Behind the ‘seas’ at SEA LIFE San Antonio

Dive into the science behind the aquatic fun at the new aquarium

SAN ANTONIO – From underwater tunnels to a variety of tanks housing all of their sea creatures, SEA LIFE San Antonio has something the whole family can enjoy.

The large aquarium, which is inside the Shops at Rivercenter, filled its tanks with water in 2019 before opening this past May. SEA LIFE houses many different species of fish and sea life, including jellyfish, seahorses and a zebra shark. In order for all these animals to survive, however, their tanks and habitats have been carefully assembled.

At first glance, the water from one tank to another might not seem different. However, some animals need to swim in water with different levels of salinity. Salinity is a measure of the amount of salt in a body of water.

There are three measures of the water’s salinity based on whether the tank is temperate, freshwater, or marine. The freshwater tank has a much lower salinity than most of the other tanks.

To ensure that all the tanks maintain the correct level of salinity, the SEA LIFE staff tests the water’s salinity using a tool called a refractometer. If salinity levels get lower than they should be, aquarium staff can make the necessary adjustments by adding more freshwater.

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About the Authors:

Kaiti Blake is a child weather-geek-turned-meteorologist. A member of the KSAT Weather Authority, Kaiti is a co-host of the Whatever the Weather video podcast. After graduating from Texas Tech University, Kaiti worked at WJTV 12 in Jackson, Mississippi and KTAB in Abilene.

Andrew Wilson is a digital journalist and social media producer at KSAT.