An artist’s rendering of what the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s new contact pool will appear to be.
Courtesy: Oregon Coast Aquarium
The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is closing some displays to the general public Tuesday, because it takes the subsequent step in a $25 million greenback renovation.
After 30 years of operation, the aquarium is present process a change. “It actually wanted a refresh,” mentioned capital marketing campaign director Molly Dumas.
Advertisement
Final 12 months the aquarium constructed a brand new youngsters’s play space, an out of doors amphitheater for animal shows and a brand new exhibit on headwaters.
Now in part two, it’s closing two galleries with displays on shore species and tidepools to allow them to be expanded and improved. Dumas mentioned they’re additionally altering the pool the place guests get to the touch the animals.
“We’re increasing the contact pool to be extra accessible,” she mentioned. “Visitors of all ages and talents will be capable to contact sea stars and anemones, plus they’ll see a brand new octopus exhibit.”
The aquarium’s café can even bear a renovation.
The 2 exhibit galleries are anticipated to reopen subsequent summer time.
Advertisement
An artist’s rendering of what the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s new jellyfish exhibit will appear to be.
Courtesy: Oregon Coast Aquarium
Work on the third part of the renovation is deliberate for 2024 and can function tropical species, sea jellies and mangrove displays. The aquarium’s focus will lengthen from the Oregon shore to the whole Pacific Rim by ocean acidification, plastic air pollution and coral bleaching.
“We’re discovering that the issues that we’re experiencing throughout the Pacific are impacted by the choices that we make right here on the shore,” Dumas mentioned. “So we’re going to function coral that’s experiencing bleaching from the acidification of the ocean from pouring chemical compounds into it. We’re going to have mangrove displays so we are able to see small species which are down by the Indo-Pacific. And the way plastic bottles that we discard are being tangled into these mountains of air pollution down there.”
Aquarium visits this 12 months have been the best in a decade, following a lull from the pandemic.
The nonprofit needed to change course after shutting its doorways as a result of unfold of the coronavirus. It put extra programming on-line and arranged educators to fulfill nearly with faculties and scout troops. It plans to take care of a powerful on-line presence because the exhibit halls shut for renovation.
Advertisement
Admission costs may be discovered on the aquarium’s web site, beginning at free for kids 2 and youthful as much as $24.95 for adults ages 18 to 64.
Ticket gross sales and memberships pay for animal care in addition to conservation and rehabilitation efforts.
An artist’s rendering of what the brand new mangrove exhibit will appear to be on the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
No. 9 Oregon State put on a show in its first 2025 home gymnastics meet Saturday, scoring 196.40 points to easily beat Brigham Young at Gill Coliseum.
Senior Jade Carey, performing in a home meet for the first time since winning two Olympic gold medals last summer, scored 39.725 in all-around. Carey had scores of 9.95 on bars and floor, 9.925 on beam and 9.90 on vault.
Carey had the highest score in each event on either team. The best scores by a Beaver gymnast aside from Carey were 9.85s by Natalie Briones (bars), Sage Thompson (bars), Lauren Letzsch (beam), Savannah Miller (floor) and Sophia Esposito (floor and beam).
Brigham Young scored 194.2 points. Kylie Eaquinto led the way with an all-around score of 39.050.
Advertisement
— Nick Daschel covers the Oregon State Beavers. Reach him at 360-607-4824 or @nickdaschel. Listen to the Beaver Banter podcast or subscribe to the Beavers Roundup newsletter.
On Saturday morning at the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, three-star prospect T’Andre Waverly announced his commitment to Oregon State over Washington and Notre Dame.
The product of Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Washington, is ranked as the nation’s No. 96 athlete and No. 18 player in the state in the 2025 class by 247Sports. Once he arrives in Corvallis, he’s expected to play tight end.
“I believe in [offensive coordinator Ryan] Gunderson for the future,” Waverly told 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman. “And I’m excited to get to know the new tight ends coach [Will Heck].”
“[Head coach Trent] Bray seems like a real get to business guy and I like that. I don’t want a coach who will pamper me. I want someone who will tell me what I need to do and what to do.”
Advertisement
Despite seeing the in-state prospect going elsewhere, tight ends coach Jordan Paopao has pulled in a promising batch at the position after signing four-star Baron Naone and three-star Austin Simmons in December.
For an athlete, a loss can shake even the strongest mental foundation. For Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, those feelings bubbled up after losing to the Oregon Ducks 32-31 at Autzen Stadium in early October.
While interviewing with ESPN before Ohio State’s semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns for the College Football Playoffs, the quarterback reflected on that feeling of loss.
“It’s been a rollercoaster. Some of the ups and downs that we did go through are why we’re sitting here today in the semifinals and probably playing our best ball right now,” Howard said. “There have been some tough moments. I’d say that Oregon loss early on in the season was rough.”
Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) walks off the field after losing 32-31 to Oregon Ducks during the NCAA football game at Autzen Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Howard, who went 28-35 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns, remembers what he did after that fateful quarterback keeper turned slide that sealed the fate of the Buckeyes during that regular season encounter with the Ducks.
Advertisement
“Coming out of it I felt like I played a good game but it was really just the ending. I sat there and stewed over just how could I have done that differently. But when we got back here I think it was about six in the morning. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was kind of at a loss. I went into the indoor and I just laid there for about an hour – hour and a half. I was in a dark place. I just wanted another crack at them so bad. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the next chance I could get,” Howard said.
It wasn’t too long before Howard got his second chance with Oregon. After winning the Big Ten Championship, the No. 1 ranked Ducks were seeded for the Rose Bowl. With the Buckeyes easily beating Tennessee at home the previous week, Ohio State faced the Ducks once more.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) motions at the line of scrimmage during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Before every game, I listen to two voicemails that my late grandmother sent me and I’ve been doing that every game for the last three years now,” Howard said. “I listened to the voicemail and it just brought this immense peace over me. This year for the playoffs it actually probably got me going even more. It really helped.”
Those voicemails helped Howard correct his headspace before facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Howard went 17-26 in passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The Buckeyes completely shut out Oregon in the first quarter, with the Ducks only responding at the end of the second quarter with a touchdown and two point conversion. Howard reflected on the point in the game where the Buckeyes were up 34-0 against the No. 1 team in the nation.
MORE: NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year: Denver Broncos Bo Nix, Washington Jayden Daniels?
Advertisement
MORE: Boise State Football Accuses Oregon Ducks of Tampering
MORE: Oregon Ducks To Sign Transfer Portal Lineman Emmanuel Pregnon From USC Trojans?
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) holds a rose following the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Ecstatic. I mean, at that point it felt like it was almost not real. It was like ‘Man, are we really up on the No. 1 team in the country right now that we were in a dog fight with at their place?’” Howard said.
The Buckeyes won against Oregon 41-21, advancing to the Cotton Bowl Classic against the Texas Longhorns, where Howard and the Buckeyes are knocking on the door of a National Championship.
“You take a big National Championship ring and hoisting the trophy up. It takes a lot of the hardships and bad things that happened this year and kind of go out the window,” Howard said.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25822586/STK169_ZUCKERBERG_MAGA_STKS491_CVIRGINIA_A.jpg "Meta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech")
