Category: Aquariums

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Science Traveling Lisbon’s Oceanarium

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If you’re an aquarium nut like me, one of the places on your “must-see” list is the Oceanarium in Lisbon, Portugal. Officially the Oceanário de Lisboa, it ranks as the largest indoor aquarium in Europe.

Lisbon Oceanarium

Like most big aquariums it has a huge central tank of roughly 1.3 million gallons filled with the usual blend of marine fish, sharks, and rays. It is also one of the few aquariums that includes an ocean sunfish (Mola mola), a notoriously difficult species to maintain out of its natural oceanic habitat.

Lisbon Oceanarium

What I liked about the main tank – and I’ve seen dozens of them – is that as you walk around the perimeter you have many large floor to ceiling windows to gaze through.

Lisbon Oceanarium

There are large areas where you can often see divers feeding the fish and maintaining the tank.

Lisbon Oceanarium

But also many alcoves where a diverse community of fish, anemones, and corals can get some “privacy,” i.e., some sense of normality in a life literally in a very large fish bowl.

Lisbon Oceanarium

Of course, there are many smaller tanks and exhibits for up-close-and-personal views of worldwide marine flora and fauna. As always I was drawn to the tropical frog exhibit.

Lisbon Oceanarium

With only a month to go before finishing my three-year sojourn in Brussels, I had made a special trip to Lisbon specifically to see this world-famous aquarium. I was not disappointed.

See more about my aquarium visits on the aquarium page.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. He is currently writing a book on Thomas Edison.

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Tesla, Lincoln, and Beyond

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Signing books 1-11-14It’s been a busy weekend/week/month/year. On this site I write about Nikola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, Travel, and Aquariums, but I also write on other sites and I’ll be adding more sites shortly.  At the same time I’ll be consolidating. Make sense? Keep watching this space for more information.

I’ll be writing more in-depth about these in future posts, but to give you a flavor of what is coming, check out these highlights:

  • Nikola Tesla: A new book, the reissue of the previous book, and some talks. I mentioned these in a previous post here. I’ll be holding a vote for the final title shortly, and another for the final cover. Sign up for my Facebook author’s page for details on how to get the ebook for free when it comes out.
  • Abraham Lincoln: This weekend was the first face-to-face meeting of the new officers for the Lincoln Group of DC (LGDC). As part of my new outreach and education duties we’ve set up LGDC pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I’ll have a post on these shortly. We also have a gazillion (more or less) events scheduled for the near future. Check out the LGDC website for more information.
  • Travel: I’m way behind on planning the trip to Scandinavia, but the goal is to go to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Trips to Mt. Rushmore and Chicago/Springfield are also in the works (and also way behind schedule in planning). Before that I’ll be up in New England to visit the family and give a talk about Tesla at the Ipswich Museum.
  • Aquariums: So many more aquariums to write about. I have two more on my list to visit while in the Scandinavian countries noted above.
  • Writing: I’ve recently started free writing, that is, writing in response to prompts, contests, and for future use in memoir/fiction books. I recently submitted short pieces to two contests – one a science fiction article and the other a short memoir. To accommodate the free writing, as well as the diverse writing on Lincoln, Tesla, science, and other topics, I’ll be setting up separate blogs that will then be cross-posted back here.

There is much more going on as well. I’m being considered for a major award related to my work with the regional chapter of SETAC. A possible on-air segment on the History Channel is in discussions, as is a profile in a book about Tesla’s People (people building a curriculum about Nikola Tesla). Works in progress include the Abraham Lincoln book I’ve discussed previously plus a travel photo book and, of course, the soon to be released Tesla and Renewable energy ebook.

Add in a few major life events, some introspection, and the vagaries of nature, and there will be tons to talk about. One thing I have planned is a revamping of this website to highlight my multiple books and other writing; more informational articles on Tesla, Lincoln, science, and travel; and a new newsletter for my updated mailing list.

Stay tuned!

David J. Kent is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and a soon-to-be-released ebook on Tesla and Renewable Energy.

 

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Oh What a Year (aka, Tesla Rules!)

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David J. Kent, Science TravelerIt seems like January 2013 was a blink away, but somehow an entire year has passed and that blink away is now January 2014. But oh what a year it was. A year of transitions, a year of excitement, and even a year with some major anxieties. But it is a year I will always remember – the year of Tesla.

Tesla – The Wizard of 2013!

The obvious hallmark was the release of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. Nine months after it had been accepted by the publisher the book finally hit the stores in July 2013. Prominently displayed on shelves at Barnes and Noble entrances, many stores quickly sold out and reordered. Even after the warehouse was empty the books continued to sell, limited only by people’s ability to locate them. By the end of the year we had sold out almost the entire (large) first printing. Even better, a second printing of double the initial run is due out July 2014.

[Off-] Broadway Bound!

