2009
Celebrating The Pier Aquarium's 20th Anniversary,
The Year of the Fish and The Year of Science
The Pier Aquarium celebrates its 20th year with a year-ful of educational programming during our FISH-ful Saturdays held the first and third Saturday of each month. Our Celebrity Critter of the Week features an animal from the aquarium. Vistors can pick up a fact sheet about the special designated animal every Monday.
2009 is also the Year of Science. In partnership with COPUS, Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science, our Year of the Fish programing correlates to monthly themes for the Year of Science.
Together, as a community, we will celebrate and promote science!
FISH-ful Saturdays are sponsored in part by the Pinellas County Commission through the Pinellas County Cultural Affairs Department's Cultural Development Grant Program.
JANUARY THEME: PROCESS AND NATURE OF SCIENCE
Jan. 3 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Communicating Science through Art, noon-2pm
Jan. 5 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Black Drum
Jan. 12 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Lionfish
Jan. 17 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Tales from the Deep, noon-2pm
Jan. 19 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Grunt
Jan. 26 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Panther Grouper
FEBRUARY THEME: EVOLUTION
Feb. 2 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Seahorse
Feb. 7 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Fish in Love!, noon-2pm
Feb. 9 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Sea Robin
Feb. 16 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Flounder
Feb. 21 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Discovering Darwin, noon-2pm
Feb. 23 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Clownfish
Feb. 28 Pier Cleanup with The Ocean Conservancy
MARCH THEME: PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY
March 2 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Upside Down Jellyfish
March 7 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Fish Physics!, noon-2pm
March 9 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Snook
March 14 SPA BEACH SPLASH and KITE FESTIVAL: free, fun marine discovery day and kiteflying, 10am-1pm, Roy G. Harrell, Jr. Education Station and Spa Beach
March 16 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Green Moray Eel
March 21 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Using Technology to Study Fish , noon-2pm
March 23 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Horse Conch
March 30 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Neon Goby
APRIL THEME: ENERGY
April 4 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Energizing Corals, noon-2pm
April 6 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Staghorn Coral
April 13 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Green Carpet Anemone
April 20 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Giant Clam
April 22 EARTH DAY information all day and Wildlife Conservation Commission's annual open house at Florida Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Ave SE, St. Petersburg, 10am - 4pm. Info: (727) 896-8626
April 25 A FISH-ful Saturday at Marine Quest: Fishy Food Chain. Florida Fish
April 27 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Frogspawn Coral
MAY THEME: SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENTMAY Being Green, Eating Green Month: Sustainable Seafood
May 2 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: WATER MATTERS in honor of National Drinking Water Week, May 3-9, noon-2pm
May 4 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Black Grouper
May 9
Sustainable Seafood Fundraiser: A Sustainable Collaboration at The Glass House
May 11 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Coral Catshark
May 18 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Elkhorn Coral
May 25 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Red Drum
JUNE THEME: OCEANS AND WATER
June 1 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Yellowhead Jawfish
June 6 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Sea life Shadow boxes, noon-2pm
June 8 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Niger Tang
June 15 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Tuxedo Urchin
June 20 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Where in the World is Water?, noon-2pm
June 22 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Balloonfish
June 29 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Chocolate Chip Seastar
JULY THEME: ASTRONOMY
July 4 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Fish in the Sky!, noon-2pm
July 6 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Stars and Stripes Pufferfish
July 13 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Black Bar Soldier Fish
July 18 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Ocean Study from Outer Space, noon-2pm
July 20 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Sea Star
July 21 SciCafé St. Petersburg '09:
Why Caffeine May Be Good for You, a casual conversation about science presented by The Pier Aquarium and sponsored by the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, the American Chemical Society and host restaurant Red Mesa Cantina, 6-7:30pm.
