Program on the Environment

The Marine Science and Technology (MaST) Center Aquarium, located on Poverty Bay in Des Moines, is an integral marine science facility for Highline College. It focuses on educational practices, hands-on training, work, and research on aquatic species and phytoplankton. The center is open to the public just one day a week. It functions primarily as a research hub and husbandry center for many creatures, including moonjellies, which I grew from polyps to juvenile medusas. It houses 15 aquarium tanks, which feature saltwater species native to Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Throughout my internship, I learned that husbandry is a key form of conservation in aquariums and labs worldwide. It is used mainly as care for species on display or in a lab for testing and analysis. However, not enough husbandry is practiced or even talked about. Through my internship, I interviewed multiple people who work in aquaculture, aquariums, and labs, who use husbandry daily. I gathered through these interviews that there is a lack of information for the public about what husbandry is and why it is vital for future conservation work. With the introduction of new educational practices, the public has more options to get involved and learn how to help on a big or small scale.