FIELD NOTES      Alaska’s premier cold water aquarium combines marine research with wildlife rehabilitation, conservation and public education. While scientists work behind the scenes to unlock the secrets of the ocean ecosystem and its creatures, hundreds of species swim behind huge windows within view of visitors. The center’s Steller sea lions take turns in a massive 185,000 gallon tank with a 2,000 square-foot haul-out above the waves. A diving bird habitat allows seabirds like common murres and horned puffins to chase fish through a tank more than 20 feet deep in full view of visitors. Harbor seals also have a two-story tank. Smaller tanks hold bottom fish, king crabs, wolf eels, salmon, halibut and shrimp. Visitors are allowed to handle sea stars, anemones and other intertidal critters at a touch tank. Live video from Chiswell Island shows Steller sea lions at one of the region’s most important rookeries. Visit the outdoor viewing deck over Resurrection Bay, where you can see Steller sea lions "porpoising" (leaping clear of the water) just offshore.

HABITAT     Alaska SeaLife Center employs a large staff of aquarists and scientists, who monitor, manage and study life in a dozen separate tanks and habitats. The water in the tanks comes directly from Resurrection Bay. In a sense, the SeaLife Center offers an authentic glimpse of the marine world just offshore.

CONSERVATION CONNECTION       Since this $56-million research center opened in 1998, its staff has investigated the decline in Steller sea lions and spectacled eiders, and pioneered remote tracking of marine mammals.

VIEWING TIP       Visit the SeaLife Center before going out to view the bay. Give yourself a couple hours and spend time sitting at each tank. Afterward, walk along the shore and scan for the same animals in the wild.

HELPFUL HINTS      The SeaLife Center offers a wide range of programs and tours. Visit www.alaskasealife.org or call 907-224-6300 for details.

GETTING THERE     Take the Seward Highway through Seward to milepost 0. The SeaLife Center overlooks Resurrection Bay to the left at 301 Railway Avenue.