The success of Tesla has had another benefit – all the great people I’ve met. Besides Nikola, Sherry, Sam and many others with the Tesla Science Foundation, there are the great folks at Tesla Ambassadors and other Facebook groups. I even got to meet Mr. William H. Terbo, the only living relative of Nikola Tesla. Mr. Terbo is the grand-nephew and actually met Tesla himself when he was ten years old. Another highlight of the year was being invited to speak to the cast of the off-Broadway play, TESLA, then attending opening night of the wildly successful show. Sanja Bestic as director and Sheri Graubert as writer worked so well as a team that they have another show coming out this spring – Jackie and Marilyn. I can’t wait.

Even the bad things worked out!

Of course, there were some downer parts of the year too. Most notably my father’s aneurysm surgery in February turned out to be more dramatic than expected. I’m happy to say that after having several aorta re-plumbed, a series of strokes and seizures, four days of coma, no movement on one side for a few more days, and months of rehab, Dad is doing very well. Meanwhile, the toxicity of my own work environment finally led to the decision to leave my long-standing scientific career and become a full-time writer. Notwithstanding the sudden lack of income, it was a great decision. It’s even been good for my health – after putting on weight in the spring I’ve dropped 10 pounds and live a much healthier lifestyle.

Science Traveler alert!

Along the way I managed to squeeze in a little bit of travel, including several trips to my home town for family events, four times to New York City for writing/Tesla events, a road trip to Tennessee, and even a quick weekend in Jamaica. Travel will get more emphasis in 2014, starting with a trip to NYC in January and to Argentina in February. Summer may bring me to the west coast and/or Moscow and/or Iceland and/or a country to be named later. I’ll be posting much more on travel (and aquariums) this coming year as Science Traveler starts catching up to its moniker.

150 Years of Abraham Lincoln!

Not to be forgotten is Abraham Lincoln. As a member of the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia I’ve had the privilege of joining monthly dinners with some of the most knowledgeable Lincolnophiles in the area. And since each dinner has a guest speaker, I’ve met Lincoln scholars such Douglas L. Wilson, Walter Stahr, and many others. [Eric Foner will receive the Lincoln Award from us in January 2014] One of my most cherished activities of this past year has been the monthly Lincoln Group book club. We’ve been reading the version of Herndon’s Lincoln edited by the aforementioned Doug Wilson and his colleague Rodney O. Davis. Having the combined expertise and insights of the dozen or so group members – all Lincoln scholars – is priceless.

My Presidency Ends!

With all this going on I somehow managed to perform my duties as President of the Chesapeake-Potomac Regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. This was my second go-around as President (the first was in 2001), and I’ve loved every minute of my involvement. As I hand over the Presidency to this year’s VP, Brad Pratt, I’ll remain as a Contributing Editor to the CPRC newsletter and an active Past-President.

Reading is Fundamental!

And then there were the books. As has been my norm in recent years I’ve finished reading about 60 books this year. Because of research for my next book, at least a dozen were Abraham Lincoln-related. But there were also many on Nikola Tesla, some great memoirs, and the trade of writing/publishing. I even read a half dozen fiction books (a rarity for me). Better yet, I was able to read some great books by authors I know personally, most notably Thomas Waite, R.C. (Chuck) Larlham, and Sam Hawksworth. Check them out.

All in all, 2013 was a very good year. I’m looking forward to an even better 2014, where I’ll meet more great people, do more great travel, and write more great books (and yes, I’ll shortly have more info on my Tesla book due out in the spring).

See you all again soon…and Happy New Year!!

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Ripley’s Myrtle Beach Aquarium – Believe it or Not

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One of the 45 aquariums I have visited around the world is the Myrtle Beach Aquarium in South Carolina. Officially the Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, the aquarium boasts thousands of fish, a very long underwater tunnel, and even a replica of a Civil War ironclad.

DC_SC_NC Sept 2009 135

At 340-feet in length, the glidepath (with both man-powered and moving walkways) is one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world. [The longest is in Shanghai and is 509 feet; I’ve visited there too and will report in a later post.] You can see the ironclad in the background of the photo below.

DC_SC_NC Sept 2009 092

Like most aquariums, Ripley’s works hard to provide a variety of habitats. Visitors can stop in the marine education center, visit Rio Amazon, explore the colorful reef fishes at Rainbow Rock, touch a stingray (stings removed), and cozy up to some poisonous frogs and lizards. Along the way they can greet a huge catfish:

Catfish

Say hello to one of the many large Arawana:

Arawana

And be afraid of barracudas…[some day I’ll tell the story of a barracuda following me around for an hour while I did marine research in Bermuda…a day after a huge barracuda had come straight for me out of the murky entrance to a small bay]

Barracuda

My favorite, however, was the sawfish. The aquarium had several that wandered the “big tank” (approximate 830,000 gallons). For some reason I really liked these guys.

