Aquarium Hosts 5K Race

Aquarium Hosts Third Annual 5k Race

Kure Beach, NC – Environmentally conscious athletes came out in droves this weekend to support a local initiative. The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is proud to announce the success of its annual 5k Race for the Planet on Sunday, April 17, 2011. WECT Meteorologist Colin Hackman served as the emcee for the event which took place at the Aquarium and featured over 300 participants.

Overall winner and Carolina Beach local Shawn McKee finished the race with a time of 17 minutes and 29 seconds. Erin Hogston completed the race as female overall winner with a time of 19 minutes and 35 seconds. Male masters winner Alex Bonnington finished with a time of 21 minutes and 34 seconds. Female masters winner Jacqueline Billings finished with a time of 26 minutes and 24 seconds. A complete list of race results can be found on the Wilmington Roadrunners website at: http://www.wilmingtonroadrunners.org/raceresults11.asp.

All participants received an eco-friendly numbered bib embedded with wildflower seeds that can grow once the bib is planted. Winners received clay medals created with the help of Hiroshi Sueyoshi of the Cameron Art Museum as well as rain barrels, paintings, and gift cards.

The Aquarium at Fort Fisher would like to say a special thanks to all of our volunteers, participants and sponsors for their help in facilitating this event. Sponsors and donors included: Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Wellness Clinic, Cameron Art Museum, The Casserole, CVS, Chili’s, Chuck E. Cheese’s, Food Lion, Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Gold’s Gym Longleaf Mall, Got to Be NC, Harris Teeter, Lowe’s Foods, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Moe’s Southwest Grille, NC Aquarium Society, Omega Sports, Pepsi, Port City Java, Rain Water Solutions, RedFlagSurfStudio.com, Sam’s Club, Snapdragon, Screen Print, SandyBands, Sea Witch Cafe & Tiki Bar, Somatic, Target and the Wilmington Area Woodturners Association.

Megalodon at the Mall?

Visitors to the Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh have been pleasantly greeted by a six foot tall Megalodon shark jaw since September 2010. In a matter of weeks that jaw will be packed up and shipped south in preparation for the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s new exhibit Megaladon: Diving with North Carolina’s Ultimate Predator.

Similar to modern day sharks and rays, Megalodon was a cartilaginous fish. The only remaining scientific evidence from this extinct predator is teeth. Ranging in length from four to six inches, the teeth indicate that this animal was massive, approximately 50-60 feet.

The Aquarium’s replicated jaw has an interesting story. The original Megalodon teeth were found in Aurora, NC – a full set. Megalodons had four rows of teeth. Most Megalodon models use two or three teeth molds repeated on each row. This jaw is made from molds from the complete set: four rows of each individual tooth.

The jaw will soon be displayed in a new interactive exhibit scheduled to open at the Aquarium in mid-June. The various artifacts and fun features of the display will allow visitors an opportunity to test their shark smarts as they learn about the extinct predator of the deep. Aquarium visitors will also learn more about modern day sharks which face similar threats and how important these species are for healthy ocean ecosystems.

Megalodon ruled the sea from 20 million to about two million years ago. Climate change during this time may have caused their extinction by altering the migratory routes of whales, which was the food of choice for Megalodon.

Medicine Drop

In today’s culture, creating a healthy environment is a priority for many people. As a society we value recycling, carpooling, and turning off the lights when we leave a room. One critical step towards a cleaner environment is often overlooked.

In the past, most people flushed old medicines down the toilet. This was done to prevent accidental poisonings of children and animals who may find medicines in the trash. But today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) no longer recommends this. Improper disposal of medicines allows the chemicals to contaminate ground water as well as the public water system. Sewage treatment plants may not be able to clean all medicines out of the water. This may harm fish and wildlife.

If throwing medicines away is not the answer, and we cannot just leave them sitting around the house, then what should we do with them? Enter Safe Kids North Carolina. You can dispose of your unused and expired medications during the second annual Operation Medicine Drop. Bring your medications to Pender Adult Services on 901 S Walker Street in Burgaw or the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Medical Mall, 2243 S. 17th St., located beside the main hospital Saturday, March 26 between 9:00AM and 1:00PM.

Your medications will be safely disposed of, without any negative impacts on the environment. Law enforcement agencies as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will be present to handle controlled substances. Herbal medications and vitamins will also be accepted.

