TROPICAL DIVER O R D F W A R BOOKMARK IN There are many different types of coral. MEET AN EXPERT ON OUR STEAM TEAM They can generally be categorized, based YOUR BROWSER! on appearance, as hard coral DR. LISA HOOPES, (Order: Scleractinia) or soft coral Nutritionist (Order: Alcyonacea). Coral is actually an Texas A&M University Bookmark these links in your Major: Wildlife and animal that is related to sea anemones Fisheries Science browser to stay current with and jellies. Coral reefs cover less than one Education at Georgia Aquarium: percent of the ocean floor, however they What is the most support about 25% of all ocean life. As of exciting part of your 2011, about 60% of the world’s coral reefs job at Georgia Aquarium? are at risk. georgiaaquarium.org/experience The most exciting part of my job is the challenge of Get the lowdown on all of the exciting events maintaining the nutritional health of thousands happening at Georgia Aquarium! of different species, from the smallest urchins to the largest of whale sharks. georgiaaquarium.org/learn What advice do you have for students interested in doing what you do? Request more information for a school visit.

Read, explore and volunteer! Follow your passion. georgiaaquarium.org/teach FIELD GUIDE From the academic end, stay strong in math, chemistry and science as they will have direct Explore our ever-evolving resource page to make application to day-to-day operations in an Georgia Aquarium a part of your classroom! aquarium. ANIMAL georgiaaquarium.org/STEAMForward ADAPTATIONS What is something surprising or unexpected about your career path? Access our exciting new STEAM Forward video GRADES 3-5 series that spotlights career pathways at Georgia I had planned to stay in a university setting and Aquarium and our partners in the community. become a research professor, but a twist of fate Three-quarters of Earth’s surface is and a job at a major zoological institution georgiaaquarium.org/SEA changed my mind. Afterwards, I applied and covered with water. There are many accepted the job at Georgia Aquarium. I have the best of both worlds in that I get to help Get your field trip funded today! different types of aquatic habitats, such care for a unique collection of animals at the as the open ocean, coral reefs, lakes, Aquarium, and I get to continue to follow my georgiaaquarium.org/outreach research interests. I am currently working on rivers, marshes and swamps. To survive research projects across the globe regarding a Can’t make it to the Aquarium? Let us float on in these different environments, animals variety of aquatic species. over to your school! have special features, or adaptations. What do you say to students who ask "Why am These adaptations have developed over I learning this?" time and serve several important • Looking at the Pacific Barrier Reef wall, can you distinguish the differences To understand how the world around you works purposes. They can help an organism and provide you with some insight and possible between hard coral and soft coral? get food, protect themselves from inspiration on a career in science. Very little is known about the nutritional requirements of enemies, and survive in many • Can you name some of the different many of these aquatic species in their natural different conditions. species that live in and around the coral environments. You could be the next scientist Connect With Us @GeorgiaAquarium reef? to help discover these unknowns! on Social Media! georgiaaquarium.org/STEAMForward Blog: georgiaaquariumblog.org SOUTHERN COMPANY AT&T DOLPHIN TALES COLD WATER QUEST OCEAN VOYAGER RIVER SCOUT BUILT BY THE HOME DEPOT

The electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) is The common bottlenose dolphin The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the the largest of the knifefish and can grow to be (Tursiops truncatus) is found throughout found along the southernmost coast of Africa, largest of all fishes. The average length for a where water temperatures range between 40 almost 8 feet long (2.5 m) and weigh up to 44 the Atlantic. It is commonly seen in bays, whale shark is between 18 and 32.8 feet lbs. (20 kg). Olive to blackish in color, the tidal creeks, inlets, marshes, rivers and and 70 degrees F (5-20 degrees C). The African penguin lives in colonies. Both the (5.5-10 m). These highly migratory fish are scaleless electric eel is a fish with an elongated along open ocean beaches. Its fusiform male and the female penguin look the same. typically found offshore, in waters around the body and a flattened broad head. You will also shape (wide in the middle and tapered at notice a yellow or orange coloring near the Therefore, African penguins are not sexually globe, feasting on a diet of zooplankton and the ends) allows for efficient swimming throat region. It generally lives in murky water dimorphic. Juvenile feathers are shades of and diving. With an outer layer that sheds small fishes. A whale shark may be recognized in pools, deeply shaded streams and creeks. It grey with a lighter belly and chest. A penguin will keep their juvenile feathers for one year by the pattern of its spots. Like our own prefers the muddy bottoms of calm water approximately every 2 hours, its tiny before changing to their adult plumage. As throughout mainland South America. Adults ridged skin is an adaptation specialized to fingerprints, their markings help scientists reduce drag. The maximum observed swim adults, they will have black feathers on their identify individuals. feed on smaller fish and amphibians. The back with white feathers on their front. On electric eel immobilizes its prey with an speed of a common bottlenose dolphin occasion, the chest and belly may also have electric discharge. Additionally, this species is was about 18 mph (29 km/hr) for a very black markings. Penguin feathers are stiff and an obligate air-breathing fish that absorbs 80 short distance. overlap in layers to trap air next to the skin for percent of its required oxygen by taking air in insulation. The feathers are very resistant to through the mouth. wind and water.

• The electric eel lacks many of the common • Look closely at the bottlenose dolphins. • What adaptations does the penguin have? • A whale shark’s teeth are tiny and pointed fins (dorsal, caudal) found on the typical fish. What adaptations do you see? How do you Do you know of any other animals with similar backward. What does this adaptation tell Why is this an important adaptation for this think these adaptations help them survive? adaptations? you about the feeding habits? particular species? • The bottlenose dolphin has an adaptation • The penguin’s wing bones are flatter and • The whale shark’s skeleton is made out of covered with scale-like feathers. Why is this a • Observe the electric eel’s side-to-side where an oily mucus is secreted to lubricate cartilage. How does a cartilage skeleton benefit for a flightless bird like the African movement. Look up and compare the electric its eyes. Why is this important for a differ from a bone skeleton? penguin? eel to the smallmouth buffalo. mammal that swims in the ocean?