The Podcast Aquatic

With Halloween just a few days away, we’re pretty much at peak spooky season. At the Aquarium, that’s code for ODDtober, our celebration of nature’s weird and wonderful side.

At the time this releases, the odds are you’re either actively workshopping costume ideas or are already hard at work getting one ready for yourself or your homegrown knee-high trick or treaters.

However skilled you think yourself to be, though, your efforts have got nothing on some of nature’s most cunning masters of masquerade and mischief. In this episode, a trio of aquarium experts explain how these legends of the animal and plant kingdoms put our own tricking and treating to shame.

Episode cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/often-tricked, sometimes-treated
• Austin Prater, senior horticulturist
• Rose Segbers, senior entomologist
• Sharyl Crossley, lead aquarist (Ocean Journey building)

Ecologically, it's always problematic when a species ends up in a place it doesn't belong. Lately, plenty of people in the Southeast are experiencing an added "ick" factor after coming face-to-web with an especially creepy invasive species, the Joro Spider.

This large, colorful species is native to Southeast Asia, but for the last 10 years or so, it has been quietly reproducing rampantly and spreading through the American Southeast. Public awareness of this arachnid invasion hit fever pitch recently thanks to the appearance of Joro Spiders in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The species is now on the park's official "Most Wanted" list.

In this episode, the Aquarium's senior entomologist discusses how Joros made their way to the States, what risk they pose to native ecosystems and why we're seeing so many of them in our neck of the woods.

The National Parks Service has recommended the public document sightings of Joros as they encounter them through the app iNaturalist. This free app is available for iOS and Android devices and is a fun way to keep track of all the animals and plants you encounter, invasive or otherwise:

• iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inaturalist/id6475737561

• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.android&hl=en_US

Episode Cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/Joro web survivor
• Rose Segbers, senior entomologist

Whether you're talking crocodiles, cayman, alligators or gharials, crocodilians are some of Earth's most successfully designed species. With armored bodies, incredible bite force and surprisingly dedicated parental care regimen, these reptiles have successfully adapted to thrive around the planet and have outlasted many other animals, including the dinosaurs.

In this all-croc episode of the show — the first to tie into the Aquarium's annual ODDtober celebration — two animal care specialists with herpetological leanings chat about sensory organs, how to tell a 'gator from a croc' and why we should be thankful these ancient predators are around.

Episode cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/squishy mammal
• Jennifer McPheeters, River Journey lead animal care specialist
• Erin Muldoon, herpetologist II

Generally speaking, the exhibits at the Tennessee Aquarium are designed to replicate a single, distinct ecosystem, from the species residing there to the vegetation that helps set the stage.

There are a few exceptions to this, however, and the subject of this episode is one of them. When it opened 14 years ago, the River Giants exhibit offered a single, massive system in which to showcase truly gargantuan fish from all over the world. In one place, guests could see everything from South American Red-tailed Catfish and Arapaima and Southeast Asian Giant Gourami to gigantic whiptail rays from North America.

This episode was recorded more than a year ago, at time of publication, but it's still a fascinating deep-dive into one of the Aquarium's most impressive collection of huge, HUGE fish.

Episode Cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/mostly normal-size human
• Rachel Thayer, assistant curator of fishes
• Stephen Beaman, senior aquarist

In 1996, the Tennessee Aquarium opened the first major expansion to its campus on Chattanooga's downtown riverfront. This new building showcased every kind of sea life imaginable, not to mention every conceivable biome on the planet.

It also introduced guests to dinosaurs and interstellar phenomenon and — much later — wizards, superheroes and one exceptionally embattled Greek king just trying to get home.

This year, the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater celebrates its 30th anniversary. It has done so in typically cinematic style by dusting off its old, but still very much venerable IMAX 70mm GT projector to offer guests the opportunity to see the first-ever film recorded entirely on IMAX 70mm film: director Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

In this episode of the show, our theater's most-tenured projection staff and the Aquarium's earliest proponent of opening a giant-screen theater, join host Casey Phillips in the Studio Dive Cage to chat about the shift from film to digital (and back again), what makes 70mm cinema so special and why The Odyssey shines best in this format.

Episode cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/former film critic
• Corey Cobb, director of IMAX operations
• Adam Lundy, IMAX manager/systems operator
• Gordon Stalans, vice president & chief operating officer (now executive vice president)

Screenings of The Odyssey, which is only available to view on 70mm film at a handful of American theaters, have been extended at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX Theater through Sept. 30, 2026. Further details available, along with screening schedule and advanced tickets, at https://www.tnaqua.org/imax

By their very nature, endangered animals are a difficult target for scientists to research. They tend to be few in number — naturally — and the populations that exist have sometimes survived purely through remaining isolated from their top threat, which all too often is us.

