Our new website is up and running! Dive into the latest facts on our newest Caribbean Journey exhibits. http://ow.ly/Aj0S30cgBuE http://ow.ly/i/vr0gd
Texas State Aquarium Announces Monumental Expansion
H-E-B contribution of $3 million leads way in effort for
Caribbean Journey to More Than Double Size of Aquarium
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Texas State Aquarium is excited to announce today the largest expansion in its 24 year history. Bringing the sights, sounds, and vibrant wildlife of the Western Caribbean to the shores of Corpus Christi, this $50,000,000 Caribbean Journey addition – which completes the final two phases of the Aquarium’s original master plan – will transform the Texas State Aquarium from a leading regional aquarium to one of the one of the top aquariums in the nation. In late 2012, the Texas State Aquarium launched the leadership phase of Campaign Caribbean, a capital campaign to raise the necessary funds for construction of the Caribbean Journey wing. Today, continued partner H-E-B announced a lead gift of $3 million to Campaign Caribbean, which has now reached the crucial midway point of the $50 million goal, enabling the Aquarium to commission final construction documents and move forward with groundbreaking scheduled for late this year. Rob Hall, Group Vice President of H-E-B Gulf Coast Region stated, “The Texas State Aquarium is one of the most significant educational resources in our state. H-E-B is pleased to continue our partnership with the aquarium because we believe this investment represents our passion for education and our commitment to the communities we serve.” At 65,000 square feet, the new Caribbean Journey wing will be significantly larger than the original Gulf of Mexico exhibit building. “The new wing will be 50% larger, however, in terms of indoor exhibit space, it will more than double what we currently have,” said Aquarium President & CEO Tom Schmid. “This is going to be a multi-level, highly immersive, state-of-the-art experience.” Visit www.texasstateaquarium.org/caribbean to take the Caribbean Journey.
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Texas State Aquarium: Connecting people with nature and inspiring conservation of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Did you guess the bald eagle and American alligator for today’s #CreatureFeature?
#DidYouKnow the bald eagle and American alligator were recently both near extinction? The greatest threats between both species were destruction of habitat caused directly or indirectly by humans. As a result of legal protection and our country’s conservation efforts, both species’ populations are now in recovery and were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species.
What can YOU do to help our species?
Creature Feature of the Month!
Screecher, appropriately named because she likes to screech, is a three-year-old hawk-headed parrot. Like most parrots, she can mimic noises. Her favorite words are, “Screecher-Reacher,” a play on her name, and “Hello.” Her favorite foods are strawberries and oranges, and she enjoys interacting with people instead of playing with toys. Her favorite game is hide-and-seek with staff and guests. So next time you visit the Aquarium, head over to the Amazon exhibit and play hide-and-seek with Screecher.
Hawk-headed parrots are small parrots found in South America. They are very territorial and raise their head feathers when they are excited or scared, because it makes them appear bigger. Unfortunately, hawk-headed parrots are endangered due to deforestation of their natural habitat and the extensive pet trade business. Some species are nearly extinct, with no more than a dozen of them in the wild. Extra measures must be taken to ensure these rare and beautiful parrots will be around for future generations to enjoy.
If you would like to make a donation to help care for Screecher and our other residents click here
Texas State Aquarium Returned a Rehabilitated American Bittern and American Bittern to the Wild
Cooper’s hawk being released
Cooper’s hawk
American bittern
American bittern being released
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – On Friday, April 11, at 10:30 a.m., the Texas State Aquarium released two birds back to the wild – a Cooper’s hawk and an American bittern. The Cooper’s hawk was brought to the Aquarium’s Second Chances Wildlife Hospital February 23rd after flying into a glass window. The Cooper’s hawk is native to North America and is commonly found in south Texas and Mexico. The American bittern was brought to the Wildlife Hospital mid February, with an apparent wing injury. Bitterns are a species of wading bird belonging to the heron family. After receiving treatment for their injuries, both birds were returned back to the wild.
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Texas State Aquarium–Connecting people with nature and inspiring conservation of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums.
Nearshore experience grand opening!
The wait is over! Join us April 9th for our grand opening of the new Nearshore Experience. Walk among shorebirds, identify local fish and get close to juvenile American alligators in this immersive new space at the Texas State Aquarium! Aiden, one of our white ibis birds, is ready to see you!
