Meet Our Newest Marine Life Resident!
A baby bamboo shark is coming to Discovery Space—and you can help name it!
Discovery Space is getting a baby shark!
Through our partnership with Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den in Scranton, Discovery Space’s Marine Life Center will welcome a juvenile Whitespotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) this fall.
And we’re inviting K–12 classrooms across Pennsylvania to help choose its name!
Check back here for more info SOON!
From Pearl to a New Chapter
Our partnership with Electric City Aquarium first brought Pearl, a California round ray, to Discovery Space in March 2025. Local classrooms helped choose her name, and ever since, kids and families have watched Pearl grow from a tiny juvenile into a thriving stingray.
Now, Pearl is ready for her next chapter. This fall, she’ll move to Electric City Aquarium’s permanent exhibit, making room for our newest marine life resident.
The story continues—with a new animal, a new opportunity to learn, and a new name to choose.
Help Your Class Name The New Shark!
What should we call our new baby bamboo shark?
We’re inviting K–12 classrooms and scout troops across Pennsylvania to participate in a community-wide naming contest.
Here’s how it works:
1. Color the Shark
Download our printable shark coloring sheet as an activity while you brainstorm. The coloring sheet is NOT your contest entry.
2. Vote as a Class
Brainstorm some fin-tastic names, then have your class vote on its favorite.
3. Submit Your Name
Send us your class’s winning name by October 30 through our online submission form or by email.
The winning classroom will receive:
- A free class field trip to Discovery Space
- A shark-themed STEM lesson and classroom activity kit
Important Dates:
Name submissions accepted through Friday, October 30.
Finalists will be announced November 6
The winning name will be revealed November 23!
SPOTLIGHT ON
Marine Life at Discovery Space
The White-Spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) is the newest chapter in Discovery Space’s partnership with Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den. Like Pearl before it, the shark will spend an important stage of its growth at Discovery Space, giving children and families the opportunity to observe a living marine animal up close while learning about marine biology, conservation, animal care, and ocean ecosystems.
Pearl’s journey showed us how powerful that experience can be. After watching her grow from a tiny juvenile into a thriving stingray, our community will soon say goodbye as she moves to Electric City Aquarium’s permanent exhibit. Now, a new marine resident is on the way—and you get to help give it a name.
By bringing marine life closer to home, and building programs like Professional Pathways, Discovery Space helps kids turn curiosity into questions, questions into learning, and learning into a lifelong connection with science.
Interested in supporting our Marine Life program?
Reach out to Executive Director Michele Crowl PhD at .