The Podcast Aquatic

Despite outnumbering them (in species diversity) by a factor of almost ten to one, moths are the quintessential under-appreciated insect. To most people, they're an almost-spooky nocturnal curiosity at best and a wardrobe-endangering pest at worst. In reality, moths are hugely important, helping to pollinate plants during the night-time shift when butterflies have called it quits for the day. They're also more ancient than butterflies, not to mention faster and more efficient and, often, hardier. Join us for this week's episode as we celebrate National Moth Week by shining an ultraviolet light on these unsung heroes of the evening. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialistRose Segbers, senior entomologistStephanie Soto, formal learning experience supervisorThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In the Aquarium gift shop years ago, there was once a sea turtle stuffed animal for sale that looked a little ... different. He didn't have all of his flippers, and his shell was missing a notch. This wasn't a manufacturing error, though; it was an homage to one of our most-beloved residents, Oscar.Thanks to an early life run-in with an oceanic predator and a boat, Oscar has never looked like a "normal" sea turtle. Yet despite the difficulty of swimming and diving with his injuries, Oscar managed to move around the Secret Reef with remarkable, even inspirational, agility. In 2020, Oscar had to relocate from the Aquarium to an off-site home, but questions about him and well wishes for his continued health and wellbeing have continued to pour into our social inboxes. In this episode, we take the Studio Dive Cage on the road to pay Oscar a visit at his new home. We chat about why he's such an inspiration to so many, the efforts we've undertaken to make his life comfortable and enriching and his surprising (if understandable) love of The Golden Girls.Episode cast​Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/long-time Oscar stan​Adam Johnson, animal care facility lead​Shelby Ferguson, veterinary assistant II​Thom Demas, vice president and chief husbandry & exhibits officerThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

When most people think about wildlife and nature documentaries, there are places that naturally spring to mind: the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon Rainforest, the African Serengeti. What most people don't think about is the stream in their backyard or the river they drive over every day. But Jeremy Monroe isn't "most people." He's the founder and director of Freshwaters Illustrated, a documentary filmmaking studio that has, since 2003, focused its efforts on showcasing the incredible behaviors and diversity of life in rivers, lakes and streams. From funny newts to clever mussels to resplendent trout, Freshwaters Illustrated's films capture the same beauty and passion and exude just as much passion as those films focused on the places that tend to get more of our attention. Learn more about Freshwaters Illustrated and view samples of its incredible photography and videos at its website: https://www.freshwatersillustrated.org/Episode castCasey Phillips, host and senior communications specialistJeremy Monroe, director at Freshwaters IllustratedThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

There’s no point in arguing that the arrival of a baby animal at an aquarium or zoo isn’t cause for celebration. Many, MANY new generations of animals have been born at the Tennessee Aquarium in our 34-year history, but few have been as much a thrill as the arrival of a tiny, chipmunk-sized bundle of furry joy to the Lemur Forest exhibit in April. This infant Red-collared Brown Lemur is a first in many respects. It’s the first lemur of any species born at the Aquarium since lemurs first arrived here in 2016, and it’s the first lemur baby cared for by one of our senior animal care specialists. It’s also one of only a handful of its species to reside in professional care in the United States, which is home to only about 50 of these adorable, endangered mammals. In this episode you’ll learn about the surprise circumstances that brought this adorable baby into the world, how its arrival has changed the paradigm of care for our entire troop of lemurs and what this birth says about the quality of care all of our animals receive. Want to help us name this new baby? Until July 9, 2026, you can take part in an online naming poll to help us select from some pre-approved selections! Visit https://tnaqua.org/animals/baby-lemur/ to cast your vote! Episode castCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist and lemur stanKevin Calhoon, curator of forestsMaggie Sipe, lead animal care specialist (Ocean Journey building)Sam Grote, senior animal care specialistThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

From the shadow play of Plato's allegories and the trials of Beowulf to paintings adorning the walls of caverns in Lascaux, France, mankind has long been fascinated (if also a little unnerved) by the idea of caves. These subterranean landscapes may seem as lifeless as they are lightless, but in reality, they represent unique biomes — ones inhabited by a far larger and more diverse collection of species than you might think. In this special Cave Week special episode of the show, we descend (literally) into the depths of a North Georgia cave to talk about life underground, from the animals that live there and the scientists who study them to what the worlds beneath our feet can tell us about life on the surface. Read about how our scientist helped to discover a blind, nearly translucent cave fish where no one thought it should be: https://newschannel9.com/sports/outdoors/biologist-finds-blind-fish-underfoot-in-unexpected-placeEpisode castCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist, lifelong surface dwellerDr. Bernie Kuhajda, aquatic conservation biologist (Tennessee Aquarium)Dr. Kirk Zigler, professor biology (Sewanee: The University of the South)The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Since opening its doors in 1992, the Aquarium has shone a bright spotlight on the world's 300+ species of turtles. In the decades since, our experts have had much success hatching and raising new generations of turtles, including some critically endangered species on the brink of extinction in the wild. In this episode, two of our lead herpetology experts talk about what it takes to raise these baby chelonians, from what they eat to how they wrestle their way out of their eggs (occasionally with a little bit of help). We'll also dive deep into what you can see in our working turtle nursery, which is undoubtedly the focal point of our Turtles of the World gallery. Watch a video highlighting a recent success story with hatching a record-setting clutch of critically endangered Arakan Forest Turtles! https://youtu.be/xZxaV8gFIJ8?si=Sm968-bsMKWKXwFcEpisode CastCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist, host and baby turtle fanBill Hughes, herpetology collections coordinatorCharlie Olson, senior herpetologistThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In life, there are many ways that your legacy can outlive you, but one of the most common — if no less flattering — is to have someone, or something, named in your honor. In this episode, we’ll meet the scientific namesake of the Laurel Dace, a hard-luck minnow found in just a pair of streams on a ridge about an hour’s drive north of the Aquarium. Fifty years before the Laurel Dace would earn the unfortunate title as one of North America’s top 10 most-imperiled fishes, it was just a slightly different looking dace caught in Charlie Saylor’s collection net. The scientist who later formally described the Laurel Dace named this beautifully plucky fish in Saylor’s honor: Chrosomus saylori. This discussion touches on Saylor’s history with the Laurel Dace, including his thoughts on its unfortunate decline and subsequent embracement by the residents of a nearby community, Spring City, Tennessee. On May 16, 2062 — just a few days after this episode’s release — the second Laurel Dace Day celebration will take place in Spring City. In addition to races and other activities, guests will be able to learn about the Laurel Dace and our efforts along with our partners to save it. Details about the event and pre-registration for those races are available on our website at https://www.tnaqua.org/events/laurel-dace-dayEpisode castCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist, namesake of no oneCharlie Saylor, Tennessee Valley Authority ichthyologist (retired)Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, Tennessee Aquarium aquatic conservation biologist The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠.