To those outside the field of academia, the assumption might be that science takes place in the kinds of locales that appear on the pages of National Geographic — pristine forests, wind-swept deserts and coral reefs.

In reality — as you’ll discover in this episode — science can sometimes mean dodging cow pies in a field or blindly reaching under a muddy stream bank only to come back with a handful of diaper rather than a Hellbender salamander.

In the launch episode for the third season of The Podcast Aquatic, Aquarium freshwater scientists pull back the curtain to show the sometimes remarkably unremarkable places where we find the animals we’re working to study and protect.

Watch us find beautiful endangered darters off the side of an Alabama highway: https://youtu.be/8Jg_u37G6iI?si=molX52-gSueb__Vq

Episode cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications host/occasional spelunker/enthusiastic cowpie dodger

• Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, aquatic conservation biologist

• Emily Culp, GIS analyst

• Dr. Jeronimo da Silva, research scientist (geneticist)

Being selected for an internship or fellowship is a career milestone for many students and recent graduates, but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword.

Ideally, these programs are a chance to battle test skills honed in academia in a real-world setting. They're opportunities to build out a portfolio, to network and to determine whether your education adequately prepared you for your desired role.

In reality, for many interns and fellows, these programs ultimately end up being little more than a chance to take coffee orders and keep a seat warm. You might not even get paid for the privilege.

Not so at the Aquarium, where a robust offering of fellowships affords science- and conservation-minded students and grads the chance to work alongside experts in a variety of departments.

In this episode, we close out the second season of the show by chatting with the first-ever Jim Hill marketing and communications fellow about his experiences this summer and how his work alongside our team benefitted us as much as it did him.

To learn more about ongoing fellowship and externship opportunities at the Aquarium, visit https://tnaqua.org/get-involved/fellowship-opportunities/

Episode Cast

• Casey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist
• Efrain Iglesias, Jim Hill marketing fellow
• Mara-Lynne Payne, director of inclusion, equity and diversity
• Shannon Colbert, marketing projects manager
• Natali Rodgers, director of learning and evaluations

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.

Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Despite outnumbering them (in species diversity) by a factor of almost ten to one, moths are the quintessential under-appreciated insect. To most people, they're an almost-spooky nocturnal curiosity at best and a wardrobe-endangering pest at worst.

In reality, moths are hugely important, helping to pollinate plants during the night-time shift when butterflies have called it quits for the day. They're also more ancient than butterflies, not to mention faster and more efficient and, often, hardier.

Join us for this week's episode as we celebrate National Moth Week by shining an ultraviolet light on these unsung heroes of the evening.

Episode Cast

• Casey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist
• Rose Segbers, senior entomologist
• Stephanie Soto, formal learning experience supervisor

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.

Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In the Aquarium gift shop years ago, there was once a sea turtle stuffed animal for sale that looked a little ... different. He didn't have all of his flippers, and his shell was missing a notch. This wasn't a manufacturing error, though; it was an homage to one of our most-beloved residents, Oscar.

Thanks to an early life run-in with an oceanic predator and a boat, Oscar has never looked like a "normal" sea turtle. Yet despite the difficulty of swimming and diving with his injuries, Oscar managed to move around the Secret Reef with remarkable, even inspirational, agility.

In 2020, Oscar had to relocate from the Aquarium to an off-site home, but questions about him and well wishes for his continued health and wellbeing have continued to pour into our social inboxes.

In this episode, we take the Studio Dive Cage on the road to pay Oscar a visit at his new home. We chat about why he's such an inspiration to so many, the efforts we've undertaken to make his life comfortable and enriching and his surprising (if understandable) love of The Golden Girls.

Episode cast

• ​Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/long-time Oscar stan
• ​Adam Johnson, animal care facility lead
• ​Shelby Ferguson, veterinary assistant II
• ​Thom Demas, vice president and chief husbandry & exhibits officer

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.

Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

When most people think about wildlife and nature documentaries, there are places that naturally spring to mind: the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon Rainforest, the African Serengeti.

What most people don't think about is the stream in their backyard or the river they drive over every day.

But Jeremy Monroe isn't "most people." He's the founder and director of Freshwaters Illustrated, a documentary filmmaking studio that has, since 2003, focused its efforts on showcasing the incredible behaviors and diversity of life in rivers, lakes and streams. From funny newts to clever mussels to resplendent trout, Freshwaters Illustrated's films capture the same beauty and passion and exude just as much passion as those films focused on the places that tend to get more of our attention.

Learn more about Freshwaters Illustrated and view samples of its incredible photography and videos at its website: https://www.freshwatersillustrated.org/

Episode cast

• Casey Phillips, host and senior communications specialist
• Jeremy Monroe, director at Freshwaters Illustrated

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.

Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.