Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 11h

Just in time for #WorldOctopusDay — baby Red Octopuses! 🐙 These California natives are growing behind the scenes at #BirchAquarium. Discover more about this exciting and historic milestone below ⬇️

https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/newsroom/birch-aquarium-celebrates-world-octopus-day-red-octopus-hatchlings

Two tiny red octopuses, only a few days old, showing early development of their red chromatophores.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 5d

🧡The Life of a Show-gill 🐟

Guess you could say we’ve got a few fish in their orange era …
🧡 Garibaldi
🧡 Lionfish
🧡 Harlequin Tuskfish

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 7d

💀 A skele-ton of fun is waiting under the sea 💀

A bone-afide new friend is making waves in our Giant Kelp Forest … come sea for yourself!

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 9d

When you go to open your phone camera and it's in selfie mode …

#HornSharks use their sharp front teeth to grasp prey and back molar-like teeth to crush the exoskeletons, spines and shells of their meal!

A Horn Shark swims in the Giant Kelp Forest at the aquarium.

Close-up photo of a Horn Shark swimming underwater.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 9d

🤖Get Ready for RoboBattles!💥

Design and build your own LEGO® robot and battle it out in head-to-head challenges at #BirchAquarium. Plus, discover how robots help Scripps scientists explore our oceans! Made possible by the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation.

https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/events/robobattle

Promotional poster for RoboBattles event, featuring a LEGO® minifigure in warrior attire, with event details stating it occurs every Wednesday and Thursday in October from 2 to 4 PM. Logos of Birch Aquarium and UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography are also displayed.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 12d

Halloween Aglow tickets are on sale! 🎃 Join us for a family-friendly celebration on Oct. 24 & 25 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

🍬 Trick-or-treat around the aquarium
👻 Live music & games
🎃 Underwater pumpkin carving
🔮 Weird & wonderful ocean science

🎟️ https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/events/halloween-aglow

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 14d

🐟 Celebrating a Decade of Leadership at #BirchAquarium! 🎉

This year, Executive Director Harry Helling marks 10 years of inspiring innovation, advancing conservation and transforming the aquarium experience.

🌊 Dive into his journey and discover how his vision continues to make waves ⬇️

Birch Aquarium director reflects on a decade of ‘desire to make a change’

Harry Helling has led a business plan, new exhibits and other upgrades that have transformed the La Jolla aquarium into one of the area’s top attractions

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 15d

Birch Aquarium is #hiring an Education Programs Scheduler!

🐟 Schedule school & public programs
🪸 Share program info & deliver top-notch customer service
🦀 Handle logistics & payments smoothly
🐠 Track attendance & support reporting

Apply Today!

Education Programs Scheduler - 136627

Education Programs Scheduler - 136627 | Careers at UC San Diego

employment.ucsd.edu

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 16d

🔱 Hey Tritons! From now through Sept. 30, all @ucsandiego.bsky.social students can:

🎟 Get 1 FREE general admission ticket to #BirchAquarium

OR

🐧 Snag a Coastal Explorer membership for $19 (normally $89)

Grab this special deal below ⬇️

https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/events/triton-weeks-welcome

A Little Blue Penguin is standing, flapping its wings slightly, with rocks in the background.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 21d

Do you want the #aquarium tour? 🐟

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 22d

Dive into discovery with our NEW Marine Science Club! Led by expert educators, kids ages 8–10 will enjoy hands-on science, get up close with animals and more!

🪸Select Saturdays in Oct. and Nov. | 1 to 2:30 p.m.

🐟 $18 per child, per session

Reserve spot: https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/learn/camps

Children sitting at tables in a classroom, smiling at the camera, with worksheets scattered around.

Children engage in a marine biology activity, examining sea stars and other animals at the aquarium.

Two children in a classroom examine a shark jaw while educational posters are visible in the background.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 23d

🔎 eye-spy seahorses! #DidYouKnow seahorses can move their eyes independently, giving them an incredibly wide field of vision?

#TheMoreYouKnow

Two seahorses cling to a mangrove branch underwater with their prehensile tails, floating gracefully in an aquarium habitat.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 29d

From their prehensile tails to their one-of-a-kind shapes, seahorses are full of surprises! If you’ve ever wondered what makes these tiny ocean wonders so special, our Behind-the-Scenes Seahorse Tour is the perfect way to find out.