July 27 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Lunar Wrasse
AUGUST THEME: WEATHER AND CLIMATEAug. 1 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Follow that Fish!, noon-2pm
Aug. 3 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Snowflake Moray Eel
Aug. 10 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Coralline Algae
Aug. 15 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Fish in the Hot Seat, noon-2pm
Aug. 17 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Hermit Crab
Aug. 24 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Coral Beauty Angelfish
Aug. 29 The Pier Aquarium's 20th Birthday Party, noon-2pm, bring a card!
The Pier's Dockside Activity Room, free festivities with the Surfin' Raccoons, Fishy Bingo, hatmaking, sign birthday banner. Cake at 1pm.
2pm, entertainment by Pizzaz, St. Petersburg Little Theater Youth Dance Troupe and Mt. Zion Drumline and Color Guard. 2-5pm, crafty and educational activities in the Aquarium., paid admission. Show you have an August birthday and get in for free that day!
Aug. 31 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Southern Puffer
SEPTEMBER THEME: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
Sept. 5 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: the Fascinating Fish of Tampa Bay, noon-2pm
Sept. 7 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Diadema Urchin
Sept. 14 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Pipefish
Sept. 19 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Fish Protectors, noon-2pm
Sept. 21 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Chromis
Sept. 26 ArtsAlive Free Museum Day for Pinellas and Hillsborough County residents (with ID) and Smithsonian magazine Museum Day, 10am-5pm. To get a ticket valid for two free admissions, go to
http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/ Sept. 28 Celebrity Critter of the Week: White Spotted Bamboo Shark
OCTOBER THEME: GEOSCIENCES AND PLANET EARTH
Oct. 3 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Find a Fish! Geocaching with Kathi and Dennis Burgess, noon-2pm
2009 Fish Head Ball: Fanta-SEA Fish Fest, 7-11pm, St. Petersburg Hilton Bayfront. Fundraiser to benefit Education Programs. Advance ticket, $60; at the door, $65. All information, call or email Cynthia Fox, (727) 803-9799,
cfox@pieraquarium.org.
Sponsorship opportunities available;
Surf-n-Turf food partners and auction donations welcome.
Oct. 5 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Convict Goby
Oct. 12 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Slipper Lobster
Oct. 17 Spa Beach Clean Up, a joint project of The Pier Aquarium and The Ocean Conservancy as part of Keep Pinellas Beautiful 2009 Coastal Clean Up. 8:30-11:30am. Contact Butch Ringelspaugh,
bringelspaugh@pieraquarium.org or call (727) 895-7437, ext. 215.
Oct. 17 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Fish through Time, noon-2pm
Oct. 19 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Spiny Lobster
Oct. 20
SciCafé at 400 Beach seafood & tap house, 400 Beach Drive, St. Petersburg. A free "conversation" about green chemistry presented by The Pier Aquarium, University of South Florida College of Marine Science, the American Chemical Society, WGBH Foundation and host restaurant, 400 Beach. 6-7:30pm. For information and RSVP (we need a count), please email
estehle@pieraquarium.org or call (727) 895-7437, ext. 207.
Oct. 26 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Lawnmower Blenny
NOVEMBER THEME: CHEMISTRY
Nov. 2 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Blue Spotted Ribbontail Stingray
Nov. 7 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Serving Up Science, noon-2pm
Nov. 9 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Arrow Crab
Nov. 16 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Dogface Puffer
Nov. 21 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Exploring Estuaries, noon-2pm
Nov. 23 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Pencil Urchin
Nov. 30 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Seahorse
DECEMBER THEME: SCIENCES AND HEALTH
Dec. 5 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Science from the Sea, noon-2pm
Dec. 7 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Horseshoe Crab
Dec. 14 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Sea Cucumber
Dec. 19 FISH-ful Saturday Celebrates The Year of the Fish: Once Upon a Tide, noon-2pm
Dec. 21 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Dwarf Octopus
Dec. 29 Celebrity Critter of the Week: Sponges
South Straub Park, 7-11:30pm sponsored by Progress Energy
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