When you consider how many species and places that have been the focus of films and series by the legendary documentarians of BBC's Natural History Unit, it's frankly astonishing it took them so long to tackle the subject of Asia. The world's largest continent is home to an almost incomprehensible variety of ecosystems and wildlife, from massive bears in its polar north to sharks and coral reefs off its southeastern coast. In 2024, the nearly-70-year-old filmmaking legend produced the aptly named Asia, a seven-part series highlighting amazing stories and incredible animals that call the selfsame continent home. Now, BBC Earth has produced a new giant-screen film that condenses the best moments from the series into a brisk — yet somehow unhurried — 40-minute runtime. Wild Asia: Life at Extremes 3D will begin screening at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater on May 15. In this episode, we'll chat with its director, Matthew Wright, about the importance of finding new ways to show charismatic, well-documented species, the experience of capturing never-before-seen behaviors and his hopes for how the film impacts audiences. Learn more about the film and purchase advance tickets to meet Matthew during his visit on May 5, 2026, at https://tickets.tnaqua.org/events/019d8819-45e2-43c4-5341-60bd2665f901?_gl=1%2awf73rw%2a_gcl_au%2aOTY3MTA3NC4xNzc0MzY3MjM5Watch the film's trailer at https://youtu.be/ScWg4_mvVA0?si=p7lq7pROaExpojX2Episode Cast​Casey Phillips, host and senior communications specialist​Matthew Wright, series producer, Asia, director, Wild Asia: Life at Extremes 3DThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

Being a new parent is hard. Infants are small, fragile and, in most respects, completely incapable of caring for themselves. Raising them is a difficult — sometimes impossible-feeling — task. But fish babies? Take that challenge and multiply it. Everything is harder. The food? Probably too big. The lights? Too bright (or too dim). The eggs? Nearly microscopic.In this episode, two of the Aquarium's lead aquarists discuss the challenges of raising fish (both freshwater and saltwater species) from eggs that were laid in our exhibits. Successfully seeing these fish babbies to adulthood is a challenge, to be sure, but every fish born and raised in our buildings represents less impact we have to have on wild populations. Episode castCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/former babbyBen Stenger, River Journey lead aquaristKyle McPheeters, life support systems lead aquaristThom Demas, vice president, chief husbandry and exhibits officerThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠.

More than 13,000 residents live at the Tennessee Aquarium, and because of the dedicated work of our caretaking and veterinary teams, many of them have far exceeded their species’ median life expectancy in human care. Just like with people, advanced age brings on a host of changes to how animals experience the world around them, and this necessitates adjusting how we care for them.In this episode, we’ll chat about how we adjust our approach to tending to our older residents. Episode castCasey Phillips, certified "old," host and senior communications specialistThom Demas, vice president and chief husbandry and exhibits officerDr. Christian Keller, director of animal healthRachel Thayer, assistant curator of fishesThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

From leaping lemurs and 1,000+ species of orchids and hedgehog- and poison dart frog-likes, Madagascar is home to a splendiferous collection of life, the vast majority of which can be found there and nowhere else on Earth. In this episode, we chat all things Malagasy with primatologist Dr. Tim Eppley, from his opinion on the "Is it cute or terrifying?" debate about the Aye-Aye to the titanic (and regrettably extinct) Elephant Bird. We also dive into the work of his nonprofit, Wildlife Madagascar, to preserve this island nation's rich ecology by working hand in hand with the Malagasy people to shore up their livelihoods and food security. Dr. Eppley will be visiting the Aquarium as a guest speaker at an event on April 7. He'll discuss his work and sign copies of his book, Lemurs of Madagascar, alongside Aquarium staffers who work with Malagasy species such as Ring-tailed Lemurs and Radiated Tortoises. For more information about this event, visit https://www.tnaqua.org/calendarTo learn more about Wildlife Madagascar, visit https://www.wildlifemadagascar.orgEpisode CastCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialistDr. Tim Eppley, primatologist and chief conservation officer for Wildlife MadagascarThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

In the zoo and aquarium world, creating true-to-wild habitats is critically important, but simply building these miniature worlds for our residents isn’t good enough. After all, even the most beautiful home would start to feel stifling if every day inside was the same and nothing ever changed. To keep the animals’ lives interesting and stimulating, our caretakers place immense priority on dreaming up and creating new forms of enrichment. Whether it’s a new scent, a treat delivered in a puzzling container, a “painting” session or the temporary addition of sprinklers, snow or even bubbles, these tweaks and alterations keep life interesting, encourage mental and physical exercise and reinforce natural behaviors. In this episode, two of the Aquarium’s most enthusiastic enrichment champions about why enrichment matters, some of their favorite enrichment success stories and how they devise new ways to keep the animals on their toes, fins and claws.Episode castCasey Phillips, host and senior communications specialistMaggie Sipe, Ocean Journey lead animal care specialistJennifer McPheeters, River Journey lead animal care specialistThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Excitement continues to mount on our campus as we anticipate the March 7 opening of our all-new Scuttlebutt Reef gallery. In the previous episode of the show, we took a top-level view of this exciting collection of habitats. This week, we’re zeroing in on what could be described as the gallery’s “centerpiece”: a massive, 6,000-gallon living reef exhibit. This bustling aquatic community was designed and built fromscratch by two of our aquarists, who join us on the episode about halfway through the construction process (at the time of recording). We chat about species selection, the challenges of caring for coral and the many other steps involved in designing a reef that’s pleasant for the animals to live in and for our guests to visit.Check out the previous, overview episode on Scuttlebutt Reef here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0XrC5hE2A3P9Rte8yxFr46?si=3bf282f7ccdc4973Watch the first of our two-part video docu-series about theconstruction of this exhibit: https://youtu.be/6aqTBv8YMSoEpisode Cast Casey Phillips, host/senior communicationsspecialistKyle McPheeters, life support systems lead aquaristSarah Kate Bailey, aquarist II The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. [Episode cover art is of a War Coral (Favites pentagona) and was taken by Communications Content Creator II Doug Strickland.]