Book Now: https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/events/behind-scenes-seahorse

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 29d

You were SO close! Here are the final answers ⬇️

⭐ Sea Star
🐙 Giant Pacific Octopus
🌀 Giant Clam
🪼Moon Jelly

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · 29d

We’re leaping for joy over this #conservation milestone! 🐸 Learn more about our recent Mountain Yellow-legged #Frog release in the story below ⬇️

UC San Diego @ucsandiego.bsky.social · Sep 8

More than 350 Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs have been reintroduced into the wild in the San Bernardino Mountains, marking one of the largest releases to date. This is a milestone for @birchaquarium.bsky.social as its first-ever endangered species reintroduction. ➡️ bit.ly/485M2X1

An endangered Mountain Yellow-legged Frog leaps into its new home after being released into the lake. Photo: Alex Feltes

Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Sep 8

🔍 It’s all in the details …

Which animal does each macro shot belong to? Drop your guesses below! ⬇️

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Sep 5

Tangs fr th Mmrs 👨‍🎤 The #YellowTang is a reef-dwelling fish that’s unsurprisingly named for its bright yellow coloring! Sometimes referred to as the “lawnmowers” of the ocean, these fish spend much of their day grazing algae off of rocks.

A vibrant yellow tang fish swims near coral.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Sep 4

High heels on my tippies 👠✨

Did you know #Cuttlefish strut on their tippies too? They use their arms to ‘walk’ along the seafloor like little underwater runway models.

A dwarf cuttlefish “walks” along the ocean floor using its arms.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Sep 3

🐠 Ocean Optimism in Action 🌊 Our Executive Director, Harry Helling, spoke with Blooloop about Birch Aquarium’s journey as a hub for conservation, community & discovery.

Read the full story below ⬇️

Ocean optimism at Birch Aquarium: connecting guests to science

Harry Helling reflects on the evolution of Birch Aquarium and tells us more about the newly opened Adam R. Scripps Living Seas Gallery

blooloop.com

Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Sep 2

🐧 Swimming into September like ….

#BirchAquarium is back to our 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours — waddle by and say hi!

Guests observe penguins swimming in their penguin habitat at Birch Aquarium.

Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Aug 31

Did someone say resting fish face?

The #LonghornCowfish is easy to spot with its bright yellow color and the signature horns jutting from its head. But those horns aren’t just for style — scientists think they evolved to make this little cowfish a mouthful most predators can’t swallow.

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Aug 29

it’s giving kelp couture

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Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Aug 27

Our Behind-the-Scenes Tours are fin-tastic fun!

🐙 Behind-the-Scenes: #Octopus

🐧 Behind-the-Scenes: #Penguin

🐟 Behind-the-Scenes: #Seahorse

🎟️ Each guided tour includes front-of-house experiences, behind-the-scenes access and aquarium admission!

Book Now: aquarium.ucsd.edu/plan-your-vi...

A guest interacts with a Giant Pacific Octopus during a behind-the-scenes tour at the aquarium. The octopus is spreading its arms against the glass as the person gently touches the glass with both hands.

A Little Blue Penguin is standing on a gray surface, closely observing three smiling guests in the background.

A guest feeds some seahorses during a behind-the-scenes tour at the aquarium.

Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Aug 26

Here’s to helping these endangered frogs make a comeback, one leap at a time!

Hundreds of Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs Leap Back Into the Wild

YouTube video by Birch Aquarium at Scripps

youtu.be

Birch Aquarium @birchaquarium.bsky.social · Aug 26

We joined forces with @sandiegozoo.bsky.social, UCLA, Big Bear Alpine Zoo and other partners to release these frogs into a wildlife preserve managed by The Wildlands Conservancy. This release is part of an ongoing Mountain Yellow-legged Frog recovery program, supported by a network of partners!

Birch Aquarium’s Frog Care Team releases frogs they’ve raised for over a year.

Members from Birch Aquarium, SDZWA, UCLA, Big Bear Alpine Zoo, The Wildlands Conservancy, Friends of Big Bear Valley and more joined forces to release over 350 endangered frogs.

The group gets ready to release frogs at one of the sites.

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