Musings on Seahorses and the Sea
Recently, I have been rewarded with a rare and special gift. Not long ago, I was invited to become a husbandry volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Obviously, I would have been remiss to pass up such a once in a lifetime opportunity. Obviously, I did not! One does not simply turn down a request of this magnitude. I realize I may be give to hyperbole from time-to-time, but it is no exaggeration when I say how deeply honored I have been to be allowed to work with these fine people and their treasured livestock. To be quite frank, it has also been a humbling experience, for I found myself intimated by a tank for the first time in many years. If that isnt enough, the visitors reactions I have witnessed have been as intense as they are sincere. Returning home from a visit as I just have, I found myself pensive, lost in musings on seahorses and the sea.
I was fortunate to be assigned to work in the aquariums newest exhibit, The Secret Lives of Seahorses. Needless to say, I was honored. I was proud, not only because seahorses are demanding fish but because this exhibit has quickly become a major attraction. Each time I finish my weekly appointment, I take a quick trip through the halls of The Secret Lives of Seahorses gallery. Without fail, it is jam packed with onlookers of all ages and backgrounds. And they all have identical looks of wonderment on their faces. To think that I have now had a hand, albeit small, in bringing these people such joy is as astounding as it is profound. I am brought back to a time, in my childhood, when the Monterey Bay Aquarium was a place that captivated my dreams.
I can remember car trips to Monterey with my parents. It was then, and still is, a lazy seaside town tucked away at the southern end of the majestic Monterey Bay. My family on my fathers side has distant roots there, going back to the Cannery Row days of John Steinbeck and Ed Doc Ricketts. Thats not why we visited though. My parents knew I had a fascination with the sea going back to the edge of my memory. They brought me to Monterey (where I currently reside, by the way) to satiate my hunger for the ocean. Since my earliest days I was on a quest to learn about the marine world and all of its secrets. What better place to do that than one of the worlds foremost aquariums, on one of the worlds most spectacular bays? From those days until now, my love for the ocean has never been dimmed. I can thank the aquarium for that, and volunteering there has taken me full circle in many ways.
Looking back on things, I am sure now that there was never really any doubt that I would dedicate my life to studying sea life. The ocean impresses with an elegant balance of beauty, fragility, and peril. It never ceases to amaze me, and my fascination has not waned. The final manifestation, the culmination of my lifes work, is still unknown, but when I see those peoples faces I am reminded of how inspiring is the ocean. They marvel at the mysterious alien creatures that float by, lives pulsing to a rhythm entirely their own. I marvel as well, for such moments seem to justify the road I have traveled to arrive here. There could be no warmer reward, no sweeter prize, than knowing that one person was inspired to conserve the ocean by something you have done. I think it must be overwhelming for the staff of a public aquarium to ponder the sheer number of lives they have changed through their endeavors. Being one of those numbers myself, I cant imagine what my life would have been like without the ocean as a constant force. It has shaped my psyche in a way that is only now becoming enlightened by this event.
The experience has taught me several lessons I think are worth sharing. For instance, the aquarists I have worked with are utterly dedicated to the responsibility of caring for the animals in their custody. They work tirelessly at keeping their charges healthy and happy. Whether it is doing twice-daily gravel vacuuming, or feeding seahorses three times a day, or safely relocating tiny little baby seahorses, these folks are on top of it. Another lesson this experience has reinforced is that basic husbandry principles are the foundation of advanced husbandry, even at the most elite level. Patience, knowledge, and diligent execution are the main weapons in an aquarists arsenal, and are every bit as important as system set-up. Finally, I think aquarists are, in general, a pretty amazing lot. Whether professional or amateur, keeping delicate sea creatures alive in an artificial environment is an extraordinary feat!
As for the seahorses, I think they have some things to teach us as well. They are relaxed creatures that do not seem to bother anyone. Nor are they bothered by things that dont concern them. Sometimes they are so relaxed they dont even get out of the way when you are cleaning around them! They do not have true stomachs, so they never eat more than they need right at that moment. And they will not eat just anything; they maintain a strictly regimented diet. Seahorses are also loving parents, with the fathers doing most of the child rearing. In this way, juvenile seahorses enter into the world with a solid upbringing. Nonetheless, they are sensitive to problems in the environment, and must be kept clean and treated well in order to survive.
Seahorses are quite extraordinary, for they manage to endure in a world that seems like it would devour them. Small and harmless, sensitive and gentletheir demeanor belies their importance. They represent the little guy. In that way, they represent the whole ocean as well because the ocean, in spite of its immensity, is the little guy. When faced with the imminent threat of human encroachment, the sea is put at great risk. The vast number of animals it shelters are in jeopardy more and more each day. It is frightening for ocean lovers like myself, but I take solace when I witness the exuberance caused by The Secret Lives of Seahorses. These majestic little fish remind us all of how extraordinary is the sea and its inhabitants. Witnessing the denizens of the submarine world up close is the finest way to gain appreciation and inspire conservation amongst the population at large. That this happens to seahorse visitors is quite clear. Their awe-inspired reactions are, in themselves, awe-inspiring.
Where the people go after they leave, I have no idea. They return to their lives, and perhaps little changes for them. However, I imagine they dream of the ocean occasionally. And if their trip to the bottom of the sea, however brief, leads them to make even a singular effort to contribute to ocean stewardship, all the time and effort has been well worth it. With any luck, the child I once was is reborn time and again in children who visit the seahorses. If a leafy sea dragon, suspended lazily in its surreal world, sparks a love-affair with one person, we all benefit from the outcome.
I know my own contribution to this process is exceedingly minorperhaps even inconsequential. However, that makes this experience all the more special to me. The people I am working with have been wonderful. They have been gracious in answering my questions and teaching me about their seahorse exhibits. It is quite apparent that they cherish what they do, and the role they play as ocean stewards. That their hearts and souls are poured out in the effort to create a magical experience is palpable, and their effort is repaid doubly by the enthusiastic response of their guests. I am honored to even be able to talk with them, let alone put my hands into their esteemed tanks. It is solely through their generosity that the rest of us are allowed to peer into the submarine world. Without this window, the world would surely forget to value the marine environment for more than just a source of commodities. The ocean gives us food, oxygen, and a stable environmentfacts we should never overlook lest we do it irreparable damage.
It seems to me that aquarists in public institutions everywhere should be lauded. Not only are they talented and devoted folks who have committed their lives to the enrichment of others, they accept the implicit anonymity with aplomb. I would like to take this opportunity to thank these men and women, who have accepted the responsibility of introducing the citizens of Earth to the marine environment. Through their efforts, the rest of us know a little more about the ocean. To know the ocean is to love the ocean, and it shows on the faces of each and every visitor to The Secret Lives of Seahorses.