Although the Aquarium is constantly changing up animals inthe exhibits or building new habitats, it’s not often that we get to celebrate the opening of a brand-new gallery. With a building like ours, space is at a premium, so when we add something big, something old often has to leave to makeroom for the new and exciting addition. In a little over two weeks, the Aquarium will cut the ribbonon Scuttlebutt Reef. This exciting new collection of exhibits is taking the place of the Boneless Beauties gallery and is the first major addition to our campus since 2023. Scuttlebutt Reef shines a spotlight on many smaller marinespecies with highly specialized (and often misunderstood) adaptations. These oddball superpowers allow them to — among other things — glow in the dark, suction themselves to rocks, refract light, dig without any limbs and punch well above their weight class. The new gallery opens on March 7, 2026, but in the meantime,this episode will preview the new space, explore its origins and introduce many of the species you’ll soon be able to see there. To learn more about Scuttlebutt Reef, visit tnaqua.org/exhibit/scuttlebutt-reef/ Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialistSharyl Crossley, Ocean Journey lead aquarist Tom Demas, vice president, chief husbandry and exhibits officerJeff Worley, director of exhibit services The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Whether you’re shoveling your way out of lake effect snow or get goosebumps and uncontrollable shivers whenever the thermometer dips below 50, winter can be a tough time of year. That’s especially true for wildlife, which can’t just keep nudging up the thermostat whenever they feel a bit of a chill. So what tactics do animals employ to make it through this tough time of year when food resources are thin on the ground, freshwater freezes solid and just a thin layer of leaf litter is all that’s separating them from exposure to the latest bomb cyclone? In this episode, several Aquarium experts point out the differences between hibernation, torpor and brumation, explain where bees go in the winter and how bears can manage to go months between bathroom breaks. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/anti-winter rabblerouserKevin Calhoon, curator of forestsRose Segbers, senior entomologistLindsey Lewis, ambassador animal care specialist IIThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Before the advent of photography and — obviously — videography, naturalists had no choice but to rely on their artistic skills if they wanted to preserve a visual record of their work. Whether an impromptu sketch or a laboriously detailed drawing or painting, scientific illustrations were a vital means of sharing scientific research and observations with the public. They were also, in many cases, absolutely beautiful works in their own right. In this episode of the show, we connect with a modern-day scientific illustrating savant, Joe Tomelleri, who is renowned the world over for this exactingly detailed depictions of freshwater fish. Using nothing but his skill, carefully preserved specimens and a set of colored pencils, he toils for dozens of hours to produce a single image that replicates identifiable characteristics down, without exaggeration, to individual scales. To learn more about Joe's work or to purchase a print, visit his website at https://www.americanfishes.comWatch a video documenting Joe and Dr. Bernie Kuhajda's work to study and document Mexican trout species at https://youtu.be/IgLvcImJW1I?si=12R290rrmZr3_rbu[The drawing of a Pumpkinseed used as this episode's art is by — and used courtesy of — Joe Tomelleri.]Episode CastCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialistJoe Tomelleri, scientific illustratorDr. Bernie Kuhajda, aquatic conservation biologistThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

While exploring the galleries of the River Journey and OceanJourney buildings, artwork might not be what you’re focusing on during a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium, but maybe you should take a beat to give it some love. Stylized depictions of our living collection are all over campus courtesy of a pair of extremely talented and industrious graphic designers.In this episode — the first of a two-part mini-series — we’ll explore the overlap between art and science, learn about the role our graphic designers play in achieving our mission and how they heck they translate the recognizable features of an animal like an Epaulette Shark into a stylized illustration. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist,certified non-artistAimee Swartz, graphic designer Mike Shuleva, graphic designer The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100%post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

For many people, a visit to a national park is like making a pilgrimage, a chance to commune with nature in a setting of remarkable beauty and peace. The United States is a big country, though, and even with more than 430 designated national parks, every region didn't get an equal share of the spoils. Although spectacular examples exist, such as the Great Smoky Mountains, Acadia and Everglades, only about 20% of national parks are east of the Mississippi. If you live far from a national park and want to seek solace in nature closer to home, your best bet is probably one of the almost 10,000 state parks. These sites are distributed far more evenly throughout the country and enshrine vistas every bit as beautiful and grandiose as those in national parks. Even better, there's probably one (or several) just around the corner from wherever you happen to be listening. In this episode, the Studio Dive Cage goes on the road to Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park about an hour west of Chattanooga. There, guests from The Tennessee Conservationist — the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks — and the park discuss the misnomer that gave Old Stone Fort its name, why the nearby Duck River is so biologically rich, the role state parks play in democratizing access to nature and the future of Tennessee state parks. For more information about or to subscribe to The Tennessee Conservationist, visit https://www.tnconservationist.orgLearn more about Tennessee's State Parks at https://www.tnstateparks.comEpisode castCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/bona fide state park fan Whit Gardner, marketing and subscription manager (The Tennessee Conservationist)Keith Wimberley, park manager (Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park)The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture.It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

