By Doug Penninger, Allison Shafer, & Felicia Silva
The Aquarium
The Greensboro Science Center (GSC) of North Carolina opened its doors in 1957 as the Greensboro Junior Museum. In 1973, the Science Center expanded into a large zoo facility (housing some large animals from the County Park Zoo) as well as a planetarium and a botanical garden. The Science Center steadily grew throughout the decades, adding building after building to house new exhibit halls. In 2007, the Animal Discovery Zoo was added, transforming a former petting zoo area into a large zoological park housing exciting animals like gibbons and tigers. In 2013, North Carolina’s first inland aquarium opened its doors as the Carolina SciQuarium. The aquarium attracted more than 30,000 visitors in its first 11 days, putting Greensboro on the map as a top tourist destination for the state. The facility added a treetop adventure course in 2015, including 7 obstacle courses ranging in height from 12-45 feet off the ground. 2017 saw a 5,000 sq. ft. expansion to the SciQuarium – bringing 16 new exhibit tanks highlighting species such as lionfish, seahorses, mangrove swamps, and the Pacific reef. The Aquarium was renamed the Wiseman Aquarium after the family whose donation made the expansion possible. Continuing its growth, the Science Center expanded its zoo in 2021 to add 11 acres and nine new animal exhibits, a state-of-the-art animal hospital and conservation center, and tree houses with an elevated boardwalk.
The GSC today is a science museum, zoo, aquarium, planetarium, and more, all wrapped into one modern facility. The nonprofit organization has been an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums since 1985, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 2008. It is North Carolina’s only dual-accredited institution – an honor only 14 attractions in the nation share. Keeping the trend of growth and expansion going, they have plans for a Bio Dome and an Aquatic Rehabilitation Conservation Center slated to open in 2027!
The Dive Program
GSC’s dive program is a hybrid model, encompassing both scientific and commercial dives, on-site in Greensboro and out in the wild along the eastern coast of the United States. Its 12 staff divers and 18 volunteer divers together conduct roughly 600 dives per year. Volunteer divers interact with aquarium visitors during much-loved dive show presentations, and of course, work hard to assist the husbandry staff in keeping both freshwater and saltwater habitats clean of algae.
The public dive shows and many training dives happen in the aquarium’s impressive 90,000 gallon Shark Reef habitat, using surface supply and OTS Guardian FFMs.
The program is lucky to be able to send divers to collaborate on a variety of projects. This includes conducting reef fish surveys with the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF,) cleaning coral trees at offshore nurseries with Reef Renewal, and building nursery furniture for long-spined sea urchins with Sustainable Oceans and Reefs (SOAR) in the Florida Keys.
DSO Spotlight
At the helm of the Greensboro Science Center’s dive operations is Doug Penninger, a dedicated Dive Safety Officer, whose journey into the underwater world began with a touch of youthful rebellion. Sneaking his father’s scuba gear to explore a neighborhood pond used for search and rescue training, he discovered a lifelong passion for diving. With a degree from the University of South Carolina and specialized training from the International Diving Institute in Charleston, SC, he spent years honing his skills before diving into the professional realm. His career path led him to Georgia Aquarium for a six-month exhibit restoration project that extended into a five-year tenure, followed by nearly six years with the Walt Disney Company’s dive program.
The Greensboro Science Center’s dive operations thrive thanks to a dynamic team of aquarium and zoo staff, complemented by a sprinkle of skilled volunteers. Doug leads the charge, overseeing all gear maintenance, volunteer management, and training. What fuels his commitment to working at GSC you ask? “Being a part of conservation efforts and an ambassador for our lands, oceans, and waterways,” he shares. Outside of diving, Doug enjoys fishing, kayaking, camping, hiking, paintball, and riding his onewheel, bringing the same adventurous spirit to his personal life as he does to his role as DSO.