Sawfish

Overall, the aquarium was worthy of a visit. The area around the aquarium has many restaurants and bars, so plan to make a day of it and stay for dinner. Take your camera. Ripley’s also has opened an “Aquarium of the Smokies” in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, so I’ll be adding that to my list of aquariums to profile in my book.

More on aquariums.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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31 Flavors – Aquarium of the Pacific

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Aquarium of the PacificNo, I don’t mean Baskin-Robbins is adding a new fish flavor to its menu (Orange Turbot, perhaps?). But the Aquarium of the Pacific becomes the 31st large public aquarium I have visited worldwide. Located in Long Beach, California, the Aquarium sits on the edge of the harbor with the Queen Mary basking in the background. Not the actual Queen, of course, but the ocean liner that sailed the Atlantic from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line before being permanently moored and turned into a hotel.

My tour of the Aquarium of the Pacific took place during the SETAC meeting I mentioned in previous posts here and here. It’s traditional to have a Tuesday night social event and when there is an aquarium handy it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the aquarium becomes the setting. Upon arrival I headed upstairs to see most of the exhibits before the aquarium turned down the lights in the simulated night/day cycle.

Aquarium of the Pacific coral

The aquarium is the largest in California and the fourth largest in the United States. Over 1.5 million people pass through its doors every year to see over 11,000 animals in more than 50 exhibits. Like most aquariums it goes way beyond just display for entertainment, offering many opportunities for education and research.

Jellyfish

Earlier in the day the President and CEO of the Aquarium, Jerry R. Schubel, gave a rousing presentation on man’s role and obligations when it comes to protecting the seas, the climate, and the biodiversity of this planet.

Overall the Aquarium of the Pacific provides a very nice introduction to the animals and plants of the oceans, with special emphasis on the Pacific. It’s a short walk from the Long Beach Convention Center and all the accompanying hotels and restaurants. It’s well worth the visit should you find yourself in Long Beach.

Check out more on their website: http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/

More on the aquariums I have visited here.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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I Saw a Fish, or A Fish I Saw

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Everyone has been to Sea World in Florida, or the New England Aquarium in Boston, or perhaps just the Mandalay Bay Hotel Aquarium in Las Vegas. For many people all the big public aquariums start to look eerily alike – a big tank with toothy sharks, small tanks with colorful reef fish, and brilliantly lit tanks of jellyfish (or more accurately, sea jellies, since jellyfish are neither jelly nor fish).

But to come to this conclusion is to miss the uniqueness of each aquarium, a uniqueness that the curators strive to achieve with the passion that comes from doing what you love to do. Since each aquarium by definition exists in its own local environment, each tries to bring that individuality to the public. Oh, and also a big tank of toothy sharks.

In going through some photos of a recent visit to North Carolina I came across a different kind of toothiness – a sawfish.

Sawfish

Sawfish look like people (well, maybe a little…just look at the photo above). Okay, not so much people. But they do look like sharks with long snouts (called a rostrum) filled with teeth-like denticles. Technically they are considered to be rays, the flattened fish with winglike fins that skate across the bottom of the tank and sneak up on tourists in the tropics.

Not surprisingly, sawfish use their “saw” to slash at prey with their denticle-covered rostrum. They also use it to defend themselves from predators, even if those predators are merely the unprotected ankles of an unwary wader. Unfortunately for sawfish, however, their saw hasn’t kept them from becoming endangered species. Many are poached for their rostrum (as a collectors item) or their fins (for food). Many are simply pulled up as bycatch by fisherman looking for more legal forage.

Sawfish are popular at public aquariums where they can be found, but are actually difficult to maintain due to their size and the lack of success in breeding programs. There is some question as to how much longer they will be around to be seen.

And I have to admit they are pretty cool to see.

More on aquariums here.

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A passion for public aquariums

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Lisbon AquariumI have a passion for public aquariums. The ones with big tanks, the sharks, the whales. This probably started when I was young and first went to the New England Aquarium in Boston. Its huge central tank with fish larger than me – and made to seem even larger by the refraction of the glass – was fascinating. It isn’t surprising that by the time I was in junior high school I knew I wanted to be a marine biologist. Just like Jacques Cousteau.

It was only later that I realized there was only one good-paying gig in marine biology, and Monsieur Cousteau had that locked up pretty tight.

But still, my fascination with aquariums has never waned. I’ve made it a point to visit the big public aquariums all over the United States, with not a small number also from other parts of the world.

I’ll talk about the features that make each one interesting in the future. For now check out my new Aquariums page to see a list of the aquariums I’ve visited in North America, Europe, and Asia.

And since I’m posting this during what seems to be the ubiquitous “shark week” on the telly, here’s one to wet your appetite for future posts.

Shark, Lisbon Aquarium

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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