Tennessee Aquarium

CONNECTING TENNESSEE TO THE WORLD OCEAN

THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM?S STREAMS TO RIVERS, ENHANCING THE AQUARIUM?S MISSION PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A REDESIGNED GALLERY THAT INCORPORATES A NEW EXHIBITION, NEW GRAPHICS, INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS, AND A FIELD TRIP CURRICULUM FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. FOR YEARS, VISITORS HAVE ENJOYED INTERACTING WITH SOUTHEASTERN AQUATIC ANIMALS SUCH AS SUNFISHES, DARTERS, SALAMANDERS, AND TURTLES, BUT THE AQUARIUM FACES CHALLENGES SURROUNDING THE GALLERY. THESE INCLUDE THE OVERALL LAYOUT AND FLOW OF THE EXHIBITION, AS WELL AS VISITORS? ABILITY TO LEARN THE KEY MESSAGES. BY DESIGNING A NEW STREAM EXHIBITION FOR THE GALLERY, THE AQUARIUM WILL SHOWCASE THE VARIETY OF PHYSICAL HABITATS USED BY STREAM ANIMALS, THE DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS OF THE ANIMALS, AND THE DIVERSITY OF ANIMALS THAT COEXIST IN A DYNAMIC, FLOWING HABITAT.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM WILL CONDUCT A THREE-YEAR, CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL PROJECT TO BUILD CAPACITY IN EVALUATION AND DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE EVALUATION MINDSET AMONG ITS STAFF. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON DEVELOPING STAFF UNDERSTANDING OF EVALUATION ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING EDUCATION, HUSBANDRY, MARKETING AND VISITOR SERVICES. AN EXPERT CONSULTANT WILL FACILITATE THE PROJECT, HELPING STAFF TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATION, PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING AND COACHING, AND DEVELOP A CULTURE OF EVALUATION ACROSS THE INSTITUTION. TO HELP DEVELOP EVALUATION CAPACITY ACROSS THE CHATTANOOGA REGION, THE AQUARIUM WILL INVITE OTHER LOCAL INFORMAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS.

AS PART OF ITS LARGER EFFORT TO OPEN AN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CENTER, THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM WILL LAUNCH A COMMUNITY PLANNING PROJECT TO IDENTIFY ITS COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AROUND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR (ECE) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PD). THE AQUARIUM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CREATIVE DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND THE CITY OF CHATTANOOGA, WILL EXPLORE THE IDEAL, FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE MODEL FOR ACCESSIBLE, HIGH-QUALITY, COMMUNITY INFORMED ECE PD TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY'S EDUCATORS AND YOUNG CHILDREN. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL FIRST BRING TOGETHER A PLANNING GROUP OF COMMUNITY LADDERS TO CONDUCT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE GAPS, NEEDS, AND OPPORTUNITIES LIE. USING A COLLECTIVE IMPACT APPROACH, THEY WILL SEEK INPUT FROM DIVERSE GROUPS OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY AND WILL USE THESE FINDINGS TO INFORM A DRAFT MODEL OF THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CENTER'S PROGRAM DELIVERY METHOD. THE TEAM WILL USE DATA WALKS TO INFORM STAKEHOLDERS AND USE THEIR FEEDBACK TO INFORM THE CENTER'S CURRICULUM. FINALLY, WITH THE BUY-IN AND SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER AND PARTNERS, THE PLAN TO LAUNCH THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CENTER'S CALENDAR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND SHARE IT WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

