by Tina Kelly – Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea –
Happy Tin Anniversary to us! We’ve been on a celebratory high since last summer – we turned 10! Traditionally, the 10th anniversary would be acknowledged with tin or aluminum; these materials were chosen to represent resilience, durability and flexibility. While we may think our organization reflects all of those qualities and more, we could not overlook the wear and tear of 10 years of everyday operations and the negative effects of salt water on infrastructure.
So before the celebrations, we were busy – behind and in front of the scenes – conducting upgrades and redesigns to maintain our exhibits and increase functionality. While improving the performance of the systems that keep animals healthy and clean water flowing was the goal, along came an exciting bonus: much of this work decreased our environmental footprint.
While visitors remark on the crystal clear water flowing through our aquariums, sometimes we wonder if visitors contemplate the logistics of how the sea water arrives here. Water from the Salish Sea enters our Centre at a rate of 200 litres per minute; this water then passes through two sand filters to remove debris, particulate matter and even microplastics. Imagine 10 years of “gunky” sand. Cleaning these filters and replacing the sand is just one example of a refurbishment job completed.
Conducting much-needed pump upgrades was critical to improving efficiencies. Installing four new gauges allows for better control of filter function; in lieu of regularly scheduled biweekly filter changes, filters are replaced strictly when needed. The result: 40 fewer filters into the landfill and a cost savings of $1,600 per year.
The Centre’s lights in both gallery spaces and animal habitats have been replaced with LED bulbs. Not only is this an environmental improvement, it is better for our sea life; new programmable LED lights above animal habitats are now scheduled to mimic natural photoperiods, changing with seasonal daylight hours, and turn on and off gradually to reflect sunrise and sunset.
While the majority of work completed was behind doors or under floors, one enhancement visitors will notice can be found in the classroom or Ocean’s Heartbeat. While new for some visitors, long-time friends of the Centre may consider it an exhibit returned to its former glory. Reworking pipes, replacing a chiller and adding a second chiller and a sand filter to this area of the aquarium allowed for the return of the circular 1,000 litre wet exhibit. A challenging game of find the camouflaged flatfish makes this exhibit a fan favourite.
In the 10 months leading up to our tin-aversary, more than $100,000 was invested in upgrades and redesigns; this covered supplies, parts, and specialized labour for skilled jobs. The Town of Sidney, our landlords and long-time supporters, deserve a special mention for their encouragement and support towards this work.
With this significant effort behind us, we have a fresh new sense of resilience and durability. Coincidentally, an 11th anniversary is acknowledged with steel, signifying strength. It’s a fitting symbol, as we now also feel stronger (and greener).
Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is open daily at 10 a.m.