Trail of Spray

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Spadefish Gallery newest showcase is an exhibit entitled “High Surf Advisory” featuring works created by world acclaimed artist, Gary Cleaveland with Red Flag Surf Studio. Cleaveland is a self taught artist who uses the rhythm of ocean tides as his muse to create sensational works of art.

Cleaveland catches the raw beauty of waves using an array of non-traditional mediums. He captures deep blues, vibrant turquoises and crisp whites by using cans of ordinary spray paint. This exhibit showcases a stunning collection of original, recently completed, large-scale, wave paintings. Works are for sale and can be purchased by contacting the artist directly at www.redflagsurfstudio.com. “High Surf Advisory” will be on exhibit March 1 - April 28, 2011.

The Spadefish Gallery at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher showcases local artists throughout the year. Artwork that coincides with the Aquarium’s mission of “Inspiring Appreciation and Conservation of North Carolina’s Aquatic Environment” is located on the second floor of the Marine building, near the auditorium.

Enjoy the beach...take your litter with you!

You enjoyed a day at the beach. The seabirds were diving, dolphins jumping and you even managed to catch a couple of nice-sized fish. You pack up and leave behind, an empty foam cup, a plastic water bottle, 12 inches of twisted fishing line and a half-buried, plastic bag. Have you ever wondered what happens to the litter you leave behind?

Aside from its unsightly appearance, litter ultimately ends up in the ocean. Litter negatively affects marine animals in two ways, ingestion and entanglement. Many marine animals confuse ordinary litter with food and eat it or they become tangled in pieces of fishing line or gear. Whether eaten or entangled, litter causes infection, starvation and death for many animals.

Sea turtles don't know the difference between a floating plastic bag and a jellyfish, their favorite food. If eaten, a plastic bag may cause a blockage in the stomach resulting in starvation and death. A seabird may mistake a small piece of styrofoam for food, ingest it and ultimately starve and die. Pelicans can become entangled in a piece of discarded fishing line, restricting movement and flight. These animals may starve, drown or become severely injured from ordinary litter left on the beach.

The Sea Turtle Foundation estimates that 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles die every year from ingesting or becoming entangled in ocean litter. So, enjoy the beach and remember to take your litter with you. By guest blogger Debi Haynes Photo courtesy snre.ufl.edu

Love is in Bloom

Love is in the Air........

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and time is ticking away to purchase a gift for that special someone. Candy, jewelry, and cards are always a safe option, but this year, think outside the box. Sending a bouquet of flowers every Valentine’s Day gets stale. Flowers are quite the gesture, but there are other options than spending an absorbent amount of money for flowers that will just die in a few days. Bet you didn’t know that “when you inhale the sweet smell of a store-bought flower, you are also inhaling up to 127 different types of chemicals used on commercially-grown flowers, many of which are banned in the United States” according to the Organic Consumers Association.

Consider an alternative approach to show your sweetie how much you care by purchasing flowers that you both can plant together. Nothing says “I love you” like something that will live on long past Valentine’s Day! If you’re really industrious you can start these flowers from seeds yourself. Otherwise, consider purchasing bulbs or flowers from your local nursery or farmer’s market. Like the flowers, your love will blossom and continually grow through the seasons.

(Image: Victor Love Flowers)

World Wetlands Day

Today we celebrate not only Groundhog’s Day, but it is also World Wetlands Day. Declared in 1971, countries around the world gathered to sign the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty and the first eco focused convention. Since then, on February 2nd activists all over the world unite and proclaim the benefits of wetlands around the world.

What are wetlands?

Many consider wetlands to lie in the surrounding coastal areas, however a wetland is any area of land where water covers a solid area that can range in various size, and can last years or just a few months. The embodying water can be still, flowing, fresh or salty. In North Carolina, wetlands are home to many plants and animals that rely on each other for food and shelter. Overall ,wetlands are the most valuable and productive ecosystems on the earth that provide food, shelter, and are areas for nurseries or buffer zones for animals breeding.

How to protect wetlands in North Carolina?

Pollution, urban encroachment and, partial drainage has strained the degradation of our wetlands. To help protect these valuable sources on our coast is a difficult task, however there are programs across the state that protect and support wetlands and the wildlife that you can participate in. Volunteer with the many watershed or conservation groups across the state, or work with a community group that take on a wetland to preserve. Plant native plants in your yard and limit the use of fertilizers and pesticides that pollute our neighboring waterways to the lakes and oceans.

Image from www.airheadscuba.com