THIS NEW AGREEMENT INCLUDES 98,800 00 IN U S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE USFWS GRANT FUNDING FOR THE MULTIYEARGEORGIA AND TENNESSEE TRISPOT DARTER DISTRIBUTION ASSESSMENT PROJECT IN GENERAL, THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCEOF THE FEDERALLY LISTED TRISPOT DARTER ETHEOSTOMA TRISELLA IS LIKELY UNDERESTIMATED TO AN UNKNOWN EXTENT, WHICHHAS IMPLICATIONS TO RECOVERY PLANNING, ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ESA CONSULTATIONS, AND STREAM RESTORATIONINITIATIVES THE FUNDAMENTAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ROBUSTLY ASSESS THE CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF THETRISPOT DARTER WITHIN ITS RANGE IN GEORGIA AND TENNESSEE TO GUIDE FUTURE RECOVERY PLANNING AND RESTORATION WORK TO ACCOMPLISH THIS OBJECTIVE, THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM CONSERVATION INSTITUTE TNACI WILL WORK IN COLLABORATIONWITH THE USFWS AND GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES GA DNR TO COLLECT GENETIC SAMPLES AND SCIENTIFICALLYDEFENSIBLE COUNT DATA THROUGHOUT THE SPECIES KNOWN AND HISTORICAL RANGE IN GEORGIA AND TENNESSEE FIELD SAMPLINGWILL BE CONDUCTED DURING THE BREEDING SEASON DEC MAR DURING TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS EITHER DURING FY2023 ANDFY2024 OR FY2024 AND FY2025 IN EACH OF THE SPECIES CURRENT MANAGEMENT UNITS CONASAUGA RIVER SYSTEM ANDCOOSAWATTEE RIVER SYSTEM AND POSSIBLY HISTORICAL MANAGEMENT UNITS COWANS CREEK SYSTEM, JOHNS CREEK SYSTEM, ANDWOODWARD CREEK SYSTEM USING THE DESIGN DEVELOPED AND PILOTED BY THE USFWS TRISPOT DARTER CONSERVATION ACTIONTEAM DURING 2022 IN GENERAL, USFWS AND GA DNR STAFF WILL LEAD AND CONDUCT THE SAMPLING IN THE COOSAWATTEE RIVERSYSTEM MANAGEMENT UNIT AND THE HISTORICAL MANAGEMENT UNITS COWANS CREEK SYSTEM, JOHNS CREEK SYSTEM, AND WOODWARDCREEK SYSTEM TNACI STAFF WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING THE PROPOSED SAMPLING IN THE CONASAUGA RIVER SYSTEMMANAGEMENT UNIT AND WILL ASSIST WITH THE SAMPLING IN THE COOSAWATTEE RIVER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT UNIT AS NEEDED ANDPOSSIBLE THE USFWS GRANT FUNDING PROVIDED IN THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT APPROXIMATELYFOUR TNACI STAFF COVERING SALARY, EQUIPMENT, AND TRAVEL EXPENSES WHILE IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT FORAPPROXIMATELY 12 WEEKS JAN MAR EACH YEAR FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS TNACI STAFF INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT WILL BETRAINED BY USFWS AND GA DNR STAFF TO IMPLEMENT THE DESIGNED TRISPOT DARTER SAMPLING, COLLECT TISSUE SAMPLES,COMPLETE DATASHEETS DEVELOPED BY THE USFWS, AND ENTER THE SAMPLING DATA INTO THE ELECTRONIC DATABASE DEVELOPED BYTHE USFWS AT THE END OF EACH YEAR OF SAMPLING, TNACI WILL PROVIDE THE USFWS ALL COMPLETED SAMPLING DATASHEETSAND WILL ENSURE ALL SAMPLING DATA ARE ACCURATELY ENTERED INTO THE ELECTRONIC DATABASE DEVELOPED BY THE USFWS TNACI WILL ACQUIRE ALL THE PERMITS REQUIRED TO HAVE THEIR STAFF COMPLETE THE PROPOSED SAMPLING

CONSERVATION PROGRAM

DETERMINING PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO REINTRODUCTION OF THE FEDERALLY ENDANGERED LAUREL DACE

THE LAUREL DACE, CHROSOMUS SAYLORI, IS A FEDERALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES ENDEMIC TO FIRST AND SECOND ORDER COBBLE AND BOULDER STREAMS ON WALDEN RIDGE IN EAST TENNESSEE. THE SPECIES WAS LISTED IN 2011 AND CRITICAL HABITAT WAS DESIGNATED IN 2012. AT THIS TIME, THE LAUREL DACES KNOWN RANGE INCLUDED EIGHT STREAMS IN FOUR SYSTEMS(SODDY CREEK, SALE CREEK, PINEY RIVER, AND GRASSY COVE SYSTEMS) IN BLEDSOE, CUMBERLAND, RHEA, AND SEQUATCHIE COUNTIES, TENNESSEE. THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE RECOVERY OF LAUREL DACE SINCE 2013. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS STUDY IS TO PREVENT THE EXTINCTION OF THE FEDERALLY ENDANGERED LAUREL DACE. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE FORMATION OF AN ADVISORY GROUP TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT ARK POPULATION PROTOCOLS FOR BOTH YOUNGS AND BUMBEE CREEK POPULATIONS OF LAUREL DACE. THE OUTCOMES FROM THIS STUDY WILL BE USED TO PREVENT EXTINCTION OF LAUREL DACE BY DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING ARK POPULATION PROTOCOLS.

EXPANSION OF TOP MINNOWS REFUGIA AND RESTORATION

STATUS SURVEYS FOR SIX FEDERALLY LISTED UPLAND SPECIES OF MOBILE BASIN FISHES

SARP PARTNERSHIP

ARK POPULATION OF THE BARRENS TOPMINNOW

STATUS SURVEYS FOR CONSERVATION STATUS OF ASHY AND REDLIPS DARTERS

MONITORING PROGRAM AND PROPAGATION PROTOCOLS FOR LAUREL DACE

NATIONAL AWARD FOR MUSEUM SERVICE

ADD FUNDING TO AGREEMENT