For many species, the arrival of humans to the neighborhood is usually a portent of bad things to come. The alterations we make to our environment often wreak havoc on the other animals that share those wild spaces with us. No matter how you slice it, ours is the dominant species on the planet when it comes to shaping the world around us to suit our wants and desires. But that power also can be wielded to enact positive change, and when humans — especially an entire community of them — rally to a species' defense, their impact can be potent. In this episode, you'll learn about one small Tennessee community's response to learning about the plight of a critically endangered minnow living on a nearby ridge. Like all good neighbors, they came together in defense of this hard luck fish, and the story of how and why that came to happen is the subject of this discussion. Learn more about the Laurel Dace and the Aquarium's efforts to save it here: https://tnaqua.org/join-give/race-for-the-laurel-dace/ Episode CastCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialistHelaina Gomez, watershed conservation coordinatorStephania Motes, former city manager of Spring City, TennesseeThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

At the Aquarium, a LOT of work is done by full-time team members, from seeing to the needs of the animals and keeping the lights on to hosting special events and ... yes, podcasting. During their visit, however, many guests benefit in innumerable ways from the dedicated efforts of hundreds of volunteers. From prepping diet for sharks and watering tropical orchids to hosting underwater educational programs, volunteers make the Aquarium world go round. In this episode, our volunteer coordinators join a long-time volunteer diver to discuss why folks are so generous with donating their time and effort to the Aquarium and ways you — yes, YOU — can sign up to help out, too. Learn more about opportunities to volunteer at the Aquarium at tnaqua.org/volunteer/Episode CastCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist/hostDarleene Cole, senior program manager of volunteer servicesClaudia Mendez-Marti, volunteer engagement coordinatorDaniel Backlund, volunteer diverThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

As the last kitten-a-day page falls from the calendar, we're taking a moment to look back on the first full year of The Podcast Aquatic and celebrate the many high points for the show. Of all the topics we've covered this year, though, host Casey is most proud of our (admittedly fairly recent) discussion about how the Aquarium takes pains to ensure it is as accessible to as broad an audience as possible. Take a listen to this touching discussion as you toast in 2026. The show will be back up and running next week with a new episode to kick off season two!The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

While we recover from our 50-episode-long first season and get ready to swim into season two in 2026, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes since our launch back in 2024. This oldie, but certainly a goodie, focuses in on the fascinating and important work being done by our horticulture team. Episode castCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist/hostAustin Prater, senior horticulturistJenna Paler, horticulturist IIThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hard to believe we're 50 episodes deep into The Podcast Aquatic! Listen in as we celebrate this milestone by turning the tables on erstwhile host/wannabe expert Casey Phillips to put him in the hot seat for once!Episodes we mention that you should check out: Doing Science at Aquariums and Zoos: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7vbVj21Z9P0griqYMoQ05c?si=DamyzMn1QaGcNwTCNqfkAQ Everybody Loves Rays, Man: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6B4aL2FtzWZRBCxE3BX9WQ?si=nj-PyqUBSPe_CEqwZDUvbQBuilding An Aquarium For Everyone: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gcXGoJxzrS1zC1qjHMevU?si=VOOYRxwBQOSTcKgNcGFXZwAppalachian Animal Mythbusters: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tzrHG44hMtBkcGuWhbVTz?si=c20f84a0bd0743d3Check out these other zoo and aquarium podcasts:Aquarium of the Podcific (Aquarium of the Pacific): https://open.spotify.com/show/3iItYuGBfh4UsDfWaBSpiC?si=7fccf8cf018f4e3eCincinnati Zoo Tales (Cincinnati Zoo): https://open.spotify.com/show/7dV5yB9Hi4mNbGxsID9MSe?si=63a7720d5d974c57Our Herd (Toledo Zoo and Aquarium): https://open.spotify.com/show/4fga076PsppB51wmjhFHhH?si=871812850f974dc8Amazing Wildlife (San Diego Zoo): https://open.spotify.com/show/43FIWGkO98EugEu5eyF0s9?si=0697387b3a4b4790Episode CastCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist/expert on himselfRachel Thayer, guest host/assistant curator of fishesThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture.It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

In the English language, there are few words that convey a sense of finality quite like "extinction." The notion that a species could completely disappear from the planet forever — down to literally the last individual — is incredibly sobering. But how "final" is extinction? How can scientists be sure that an animal has, in fact, completely disappeared forever? As sampling and surveying techniques improve and more and more eyes and camera lenses are trained on broader and broader swaths of the planet, supposedly extinct animals like the Coelacanth and Attenborough's Long-beaked Echidna have been rediscovered like Lazarus rising from the grave. In this quick-hit episode, we pose the question to our resident biologist of how extinction is determined, whether it's reversible and, if so, why bringing an animal back might not be a morally sound path to take. Learn more about how our intervention saved the critically endangered Laurel Dace from near-certain extinction: https://youtu.be/NPcm_d-PsXk?si=xRy63_gWZ_ktvExF Episode castCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist, certifiably not extinctDr. Bernie Kuhajda, aquatic conservation biologistThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture.It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Why are lemurs such messy eaters? Why would a penguin refuse to eat a delicious capelin? If a snake hasn't eaten in three months, should I be concerned? If you think it's tough to feed your clan, consider the challenge of satiating more than 13,000 animals, all of which have different needs and preferences. On the eve of the most glutton-y holiday of all, this Thanksgiving-special episode homes in on all the delectably meaty details when it comes to nutrition here at the Tennessee Aquarium. Check out how many fish penguins can put down in a single sitting (waddling?) before undergoing their annual catastrophic molt: https://youtu.be/LFxelNv7PwoEpisode castCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist, life-long eaterDr. Chris Keller, staff veterinarianThom Demas, vice president and chief husbandry & exhibits officerKevin Calhoon, curator of forestsThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture.It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

