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The National Aquarium Is Restoring Habitats and Focusing on Climate Solutions
One morning outside of the National Aquarium , a small team investigates a biohut , or cage , that has been pulled from the Baltimore Harbor . They find an American eel and tiny mud crabs that have made this “ aquatic condominium ,” as general curator Jack Cover calls it , their home . Launched in 2014 , the biohut program was the aquarium ’ s first attempt to restore biodiversity and bring back habitats to the Baltimore Harbor .
Nearby is the Harbor Wetland , a more recent initiative with the same goal . Opened in August 2024 , this floating wetland mimics a salt marsh habitat that naturally cleans the water and was prevalent in the Baltimore Harbor before industrialization . In this free exhibit , nearly 40,000 grasses and shrubs remove harmful nitrogen and phosphorous from this section of the Harbor . The wetland also attracts a variety of marine life depending on the season , such as blue crabs , mummichog , phytoplankton , pumpkin seed fish and silversides fish .
“ There is this misconception that the Inner Harbor is lifeless ,” Cover said . “[ But ] cities are not without wildlife . We wanted people to have
this place to sit and experience the wonders of the Chesapeake Bay .”
Inside the aquarium , staff are using props like the Magic Planet — a computerized ball that can show potential impacts of extreme temperature change in real time — to start solutionsfocused conversations about combating climate change , saving wildlife and habitats , and eliminating plastic pollution .
“ We want people to feel like they ’ re empowered to make a change ,” said Laura Bankey , vice president of conservation programs . “ We try to give them the tools they need to walk outside the aquarium and do something .”
The Maryland Zoo Is an Early Adopter of Sustainability Plans
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The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is leading the charge in the creation of organizational sustainability plans , with the goal of helping animals around the world .
“ We are seeing animals and species become depleted in places like Botswana and Namibia and even in our backyard in Maryland , and that ’ s because of climate change ,” said Executive Director Kirby Fowler . “ We need to be leaders in this field to build support for conservation
THE NATIONAL AQUARIUM ’ S FLOATING WETLAND ATTRACTS NATIVE SPECIES , PROMOTES WATER HEALTH AND SERVES AS AN EDUCATIONAL HUB .
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL AQUARIUM
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