Sharing the Sound Gallery Kayak Journey   Paddling on a virtual kayak trip Kayak Journey allows visitors to sit in a full-size kayak and paddle through a virtual Skagit Bay or Elliott Bay. Visitors see Puget Sound from a unique point of view and receive a mild aerobic workout in the process. A handicap access station is available for those unable to enter a kayak. The exhibit maps the location of facilities dedicated to kayakers along the Cascadia Marine Trail. Puget Sound is a deep-water estuary with an intricate network of bays, inlets and waterways that accommodate marine recreation and environmental appreciation by area residents and tourists. The beauty and diversity of Puget Sound are viewed more closely through recreational activities on the water. The Cascadia Marine Trail is a 160-mile water route that allows people to explore the region’s waterways in human or wind-powered small craft, and camp. Canoes to Cruise Ships Gateway Theater The video in this mini-theater presentation depicts the beauty of Puget Sound and the Inside Passage, and is designed to focus attention on the content of the Sharing the Sound Gallery exhibits. Sit on traditional steamer bench seats and enjoy the four minute show. Recreation provides people with an increased understanding and appreciation of the natural environment and, ultimately, an increased desire to protect this environment. Exploring the coastline region from Washington to Southeast Alaska, whether from a canoe or a cruise ship, allows for a greater appreciation of the complex natural and cultural heritage of this region. At the Helm   Steering a simulated container ship At the Helm is a simulator that puts the visitor at the wheel of an 850’ container ship entering Elliott Bay. Using instructions "radioed" from the USCG, the visitor attempts to avoid other traffic according to marine rules of the road, control the speed and direction of a large ship - a unique experience, read radar chart plotting and other navigation equipment, and orient her or himself using both visual and virtual information. Modern commercial vessels are equipped with sophisticated electronic equipment to ensure their safe passage through Puget Sound. Licensed Pilots are responsible for directing ships into and out of the region’s waterways and harbors, using a specialized knowledge of local conditions including weather and currents, shipping lanes and the Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service. Sound Survey This exhibit uses a real time model to show how survey vessels gather bathymetric (water depth) information. Detailed video programs and panels lead the visitor through the process of paper and electronic chart making. Different types of sonar and other acoustic sensing technologies are further explained. Sonar is the key technology used to map the floor of Puget Sound. Knowledge of Puget Sound’s bathymetry is essential for safe boating and commercial navigation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration works to upgrade charts and navigational information to mariners. Vessel Construction Using text and photographs, Vessel Construction explores the range of ship building activities in Puget Sound - from super ferries to tugs and steamboats. The process of planning, fabrication, and modular assembly of large vessels is explored in detail. Puget Sound is home to a wide range of shipbuilding activities and related support industries. Modular construction of large vessels is driven by computer aided design technology. Many skilled workers are employed throughout the region in shipyards. Chips at Sea Chips at Sea is a display of the latest high-tech navigation equipment available to boaters. While these devices make navigating our waters easier, they are simply extensions of our senses - electronic versions of navigation techniques that have been used for a long time. Common sense and experience are required to interpret electronic information and apply the information they provide. Text explains the function of the devices. All vessels, from small recreational boats to large cargo ships, depend on similar navigational aids and equipment for safety and navigation. Advances in marine electronic navigation and the advent of the microchip have made powerful technologies available to the recreational boater. In addition to electronic navigation tools, safety at sea requires knowledge and attention to the dynamic marine environment. Sound System Centerpiece Choosing from over two dozen objects on spinning masts, the Odyssey visitor uses computer touch screens to identify how each of these objects represents a clean water issue in Puget Sound. Information is provided through a series of questions and answers on progressively more detailed screens. Sound System Centerpiece leads the visitor to a better understanding of how environmental impacts can be mitigated through education, behavior modification, and advocacy. Puget Sound is a complex environment that is constantly changing