When you were a student — assuming you aren't still one — did you ever imagine that your teacher lived at your school? Sometimes, educators can give so much of their time and energy (and occasionally their money) to their craft that it can certainly seem like a school is where they call home. In reality, many teachers feel hamstrung at having to adapt their methods to their classroom facilities, working around inadequacies or equipment that doesn't quite meet their own needs or those of their students. What if teachers were invited to help design those same classrooms, though? Wouldn't their input be a valuable asset in the learning process? Wouldn't it ease their frustration and make them more effective at their critically important jobs? As this episode goes live, the Tennessee Aquarium is just one day away from opening a major addition to its downtown Chattanooga campus: The S.T.R.E.A.M. Learning center, supported by UNUM. This new facility sits next door to the Ocean Journey and River Journey buildings and will act as the hub of the Aquarium's previously decentralized educational efforts. Better still, its design was directly influenced by the educators who will be using it to teach and as a resource for professional development. In this episode, we discover why we invited teachers to participate in the design process and how their input will impact the Aquarium's long-standing role as an educational resource to so many.Episode castCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist and proud teacher's son/brother-in-lawNatali Rodgers, director of learning and evaluationRachel Hargis, UNUM corporate social responsibility managerThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture.It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

All her life, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant was focused on one career ambition: to host a nature series like those that had so stoked her passion for animals early in life. Decades later, Dr. Rae was an author and host to a hit podcast with a long list of academic achievements to her name. She was content and had come to terms with the thought that she might not be destined to grace the silver screen.And then NBC came calling with an offer to co-helm one of the most well-respected, storied nature series to lead the revival of a legendary series: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Alongside co-host Peter Gros, she has visited wild faces and spaces across the world for Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, which recently began airing its third season in October. In this episode, Dr. Rae chats about growing up apart from nature but no less entranced by it and her hopes and ambitions as an inspiration to new generations of animal lovers. Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild airs Saturday mornings on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block. Check local airtimes and other ways to watch at mutualofomaha.com/wild-kingdom/article/how-to-watch-mutual-of-omahas-wild-kingdom-protecting-the-wildLearn more about Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant's many projects via her website, raewynngrant.com/Episode castCasey Phillips, host and senior communications specialistDr. Rae Wynn-Grant, author, wildlife ecologist, podcast host and co-host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the WildThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

There are some animals that don’t deal well with change. Or rather, they seem to somehow avoid being touched by the passage of time like they’re role playing as Peter Pan or Dorian Gray. These lurkers on the edges of the evolutionary flow are what scientists have catchingly termed “living fossils.” One of the most well-known examples of being adverse-to-change are the lepisosteiformes, the taxonomic order of fishes more commonly known as “gars.”These toothy-snooted, predominantly freshwater predators have a fearsome appearance but have come to be much beloved. This episode arrives concurrent with the annual celebration known as “Gar Week.” This weeklong social media event is the brainchild of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and offers an opportunity for the citizens of Earth to pay homage to these evolutionarily stubborn fishes. This episode features special guest Dr. Solomon David, a well-known, socially media savvy gar expert, researcher and aquatic ecology professor from the University of Minnesota. Learn more about him at solomondavid.net/ [Check out Dr. David’s gar-geous photos and videos via his Instagram (instagram.com/solomon.r.david/) and TikTok (tiktok.com/@solomonrdavid).] Episode castCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/podcast GARgoyleDr. Solomon David, assistant professor, aquatic ecologist and principal investigator at GarLab (University of Minnesota)Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, aquatic conservation biologist (Tennessee Aquarium)The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Appalachia is an ancient place. That's a fact. Whether your roots in this part of the world run deep, you just moved here or you're merely passing through, the feeling of age in this rippled, time-worn landscape is palpable, especially when you find yourself traipsing off the trail. The animals that dwell in the deep lakes and far-flung hollers betwixt Appalachia's mountains have birthed many tall tales and legends. And as it turns out, some of them might even have a kernel of truth to them. In this special episode of the show, we swap tales and shine a light of scientific truth on our old home place. A team of the Aquarium's in-house experts bring their experience to the task of debunking — or possibly lending credence to — common Appalachian animal myths, from rumors of mountain lions haunting the hills to literal big fish stories of giant catfish lurking at the bottom of rivers. Episode castCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist and proud Appalachian Rachel Thayer, assistant curator of fishes and daughter of the Commonwealth (of Virginia)Bill Hughes, herpetology collection coordinatorKevin Calhoon, curator of forestsDr. Bernie Kuhajda, aquatic conservation biologist[Disclaimer: The song used in the introduction to this episode was created through the generative audio platform Suno.]The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture.It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

For a fish that first appeared alongside dinosaurs and survived the calamity that wiped them out, the Lake Sturgeon has had a hard last half-century in Tennessee. Once abundant in the state's waterways, wild Lake Sturgeon were last seen in Tennessee in 1963. In 1998, the Tennessee Aquarium was among the organizations that founded the Lake Sturgeon Working Group. Since then, the group members have been hard at work raising and releasing baby Lake Sturgeon in hopes of re-establishing a stable wild population in the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. This year, that effort celebrates 25 years of releasing sturgeon raised in human care, and recent findings by wildlife managers suggest those years of effort may finally be bearing fruit. Watch our scientists help with spawning wild Lake Sturgeon in Wisconsin: https://youtu.be/ew_4yDb3CcwEpisode CastCasey Phillips, host/senior/communications specialistDr. Anna George, vice president conservation science & educationEd Scott, fisheries biologist, Tennessee Valley Authority (retired)Brandon Simcox, rivers and streams coordinator, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

To the general public, the acronym "AZA" might be largely meaningless, but in the zoo and aquarium world, it's associated with the gold standard by which all aspects of a zoological organization is measured, especially the animals' well being. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded more than 100 years ago in 1924. It now comprises more than 9,000 individual members and has accredited more than 250 institutions worldwide. In this episode — recorded live at AZA's annual conference in Tampa, Florida — AZA President & CEO Dan Ashe talks about what it means to hold zoos and aquariums to this incredibly high standard, how it (like its member institutions) has had to change over the last century and the pride he takes in AZA's many global conservation-focused efforts around the world. Learn more about AZA's Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) Program: https://www.aza.org/aza-safeEpisode castCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist, host and AZA memberDan Ashe, AZA president & CEOThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

