign up
for a School Field Trip or Home School Day. You can get more
details in the new edition of the "Schooling News" educator
newsletter available at
http://www.mbayaq.org/lc/teachers_place/newsletter.asp

3. PROMOTIONS & EVENTS: LAST CHANCE FOR UNDERWATER EXPLORERS,
CHEF DINNER SERIES, "FIESTA DEL MAR"

Last Chance for Underwater Explorers
Our summer 2005 Underwater Explorers surface SCUBA program for
kids 8 to 13 comes to a close on September 5. Sign up today!

Chef Dinner Series, Sept. 16, Oct. 16, Nov. 6, Jan. 19
Make your reservations now for special dinner events in our
ocean-view Portola Restaurant with Executive Chef Dory Ford on
September 16, October 16, November 6 and January 19. Each
exclusive event features delicious food and wine, plus cooking
suggestions and discussions of food and wine pairings. The
November 6 event will celebrate "NapaStyle" with "Tra Vigne"
chef Michael Chiarello. Seating is limited, so make your
reservations early.

"Fiesta del Mar," October 15 and 16
Join us as we put the focus on ocean conservation through a
weekend cultural celebration as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The inaugural event will feature noted speakers, free admission
for all children ages 12 and younger, bilingual presentations, a
craft room and a prize wheel. There will also be live musical
performances by Martin Espino, Juan Sanchez, William Faulkner and
the "Mixcoatl Anahuac" traditional Aztec dancers.

We offer special promotions, family events and savings throughout
the year.
http://www.mbayaq.org/vi/vi_aquarium/vi_aq_promotions.asp

Check our online calendar for details and more events.
http://www.mbayaq.org/vi/vi_aquarium/vi_aq_calendar.asp

4. CONSERVATION IN ACTION: CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF THE OCEANS
For the past year, our Center for the Future of the Oceans has
been working to inspire action on behalf of ocean conservation.
We've focused on a few key areas where we can have a lasting
impact. In the spring, we partnered with other organizations and
petitioned the U.S. government for a seasonal closure of the
longline fishery in the Gulf of Mexico to protect spawning
Atlantic bluefin tuna. The petition was based on the work of the
Tuna Research and Conservation Center (TRCC), our partnership
with Stanford University. If we're successful, we'll demonstrate
how marine science can support ocean conservation.

We've also stepped up our work in California, where the state
Fish and Game Commission will designate new marine protected
areas in 2006 to safeguard ocean life along the central coast.
Some protected areas will be off-limits to sport and commercial
fishing so wildlife can recover and repopulate our coastal
waters.

STUDY SHOWS DECLINE IN OCEAN WILDLIFE
Underscoring threats to ocean wildlife, the journal "Science"
published a paper on July 29 documenting a dramatic decline of
species diversity in key areas of the ocean-these areas have had
as much as a 50 percent loss of diversity over the past 50 years.
Scientists who published the study suggest that additional
protection for these critical areas is crucial. We're helping
identify these potential protected areas through our partnership
with the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) project. Read more at
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_23289.shtml

Keep up with recent tagging and tracking by scientists at TOPP at
http://www.toppcensus.org

SEAFOOD WATCH OCEAN ADVOCATE PROGRAM
Visit our new Seafood Watch consumer page to sign up for our
Ocean Advocates program and educate yourself and others about the
importance of making sustainable seafood choices. You'll receive
a free action kit of Seafood Watch materials and monthly email
bulletins of Seafood Watch news and ideas.
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_consumers.asp

5. FREE OFFERS: FREE SHARK POSTER, FLOWER HAT JELLY WALLPAPER
This month's Sea Notes specials include a free shark poster and
free wallpaper of the rare and exotic flower hat jelly.
http://www.mbayaq.org/vi/vi_seanotes/vi_seanotes_specials.asp

*******

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a non-profit institution. Our
mission is to inspire conservation of the oceans. You can support
our many education programs and marine research projects by:

- Becoming a member or making an online donation.
http://www.mbayaq.org/md/

- Sending a conservation-oriented electronic postcard to friends.
http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_se/se_vwl_help.asp

We welcome your thoughts and comments.
(equarist@mbayaq.org)



Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940