two boys look at tide pool animals in a tray with water with two educators and another boy looking on
Educational Programs

Spring 2026 Is Filling Fast

Reserve Your Classroom Program Now Spring has always been the most in-demand season for our school programs, and Spring 2026 is already shaping up to be another full calendar. That strong demand exists for one simple reason: generous supporters like you make it possible for students across the Central Valley to experience aquatic science in …

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young children seated in a classroom with one holding a large seashell up to her ear
Educational Programs

A Different Kind of Gift This Christmas

Learning That Lasts a Lifetime Christmas Day is usually about what’s under the tree. But at Aquarius Aquarium Institute, we spend a lot of time thinking about a different kind of gift – the kind that stays with a child long after the wrapping paper is gone. Curiosity. Wonder. A first real connection to water, …

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A bright orange sea star is pressed against the corner of a glass tank, showing its textured underside and tube feet as it climbs over another tan-colored sea star on a sandy aquarium floor.
Educational Programs

Sea Stars: Tube Feet in Action

Sea stars may look slow and simple, but beneath their arms is a hidden world of remarkable engineering. Each sea star has hundreds of tiny tube feet lining the grooves on the underside of its arms. These flexible, suction-tipped structures help the sea star walk, cling to rocks in pounding surf, and even open tightly …

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A group of six people standing outdoors near a creek, smiling at the camera. They are surrounded by trees and wearing casual clothing. The sky is cloudy.
Educational Programs

2025 CART Salmon & Trout Team

Fresno and Clovis high school Salmon and Trout Team students Colton, Cedar, Deven and Kelsie we mentored at CART (Center for Advanced Research and Technology), spent a day on the San Joaquin River releasing the baby Chinook salmon they hatched out and grew in their classroom aquarium. On another day, they visited the new Salmon …

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A group of children explores a touch tank filled with marine life. A woman supervises as kids eagerly touch various sea creatures. The indoor setting is a classroom with educational materials in the background.
Educational Programs

Spring 2025 Teaching Tidepools

        We’re busier than ever in 2025 as we visit Pre-K and elementary grade classrooms throughout the Fresno/Clovis metropolitan area as well as surrounding communities in the San Joaquin Valley with our ever-popular Teaching Tidepools® program. Seeing the student’s faces as they interact with our two educators and the tidepool animals themselves …

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A group of people stands closely around a lit aquarium, observing the aquatic life inside. The room is dimly lit, highlighting the tank's blue glow. Various equipment is visible on and around the aquarium.
Educational Programs

2025 CART Saltwater Aquarium Team

Dakotah, Ashlee, Christian, Alex, Abril, Harley and Haylee, the Fresno and Clovis junior and senior high school students we mentored this year at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART), are keeping a saltwater coral reef aquarium in their classroom and learning positive, cutting-edge techniques for land-based coral propagation and care. Also, by participating …

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