Aquarium of the Pacific rushes to house hundreds of sea life after two smuggling busts
After two federal seizures this summer, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach took in hundreds of marine animals and worked through the night to quarantine and acclimate them, with about a quarter dying shortly after arrival.
Two separate anti-trafficking operations this summer delivered marine wildlife to the Aquarium of the Pacific, first in June with about 500 fish, sharks, clams and invertebrates, and later in July with an additional 300 specimens after they passed through a federal center in Torrance. Employees worked overnight to move the animals into quarantine zones, monitoring pH, dissolved oxygen and ammonia before gradually adjusting them to permanent tanks, a delicate procedure that saw roughly one-quarter of the arrivals die within days.
The aquarium, a founding member of the Wildlife Confiscations Network—a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums—has now cared for more than 3,300 confiscated animals since joining. Species rescued include near-threatened brownbanded bamboo sharks, endangered Banggai cardinalfish and heavily traded ocellaris clownfish, as well as large quantities of coral that require microscopic identification.
Grant funding received earlier this year will support upgrades to holding systems for future seizures. While many of the rescued creatures will be relocated to other accredited facilities, some will remain in Long Beach exhibits, depending on size, lifespan and compatibility.
Why it matters
The story highlights the scale of illegal marine wildlife trade and the complex effort needed to rescue and care for trafficked sea creatures.
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