Did you realize the Southeastern United States is home to more species of aquatic life than anywhere else in the temperate world? A lot of people, even those who live here, don’t realize they live in the midst of an underwater rainforest that rivals celebrated ecosystems like the Amazon Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. In 2023, the Aquarium decided to shine a light on the abundance in its own backyard with its newest gallery, Ridges to Rivers.
In this week’s episode, meet the aquarists who overcame seemingly endless challenges when designing the centerpiece of the gallery, an 18-foot-long artificial stream. This exhibit is so true-to-the-wild that its residents recently engaged in an unprecedented mating display, but getting to this point was no easy feat.
Episode cast:
- Casey Phillips, communications specialist and host
- Avery Millard, senior aquarist (an aquarist II at time of recording)
- Ben Stenger, senior aquarist