From impossibly flexible, boneless bodies and mastery of camouflage to an over-abundance of brains and hearts, octopuses are like aliens come down from on high to boggle the minds of biologists. In this short-form, Mic Droplet episode of the podcast, the Aquarium’s resident octopus specialist helps celebrate World Octopus Day by ticking off a few of the most-noteworthy facts about these amazing cephalopods and explains how in the actual heck you weigh a 50-pound octopus. See what a morning in the life of an octopus caretaker looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMw9NkkqkmY Episode castCasey Phillips, host and octopus hug survivorDanny Alexander, senior aquaristThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

When it comes to the most impressive migrations in the animal kingdom , there are a few obvious standouts: the pole-to-pole voyage of the Arctic Tern; the horizon-spanning race of Wildebeests across the Serengeti; the bear-dodging spawning runs of Chinook Salmon.In the insect world, however, pretty much everything pales in comparison to the daunting voyage of Monarch Butterflies from Central Mexico to Canada and back again. Every year, these tiny, beautiful insects embark on this trip, which takes multiple generations to complete ... except when it doesn't. At the onset of fall, a single generation of butterflies completes the entire trip back to Mexico, a task that sounds laughably impossible for a featherweight insect with gossamer-delicate, three-inch wings. Yet they do it, every ... single ... year. The Tennessee Aquarium sits squarely in the middle of the migration route for the eastern population of Monarch Butterflies, making it a prime viewing location for these orange-and-gold beauties as they make their way northward each fall. In this episode, the Aquarium's senior entomologist talks about Monarchs set people's hearts a-flutter, the biological processes that allow them to undertake their unbelievable trip and steps society is taking to protect Monarchs from the greatest threat of all: us. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist and butterfly adorant Rose Segbers, senior entomologistAdditional ResourcesThe Tennessee Aquarium's Butterfly Garden: https://tnaqua.org/exhibit/butterfly-garden/Flight of the Butterflies trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nww3L5b0wnoMake Way for Monarchs (The Tennessee Conservationist): https://digital.tnconservationist.org/publication/?i=850997&article_id=5026054&view=articleBrowserXerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation's Project Milkweed: https://xerces.org/milkweedThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s pretty much inarguable that sharks get a bad rap. In a given year, a handful of humans are bitten by sharks, and of these, an even smaller number result in serious injuries or fatalities. Flip the script, however, and sharks are far more likely to be the victims of "human attacks." Most data suggest about 100 MILLION sharks die each year due to intentional harvest, commercial by-catch or other human activity. Yet despite this decidedly lop-sided relationship, many of us continue to fear sharks due to reports of shark bites that over-emphasize the aggressiveness of these sleek marine predators. In this episode, Cristina Zenato -- a self-described "shark listener" -- talks about her and other ecologists' quest to understand how sharks behave, a view informed by countless positive interactions with them as a lifelong diver and researcher. She also discusses her role in the new giant-screen film, Shark Kingdom 3D, which is now playing at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater!  View a trailer of Shark Kingdom 3D at: https://youtu.be/YQndv-lBy1g?si=jJybdwvk1VQUKK7bTo purchase tickets to see the film at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater , visit https://tnaqua.org/imaxLearn more about Cristina's educational nonprofit, People of the Water, at http://pownonprofit.org/ Episode Cast      Casey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist and shark admirerCristina Zenato, ocean and cave explorer, shark behaviorist and ecologist, speaker, writer and conservationistThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at https://tnconservationist.org  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

At the Aquarium, we have animals of all sorts, from the beautiful and benign to graceful and powerful. Some of our residents could even, in some circumstances, be considered "dangerous." How, then, do you see to the needs of species whose adaptations present a serious risk to their caretakers? What tools do you need? What mindset do you have to adopt? In this episode, three caretakers of animals such as Electric Eels, Pacific Sea Nettles, American Alligators and ... River Otters? ... talk about how they approach ensuring the health of animals that pose a risk to theirs. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist, penguin bite survivorJennifer McPheeters, lead animal care specialist (River Journey building)Kimberly Hurt, senior aquaristRachel Thayer, assistant curator of fishes The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of visitors explore the galleries of the Tennessee Aquarium. The hope is that those experiences help guests to form a meaningful bond with the natural world and to better understand the importance of freshwater and how our behavior impacts it. That aim is the same for every guest, regardless of their sensory challenges or whether they are a person living with an impairment. In this episode, we talk about the efforts the Aquarium has made to improve accessibility, including being one of the first organizations in America to be certified as sensory-inclusive by Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit KultureCity. We'll also hear directly from an Aquarium member about how those efforts to improving accessibility have directly benefited his son, who lives with autism, by making the Aquarium a safe, inspiring, joy-filled place to visit. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialistMara-Lynne Payne, director of inclusion, equity and diversityBenjamin Sheffield, Aquarium member, father to "Little Man"Uma Srivastava, executive director for KultureCityFor more information on the Aquarium's accessibility efforts, visit: https://tnaqua.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility-inclusion Learn more about KultureCity at https://www.kulturecity.org/ Download the KultureCity app for: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kulturecity.app&hl=en_US&pli=1iOS (Apple devices): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kulturecity/id1359922217The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If you're ever in the wild and encounter an animal that looks ghost-like — pale skin, scales or fur — your immediate thought might be that this is an example of albinism. Look a little closer, though, and there may be some tell-tale signs that you've actually chanced on something different, if just as interesting.In our first-ever Mic Droplet, a shorter-format version of The Podcast Aquatic you know and love, we chat about leucism, how it differs from albinism and an exciting new opportunity to see it during your Aquarium visit. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist and leucistic animal photos stanJennifer McPheeters, lead animal care specialist (River Journey building)The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Because many of the animals are on the other side of a layer of soundproof acrylic, exploring an aquarium is an experience that is intensely visual for most guests. Combined with the ever-increasing capabilities of the cameras in most phones, it's no surprise, then, that some of the most cherished souvenirs taken home by most visitors are selfies and snapshots. But what if you want to level up your photography game so those images truly shine? In this episode, two Aquarium staff photographers — one relatively new, the other with images almost as old as the Aquarium itself — offer tips on how to overcome dark galleries and mirror-like exhibits to capture images that you'll cherish AND be proud to share with friends and your Insta followers. See plenty of examples of Doug Strickland's images on the Aquarium's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/tennesseeaquarium/Episode CastCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist, host, lapsed shutterbugDoug Strickland, communications content creator IITodd Stailey, AV technician/staff photographerThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

