The Big Clean - Puget Sound Saltwater Tide Pool

This week was the perfect time to carry out our annual cleaning of the Puget Sound Saltwater Tide Pool. Normally this operation is performed during Pacific Science Center’s Bubble Festival, which is a good time to close the tidepool to the public because of the possibility of soap contamination. However, this year the Life Sciences department took advantage of the two week closure so as not to inconvenience the public with this rather messy procedure.





In preparation for the “full clean,” supplies are collected: scrub brushes, sponges, shovels, scoopers, rakes, trash bags, empty five-gallon buckets, new sand, and lots of elbow grease. Meanwhile, fresh salt water is mixed and circulated in the mixing vat. During the cleaning process, we replace about two-thirds of the water, leaving the remainder to stabilize healthy bacterial growth.



As soon as the pool starts draining, everyone begins to round up the animals that are not attached to the walls and floors of the exhibit. Snails and chitons are left attached and sea anemones, not attached to removable rocks, hang around while the scrubbing proceeds.






While the pool drains, unusable rocks, shells and sand are placed in trash bags for disposal. Algae are scrubbed off rocks, screens, gratings and inside PVC pipes with existing tide pool water. New sand is poured all around the tide pool floor.

With the exhibit looking like new, the freshly mixed saltwater is carefully checked several times for proper temperature, pH and salinity. Only then are the animals placed back in the tidepool. This is an exciting time for Animal Caretakers because they can rearrange where the animals and their props go as they return them to the exhibit. On your next visit, look for some of our less noticeable fish, now living towards the front of the pool. The animals may move over time, but for now they’re in a great position for fun interaction.

Now they wait for your visit. Come see the clean Puget Sound Saltwater Tide Pool when Pacific Science Center reopens to the public September 26.