Tuesdays in the Field

Junior Aquarist: Grab your gloves and get ready to learn all about taking care of animals at the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere!

Calling all future marine biologists! Discover how to become a junior aquarist and researcher through hands-on activities with a glimpse behind the curtain. Meet with specialists and learn about animal diets, behavioral training, field research, veterinary care, scuba diving and water quality testing. If your student is interested in working at a zoo or aquarium one day, this will be a great introduction to marine biology and an opportunity to see the Aquarium in a new light!

Lionfish, Tigerfish, Lionfish, Oh YEAH!: It’s right behind me… isn’t it? Explore all of the wickedly wacky and weird animals of the deep that may just be misunderstood after all. 

The ocean can be a dark and spooky place… eek! Here at Georgia Aquarium, however, we think it’s FRIGHTENINGLY fintastic! Our ocean, and many of the animals that live in it, are often misunderstood and underappreciated. This month, we want to highlight all of the misfits of the seas, material and mythical. Creep on over to the weirder side of the waves and learn all about the wackiness of the wild.

MOVEmber: Get ready… get set… GO! Walk, run, or swim on over as we explore all of the ways that animals move and why. 

Throughout time, one of the most effective evolutionary traits for survival has been mobility. Just think – when you’re hungry, does food magically appear in your belly, or do you need to move to eat? Whether it’s to escape predators, hunt prey, or anything in between, most animals (including us!) need some kind of movement to survive. Embark on a magical migration with us as we discover the ways that movement has shaped exploration, wildlife populations, and the world we live in today!

Dashing Through the Zones: Ho-Ho-Hold on a minute… that’s a long way down! Deepen your appreciation for the seas by travelling with us to its dark and mysterious underbelly!

When you think of the ocean, you may imagine beaches, dolphins, corals, and sunshine. The ocean is so much more than that – full of wonders deep beyond the surface. In fact, the uppermost layer of the ocean, the “Sunlight Zone,” only makes up around 3% of the sea. The rest is found in the dark, where incredible adaptations and innovations are needed for the outstanding life found there to thrive. Discover all things oceanography, explore the vast mysteries of the different ocean layers, and uncover the beauty of the deep sea with us!

Whale-come to the New Year!: Haaaaaaappppyyyy Newwwwww Yeaaaaarrrrrrrrr! Join us for a whale of a time as we discuss the beauty and wonder of the ocean’s largest mammals. 

We’re ringing in the new year with a big SPLASH by learning all about some of the most massive mammals – whales! In fact, the largest animal to ever exist in Earth’s history (yes, bigger than any dinosaur) is the blue whale, which swims in our ocean today! Toothed or baleen, surface-skimming or deep-dwelling, scientists continue to learn so much about these complex creatures to protect their populations as well as learn more about ourselves. Dive into new research, adaptations, and more surrounding wondrous whales and their impact on the world.

Synergetic Symbiosis: Friendship is in the air! Or… maybe not? Discover one of the most unique pillars of the animal kingdom in symbiotic relationships, from best friends to mortal enemies and everything in between. 

Whether for work, friendship, food, or travel, humans often rely on each other to make their lives easier. These relationships are not unlike countless other relationships you’ll find in the animal kingdom, many of them existing between two completely different species. Symbiotic relationships come in many different forms. Whether it’s mutually beneficial, predator-prey, or a parasitic infection, everything is connected.  Join in on the fascinating ways that animals interact with one another!

Matriarchal Mavericks: Who runs the world? Girls! Celebrate Women’s History Month with us as we highlight women in STEM and their impact on our lives.

Many of the world’s most foundational scientific achievements have come from women. Often overlooked and underrepresented, women in STEM fields have helped shape society at large through seemingly insurmountable adversity. Scientists like Rachel Carson, who pioneered the modern environmentalist movement and became one of the first voices advocating for the conservation of our environment, made a lasting positive impact on the world that is still felt today. Appreciate more amazing women of the past and present, and inspire the next female leaders of the future!

Tuesdays in the Field is our monthly homeschool event, hosted the second Tuesday of every month between September and March. The event is hosted from 9AM to 1PM, and your group can check in for the event until 12PM.  Each event has stations that are self-paced — if you’re enjoying a station, feel free to hang out there as long as you like! If a station is crowded, you can skip and come back when there are less people. Availability permitting, there may be additional breakout sessions with professionals in the field to connect our monthly themes to the real-world work being done. 

The stations are based around different monthly themes and have hands-on activities to deepen your students’ knowledge and understanding. There is also a quiz station at the end where students can test the knowledge they gained from the other stations.

Our stations have scaled activities for K-12, so all students can enjoy! If you have a kindergarten student and see some high schoolers at a station, feel free to join in at the same time. Our educators can work with multiple age groups at once! If a station is intended for middle to high school-aged participants, it will be indicated by an “Advanced Learner” sign.

Tuesdays in the Field is hosted in the Oceans Ballroom! You can reach the ballroom through the first floor of the parking deck – follow the yellow lines that direct you. Depending on availability, there may be other locations in the Aquarium that events can also take place in. The email you receive on the Monday afternoon before the event will give any details if those circumstances apply.

Guests will need their event tickets and/or memberships (where applicable), sent from tickets@georgiaaquarium.org or downloaded to their Georgia Aquarium App. Guests must also provide a letter of intent (or other state authorized document showing home school status) with their ticket upon arrival. Other documentation such as schedules, report cards/progress reports, proof of involvement with a homeschool group/program, or curriculum will also suffice as proof of homeschooling.

All adult parents/chaperones must purchase a ticket for Tuesdays in the Field, unless they have an active Georgia Aquarium membership. The member(s) themselves do not need to purchase a ticket, but other adults without memberships accompanying the group must purchase an adult ticket. For example, Johnny is an adult member with homeschooled children Susie and Jack. Johnny has purchased two student tickets for Susie and Jack and does not have to purchase a ticket for himself. He finds out after buying his tickets that Mary, who is not a member, wants to come as well. Johnny then needs to purchase an adult ticket for Mary.

Ticket sales close at 12PM Eastern the day before the event. Same-day tickets are NOT available. Anyone who arrives for the event without a ticket for the event will have to pay full-price admission.

Admission is included with your ticket! This includes access to all animal presentations. Pending staff availability and the needs of our animals, the Aquanaut Adventure gallery, on the second floor of the Aquarium, is also only open to homeschool families until 11AM, at which point the gallery opens to the public. Depending on staffing, this may also include a behind-the-scenes look at the topside of our Ocean Voyager gallery. You will also have access to a private viewing window of Ocean Voyager in the ballroom area. If you need to leave the building and re-enter, you can go to the AJC Information Desk in the main atrium to get a hand stamp for re-entry.

Same-day tickets are NOT available. Anyone who arrives for the event without a ticket for the event will have to pay full-price admission.

Tuesdays in the Field is a ticketed special event and requires a different ticket than a general admission ticket. The AquaPass does not offer discounts or free entry for special ticketed events.

We do not allow outside food to be brought inside the building. You can eat your lunches outside the building and come back in after you finish eating. If you need to leave the building and re-enter, you can go to the AJC Information Desk in the main atrium to get a hand stamp for re-entry.