From loss of habitat to collection to supply the pet and medicinal trade, turtles all over the world are in serious trouble. Fortunately, turtles have organizations like the Turtle Survival Alliance looking out for them. From its home in Charleston, South Carolina, to operations in more than 30 countries, the TSA is on the frontlines of breeding and protecting critically endangered turtles. They're also a long-time collaborator with the Tennessee Aquarium, which partners with the TSA in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) American Turtles program. You can also see some of the offspring of critically imperiled turtles raised by the TSA in the Aquarium's working turtle nursery. Learn more about the Turtle Survival Alliance at https://turtlesurvival.org Learn more about the AZA SAFE American Turtles program: https://youtu.be/fdnQ7Kd8czk?si=kgPG4XpIE3UNTysUEpisode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist and anti-turtle smugglerMarc Dupuis-Desormeaux, Turtle Survival Alliance CEODave Collins, Turtle Survival Alliance senior director of domestic conservation Bill Hughes, herpetology collections coordinatorThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Invasive Lionfish have been a big problem in the Gulf for decades. These beautiful, venomous visitors from the Indopacific wreak havoc on native fish populations. A single female is capable of producing 50,000 eggs every three days for her entire life, and once grown, Lionfish lack any natural predators to keep their populations from spiraling out of control. Like many ecological conundrums, the presence of Lionfish in the Gulf is thought to be the result of human activity and may require human intervention to correct it. For the last 10 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has led the Lionfish Invitational, a Lionfish culling event designed to prevent the species' spread into the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a series of deep-water reefs off the coast of Louisiana and Texas. In this episode, four Tennessee Aquarium aquarists invited to take part in the Lionfish Invitational recount their time actively working to stave off an invasive species while also experiencing the real-life inspiration for the Aquarium's largest exhibit: the Secret Reef. Watch a video of the Tennessee Aquarium's participation in the 2023 Lionfish Invitational: https://youtu.be/_FW_M_ebFZM?si=b8hCyz6v_L5bKDZR Additional resources:Impacts of the Invasive Lionfish (NOAA): https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/ecosystems/impacts-invasive-lionfishUnderstanding the pain experience of lionfish envenomation study (NIH): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10789455/Scientific studies produced from the Lionfish Invitational: https://www.lionfishinvitational.com/publicationsEpisode CastCasey Phillips, host/senior communications specialistAvery Millard, senior aquaristKimberly Hurt, senior aquaristKyle McPheeters, lead aquarist (life support systems)The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org. Join other conservation enthusiastsand follow us on Facebook and Instagram

In this episode, meet two of the minds behind the design of the Aquarium’s many exhibits. Whether it’s prioritizing an animal’s wellbeing in its future home or ensuring a habitat has the best sightlines for guests, seeing an exhibit from an artistic concept to a walkable, explorable space is a lengthy one, if often as invisible as it is hugely important. Learn why the poison dart frog exhibit is our exhibit designer’s favorite habitat in the aquarium: https://youtu.be/a-qDFRaxUEo?si=eX8QCeWPz1TzMRlWCheck out our previous deep-dive episode focusing on thedesign, construction and ecological success of our large stream exhibit: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3pwR614ev4iW98NxGQXBiq?si=d185a2897c984aceEpisode CastCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist/host  Jeff Worley, director of exhibits/graphicsThom Demas, vice president and chief husbandry and exhibits officer The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from TheTennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paperwith UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Whether it's dreams of feeding sharks, corralling seahorses or culturing jellyfish, many visitors to aquariums wonder what it's like to work at a zoological institution or ... more particularly ... how to get a job there themselves. In this episode Casey is joined in the Studio Dive Cage by a pair of Aquarium coworkers, one relatively new and one with more than 25 years under her belt, and a special guest from the Chattanooga Zoo. Together, they tackle the highs and lows or what working with animals is like, whether they're directly involved or "animal adjacent." They also offer up some tested tips for how to make yourself a more appealing candidate to join the team. Want to see what working at an aquarium is like, from an employee's perspective? Check out the Aquarium's Fish Person Point of View series, including cleaning and feeding Penguins' Rock, making lunch for Lemur Forest and tending to a "garden" of anemones. Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjkmEccUchZbf2BYFLw0QDOL3_uzkkMnpEpisode CastCasey Phillips, host and senior communications specialistBrenda Salgado, aquarist IILoribeth Lee, assistant curator of forestsAmanda Eckhart, animal care supervisor (Chattanooga Zoo)The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠tnconservationist.org⁠.

A Species Survival Plan (SSP) is a behind-the-scenes tool employed by zoos and aquariums to manage and promote the health of the entire population of a species in human care. By tracking genetics and making strategic decisions about where to move individuals in the interest of forming healthy breeding pairs, SSPs make top-down decisions in the interest of an entire species’ well-being.At the same time, however, SSP decision can be a bittersweet pill to swallow for the devoted caretakers who form bonds, often deep ones, with the animals with which they work. Some day, those animals could be sent to another facility by an SSP decision, a move which can tug on a caretaker's heartstrings, even if that sadness is blunted by the knowledge that a relocation is being called for in the interest of making the entire population more robust.Want to see how a recent SSP-prompted move helped provide much needed companionship for the Aquarium's lonely male Red-collared Brown Lemur? Check out this video to meet Kintana, a female Red-collared Brown who recently relocated to the Aquarium from the Dallas Zoo thanks to the species' SSP. Episode Cast​Casey Phillips, senior communications specialist, host and SSP novice​Bill Hughes, herpetology collection coordinator​Loribeth Lee, assistant curator of forests​Maggie Sipe, lead animal care specialist (Ocean Journey)The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.  Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Just in time for the summer travel season, this episode is a listener special, featuring answers to our fans' most-burning questions about our penguins, lemurs and river otters!To check in live with our penguins and otters, check out the Aquarium's always-streaming web cams: River Otter FallsPenguins' RockEpisode CastCasey Phillips, show host and fellow otters/lemur/penguin stanSam Grote, senior animal care specialistTyler Schneider, senior animal care specialistHolly Gibson, senior animal care specialistThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠⁠tnconservationist.org⁠⁠.