due to both natural conditions and human-related activities. Activities throughout the Puget Sound watershed have the potential to affect the Sound’s waters and habitat. By understanding the causes and the consequences of pollution and habitat loss, there is a lot that individuals can do to protect and restore Puget Sound. Revealing the Sound Revealing the Sound presents a complete picture of the Sound’s geological beginnings, and its complex geophysical present. Video programming and computer modeling shows the glaciation that created the Sound, water residency times, circulation models, currents, bathymetry and other important elements. Panel descriptions of toxic sediment research and remote sensing studies are included in the exhibit, as is a flip book citing the work of scientists who study Puget Sound. Puget Sound is a deep inland sea with complex water circulation. Puget Sound is relatively clean, with selected pollution problems for some resources and in certain locations. Many pollutants entering Puget sound are deposited in its sediments, providing for a record of past and current pollution. Sound Creatures Artistic renditions of three habitats found in Puget Sound provide the background for the identification of creatures found in those habitats. Dramatic underwater photographs, backlit and viewed through a finder, round out the exhibit. Puget Sound is a richly diverse and productive habitat for marine organisms. A key goal of environmental protection is to conserve and restore Puget Sound habitat and biological diversity. Wetland Restoration Wetland Restoration looks in detail at successful projects undertaken in Commencement Bay. The Goglehite wetland creation as mitigation for Port of Tacoma expansion, and the Simpson Tacoma Kraft sediment capping and inter-tidal wetland remediation, are the focus of the photos, text, and technical drawings in this exhibit. Although pristine environments may be lost forever, habitat values in degraded urban industrial areas can be restored. The Simpson Tacoma site and the Gog-le-hi-te Wetland in Commencement Bay demonstrate successful restoration efforts. With pro-active planning, good science, and community involvement, resources can be directed to actual restoration rather than to litigation and bureaucratic process. Elliott Bay The lower Duwamish River corridor has been heavily industrialized, and in the process, the natural hydrology of the once great river has been significantly modified - particularly by the redirection of Lake Washington’s outfall to the Hiram Chittenden Locks. Elliott Bay wetlands were filled and developed, and river banks and shorelands hardened and engineered for port and navigation purposes. The combined efforts of individuals, tribal members, and major entities such as the Port of Seattle have led to gains in public access and improved habitat values in the Duwamish/Elliott Bay corridor. This exhibit recognizes the work done, and the work to be done, through photographs, text and map overlays. The Elliott Bay/Duwamish corridor represents a wide range of environmental and economic values. The Elliott Bay/Duwamish corridor has been subjected to extensive alteration and degradation, but holds the promise of environmental restoration and economic revitalization. The many agencies, Native American tribes, and private companies and groups involved in the long-term restoration and development of the Elliott Bay/Duwamish corridor balance environmental and economic goals, and limited financial resources. Shellfish Sleuth Shellfish Sleuth looks at the importance of shellfish to Puget Sound - both as an important seafood and as an indicator of environmental health and water quality. Life cycles and commercial harvesting, shellfish bed classifications, and other important information are presented in text and images. Oysters are the predominant product in Washington State’s nation-leading shellfish industry and an important recreational resource. Oyster cultivation and harvest is impacted by non-point source pollution, leading to unacceptable harvest area closures. Scientists, land-use planners, health and water quality officials, and private organizations work to identify sources of fecal coliform pollution and institute controls. Wild Salmon Using video programming, text and imagery, Wild Salmon explores ongoing efforts to keep wild salmon species returning in greater numbers to Puget Sound waters. Salmon are an important spiritual and ecological symbol for the Northwest. Salmon stocks have been reduced throughout Puget Sound, due to loss of spawning and nursery habitat, interruption of migration routes, failed enhancement efforts and inadequate fishing restriction. Many State and Federal agencies, Native American tribes, and private groups are working to restore Puget Sound salmon. Top  |  Home  |  Information  |  Exhibits  |  Events Explore  |  Interactive Odyssey  |  Teachers Copyright © 2003  Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center