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Newsroom

Category: Animals

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium’s Animals Receive Local Care from Dubuque’s Own Dr. Marianne Kirkendall

Wednesday mornings at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Dr. Marianne Kirkendall is onsite for her veterinary rounds. On the rotation for the day is checking on a painted turtle who the aquarists are rehabilitating after it sustained a carapace fracture when it was hit by a car. Kirkendall does a visual exam and makes sure the turtle’s brace—a paperclip epoxied on its shell to keep the boney tissue from shifting while it heals—before she continues to other a... Read More
at Friday, December 9, 2022

Stories of life along the Mississippi River inspire names for River Museum’s orphaned otters

The orphaned North American River Otters at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium have become fast friends since meeting at the River Museum. Therefore, it should come as no surprise then that their new names reference that bond. Susan and Ed Ritts, supporters of the Dubuque County Historical Society, which owns and operates the River Museum, were granted the honor of naming the otters. “We named the otters for characters from Mark Twain’s novels,” the couple... Read More
at Friday, May 6, 2022

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium take steps to protect its birds from Avian Influenza

On March 2, 2022, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (River Museum) was notified of a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza within the state of Iowa, in Potawatomie County. Upon receiving the information, the facility immediately began the process of reviewing its Avian Influenza Management Plan and taking initial steps to mitigate risk to our avian population. On April 25th, 2022, the organization moved to level two in our management plan, which triggered implementatio... Read More
Posted by Luke Maiers at Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Dot, the Green Sea Turtle, Passes Away

Dot, the Green Sea Turtle, joined the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium as a featured animal on exhibit in 2014. In December of 2021, about eight years after her arrival in the Port of Dubuque, she passed away from health complications. In 2013, Dot was rescued after being found with injuries that left damage to her spinal cord and caused flipper paralysis and decreased mobility within her GI tract. She came to the River Museum from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and guests we... Read More
at Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Rivers to the Sea Gallery at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium prepares for new permanent additions

The Rivers to the Sea Gallery at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium premiered in 2010 with the opening of the organization’s Diamond Jo National River Center. Updated in 2016 to include a stingray touch tank experience and aquariums representing delta habitats, the space has recently received a large boost toward a third phased update to the permanent exhibit space. The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has awarded the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium $30... Read More
at Thursday, April 22, 2021

Party for the Planet scheduled for April 24

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium’s annual Party for the Planet celebration is back in 2021, providing rich resources and activities to engage guests in protecting and improving our wildlife and waters. From 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, the River Museum will host several outdoor activities and booths showcasing the efforts of our conservation partners, as well as indoor engagement opportunities showcasing our conservation work with wildlife and clean... Read More
at Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Efforts Reveal New Life and Hope for Florida Corals

Nearly 1,600 river miles separate Eastern Iowa from the sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico, yet that same distance also connects the Gulf to Florida corals’ hope for survival.   A disease devasting corals in the Florida Reef Tract was first observed off the shores of southeast Florida in 2014. Since then, the disease has quickly spread to coral colonies in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Belize, and even Jamaica. The severity of the disease, known as stony coral tissue loss, has... Read More
at Monday, March 1, 2021

An update on Dot the Green Sea Turtle

Dot, our resident Green Sea Turtle, has been off exhibit for the better part of a year. A favorite among members and visitors alike, her departure from her normal habitat was met with concern over her health. While we are happy to inform our friends, members and follower’s that Dot is doing quite well, we also wanted to share a bit about her backstory and how she came to be at the River Museum, including why she is not yet back in her exhibit. In July of 2013, a juvenile Green Sea Tur... Read More
at Thursday, September 3, 2020

Outreach Programs Take Flight

Work has been underway since last fall to expand the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium’s Live Animal Outreach Program with the arrival of two new raptors this spring. The expansion will enable staff to address Iowa bird conservation initiatives, provide teacher workshop opportunities, and add avian ambassadors to the outreach program’s portfolio. During the last several months, the River Museum received financial support from Resource Enhancement & Protection &... Read More
at Monday, June 15, 2020

This summer the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is adding to its animal collection

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is adding to its animal collection this summer through a new premier exhibit The Robot Zoo presented by MidWestOne Bank. Adults and children will explore the biomechanics of complex, larger-than-life animal robots in the 5,000-square-foot exhibit. Eight robotic animals and more than a dozen hands-on activities will illustrate fascinating real-life animal characteristics, such as how a chameleon changes colors, how a giant squid propels its... Read More
at Thursday, March 12, 2020
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