They come in all shapes and sizes, but aquatic macroinvertebrates represent an important component of the food webs in streams. Whether its damselfly nymphs, crayfish or web-spinning caddisflies, these spineless organisms are a fascinating group of animals that are easy to overlook in favor of larger, more traditionally charismatic animals like fish, salamanders and aquatic mammals.In this episode, we plunge into the oft-overlooked world of "water bugs," from where they live and why they matter to some of our favorites to meet while working in the streams of Southern Appalachia. Learn more about Freshwaters Illustrated's film Hidden Rivers at https://www.freshwatersillustrated.org/hidden-rivers https://www.freshwatersillustrated.org/hidden-rivers Episode Cast​Casey Phillips, host and terrestrial vertebrate​Rose Segbers, senior entomologist​Cody Beavers, aquarist II​Helaina Gomez, watershed conservation coordinatorThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠⁠tnconservationist.org⁠⁠.

Plastic pollution is a beachside menace on shorelines all over our planet. With a literal garbage truck worth of this manufactured waste entering the ocean every minute, this can seem like problem with no end much less a solution. Fifteen years ago, Oregon-based artistic collective, Washed Ashore, found a more productive way to reuse plastic trash recovered from its coastline. By feeding this erstwhile waste into the hands of talented artists, Washed Ashore gives it new life as the skin, scale, fur and feathers of animals at scales that mirror plastic's impact on aquatic ecosystems the world over. In this episode, we chat with Brad Parks, Washed Ashore's conservation and education director, about how these amazing sculptures are created, how he hopes they're received by the public and what animals he's still waiting to see rendered as plasticized art. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host and reluctantly frequent user of plastic productsBrad Parks, conservation/education director of Washed Ashore The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠⁠tnconservationist.org⁠⁠.

Like anything humans try to do beneath the surface, underwater filmmaking poses a slew of challenges beyond those of terrestrial videography. Few people understand that as well as Tim Geers, who has decades of experience filming aquatic productions bound for the largest of screens and the smallest. In addition to more than 20 years contributing to the Emmy Award-nominated web series, Jonathan Bird's Blue World, Geers also served as second unit director on the giant-screen film, Call of the Dolphins 3D. In this episode, Geers joins host Casey Phillips in the studio dive cage to discuss why dolphin behavior endears them to humans, his philosophy about teaching the next generation of filmmakers and how his life goals align with those of a famous figure in the sci-fi epic Blade Runner. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host and fan of Jonathan Bird's Blue WorldTim Geers, underwater cinematographerThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠⁠tnconservationist.org⁠⁠.

Considering it's one of the building blocks of life, it's ironic how dangerous water can be to the ill-equipped. And when it comes to deep water, humans are about as under-prepared for survival as it's possible to be.  Fortunately, despite our pitiful lung capacity and lack of fins, we're blessed with a heap of curiosity and ingenuity, which has given rise over the millennia to a variety of methods to explore beneath the surface. Absent a submarine in your backyard, the most accessible means of spending time underwater is the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (aka SCUBA). Here at the Aquarium, we dive all the time, whether it's to clean or enact repairs to our massive exhibits, to feed the animals or just to engage with the public. On this episode of the podcast, two of our senior dive specialist join one of our newest certified staff divers to explain what it's like experiencing the Aquarium from the other side of the acrylic and why it's worth all the work to earn your fins. Episode cast Casey Phillips, senior communications specialist, host-captain and certified landlubber Mark Craven, manager of dive operations and dive safety officer Chris Tucker, assistant dive safety officer Doug Strickland, communications content creator IIWant to dive with us? Learn more about how to become a volunteer diver and apply at: ⁠https://tnaqua.org/volunteer/scuba-diver/The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠⁠tnconservationist.org⁠⁠.

The world's smallest sturgeon species, the Syr Darya Shovelnose Sturgeon, is found in muddy rivers flowing through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other parts of Central Asia. It tops out at a diminutive 9 inches long. But the thing is, it hasn't been seen in more than 60 years. In this episode of the podcast, two of our scientists, Dr. Bernie Kuhajda and Dr. Dave Neely, and graduate student Christian Swartzbaugh discuss a recent trip they made to Uzbekistan as part of the Search for Lost Species. Their quest? To ascertain whether the Syr Darya Shovelnose Sturgeon is still around or if it has gone extinct. From clandestine show-and-tells of preserved specimens in back alleys to adhesive catfish to self-destructing dirty diapers, this one's got it all. Episode CastCasey Phillips, senior communications specialist, host and sturgeon stanDr. Bernie Kuhajda, aquatic conservation biologistDr. Dave Neely, adjunct scientistChristian Swartzbaugh, graduate student, University of GeorgiaThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠⁠tnconservationist.org⁠⁠.

In the early 2000s, the Tennessee Aquarium was closing out its first decade on the river with plans underway for a major expansion: the Ocean Journey building. At the same time, two other nearby institutions were in the midst of their own major expansions. The three joined forces, under the leadership of former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (then mayor of Chattanooga) to embark on a combined campaign for funding. The plan worked, and these expansions were important facets of an even larger plan to transform Chattanooga's riverfront experience: the 21st Century Waterfront Plan. Twenty years later, Sen. Corker popped by the Studio Dive Cage to talk about the origins of the Plan, the perpetual optimism with which it was realized and the continuing impact it's having on the Aquarium's hometown so many years later. Episode CastCasey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist, resident of ChattanoogaBob Corker, former mayor of Chattanooga and two-term U.S. SenatorTodd Womack, Corker's former senatorial chief of staff, current president/CEO of Bridge Public AffairsThe Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure. Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at ⁠⁠tnconservationist.org⁠⁠.