April 4, 2014
Texas State Aquarium Hosts Unique Lionfish Cooking Course and Tasting Event
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – On Tuesday, April 15, forget the stresses of tax day and join the Texas State Aquarium for a fascinating and exciting evening as we present “Incredible Edible Lionfish!”, our Sensational Sustainable Seafood cooking program for the month and a very unique dining experience. The event will be held in the Aquarium lobby from 7:00-10:00 p.m.
This very special edition of our monthly Sensational Sustainable Seafood cooking class will offer you the opportunity to be one of the first people in the Coastal Bend to sample lionfish, which will be prepared as part of a cooking demonstration and competition between local chefs from Tavern on the Bay and Doc’s Seafood & Steaks.
In addition, guest speaker Jorge Brenner from The Nature Conservancy will explain the history of how this beautiful but venomous species was introduced to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico and what efforts are being made to regulate its population.
Don’t miss this very special night at the Aquarium! Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members and include chef tastings, appetizers, a flaming dessert from Water’s Edge Catering, and a fascinating educational program. Also available will be a cash bar, door prizes, and a silent auction with proceeds supporting education and control of lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico. To reserve your seats, call (361) 653-2654 or email jgrumman@txstateaq.org .
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Texas State Aquarium–Connecting people with nature and inspiring conservation of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Lined seahorse babies!
Did you know? Seahorse females insert their eggs into the male seahorse’s brood pouch, which he then fertilizes. After a gestation period of 21 days, the baby seahorses are born!
Texas State Aquarium and Flint Hills Resources Partner to Create Flint Hills Resources Center for Excellence in STEM Education
March 21, 2014
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Texas State Aquarium (TSA) and Flint Hills Resources (FHR) are uniting forces to create the Flint Hills Resources Center for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education at the Texas State Aquarium. Focused through the familiar lens of environmental education, the Center will place a powerful new emphasis on STEM practices and skills featuring the habitats and animals of Gulf of Mexico that are featured at the Aquarium. This new approach will improve STEM teaching, learning, and career recruitment in South Texas and beyond – an issue of importance to the Aquarium, Flint Hills, and our community.
The Center is made possible thanks to a $1 million gift to the Aquarium by Flint Hills Resources, which has been the presenting partner for the Aquarium’s distance learning program, Aquavision, since 2007 and a strong supporter of the Aquarium for over 25 years. The Center will work over the next five years to provide leadership in the STEM education community, empower staff and area educators with best and “next” practices, demonstrate excellence in STEM and environmental education through an emphasis on science process skills, double program participation from 60,000 to 120,000 learners per year, and produce measureable gains in environmental, marine, and general STEM literacy among all audiences.
“Our long-standing partnership with the Texas State Aquarium has helped students from all around the country learn about marine life, and concepts tied to science, technology, engineering and math without having to leave their classroom. We are happy to be able to help TSA expand its programs and enrich the lives of twice as many students,” said Valerie Pompa, vice president and manufacturing manager for Flint Hills Resources Corpus Christi. “We enjoy being able to help showcase the amazing natural resources that exist in our community.”
According to TSA President and CEO Tom Schmid, “For over 25 years, Flint Hills Resources has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the Texas State Aquarium and our educational efforts. Now, with this transformational gift, Flint Hills Resources and the Texas State Aquarium are taking on a leadership role in science education in South Texas. The new Flint Hills Resources Center for Excellence in STEM Education will allow us to help definitively tackle the challenge of improving STEM teaching and learning for Coastal Bend students and teachers.”
Center activities will commence this summer with a large community Open Space meeting to map the Center’s philosophy, vision, mission, and priority projects. Open Space Technology is singular in its ability to discover, capture, and prioritize best and “next” practices. Other highlights of the Center’s plans include advisory panels comprising a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including formal and informal educators, parents, K-16 school administrators, STEM professionals, partner organizations, and Aquarium members; teaching fellowships; STEM professionals in residence; an expanded distance learning program; an approach that includes increased relevance for learners; and contextual, experiential, and discovery-based learning.
Texas State Aquarium Director of Education and Conservation Leslie Peart remarked, “In other words, our plans for the Center will help us to move learning out of the classroom and leave lecture behind through engaging, experimental methods.”
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Texas State Aquarium: Connecting people with nature and inspiring conservation of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
www.texasstateaquarium.org
Poison Dart Frog
#DidYouKnow unlike other frogs, the Poison Dart Frog does not swim. If you look closely, you will notice that this frog does not have webbed toes. Another fun fact about poison dart frogs is that they are only poisonous when they ingest certain types of foods.
Here at the Texas State Aquarium, they are not poisonous, because of their diet.
The Current 