Seattle Aquarium Hope Objects

Nicole Killebrew is a 2011 NNOCCI Alum and Training Committee member.

In August 2024, the Seattle Aquarium opened a new space, Ocean Pavilion. The entire building is a celebration of the Coral Triangle, an epicenter of marine biodiversity in the heart of the Indo-Pacific. While the animals and habitats we care for in Ocean Pavilion represent a tropical ecosystem, we have an opportunity to emphasize the interconnectedness of our One World Ocean and how marine conservation efforts in the Coral Triangle relate to efforts in our local temperate waters of the Pacific Northwest.      

In addition to our animal habitats, Ocean Pavilion is home to another exhibit feature: “Hope Objects”. These are objects that amplify ocean optimism by highlighting tangible regenerative conservation practices. Can an object elicit hope? It can tell a story. It can represent a solution.  

Hope Objects provide examples of community-led conservation actions. Accompanying narrative flip books are written with NNOCCI strategic framing and empathy best practices. These stories offer prompts inviting inquiry, exploration, and perspective taking: “What could I be?” “What might I be used for?”, and “How might I help the ocean?”

The hope objects chosen for Ocean Pavilion represent both traditional and innovative thinking in the work to protect and regenerate the ocean. Four examples are selected and described below:

• Sasi Sign: When a community feels a marine area is in need of protection, they come together to make a Sasi Laut, an “oath to the ocean”, to respect and protect what it gives. Sasi signs are placed along the shore to indicate a ‘no-take’ fishing area. Island communities throughout the Coral Triangle have traditions like Sasi Laut that help recover and sustain their marine ecosystems.

• Modular Artificial Reef Structure (MARS): When a coral reef has been damaged due to climate change impacts or harmful fishing practices, MARS frames help corals grow faster to restore and expand new healthy reef habitats.

• PISCES Selective Fishing Light: PISCES lights attach to fishing nets and deter specific animals. They prevent accidental bycatch of marine life and protect ocean biodiversity.

• Digital Acoustic Tag (DTAG): Acoustic tags can record whale sounds and movement. “Culture is found throughout the animal kingdom, and deepening our understanding of whale culture can help us better co-exist with our ocean neighbors. By listening to members of a family or social group talking, singing, and calling to one another, we can offer a window into how other animals live and hold knowledge in the ocean.”

Hope objects can inspire us. These objects symbolize a variety of community-driven approaches to marine conservation. While located in Ocean Pavilion, the hope objects demonstrate our shared responsibility to protect ocean systems across the globe, from the Salish Sea to the Coral Triangle, and that by working together we can have a greater positive impact on the health of the ocean. We are connected to the ocean in our lives every day. We influence and are influenced by ocean systems. These systems are essential to life on earth. By caring for the ocean, we care for each other.