Vancouver Aquarium hopes to raise awareness with new jellyfish display

The Vancouver Aquarium has a new jellyfish display that they hope will raise awareness about the impacts of pollution – but it might not be what you imagined.

All the jellyfish are made from papier mâché and hang from the north glass window of the aquarium’s Aquaquest building.

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Art students at Burnaby’s Byrne Creek Community School in grades 8 to 12 created the jellyfish through a new program by the eco-education program called Stream of Dreams. They hope to raise awareness about the growing epidemic of plastic pollution. Plastic bags floating in the ocean tend to look like jellyfish and are mistaken for food by animals such as turtles.

The students at Byrne Creek Community School are also planning a shoreline cleanup for the watershed next to their school.

Manager of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Kate Le Souef hopes the display inspires people to take action.

“Small actions can make a big difference. Coordinating or taking part in a shoreline cleanup helps remove litter, like plastic bags, from shorelines before it ever gets into our waterways and threatens aquatic life. We can each do our part to protect it.”

Image: Vancouver Aquarium