NEWPORT, OR -- The Oregon Coast Aquarium has proposed a new license plate to help support marine wildlife rehabilitation. "What that support looks like is feeding animals that are currently in rehab at the aquarium, or providing medical equipment for a future marine rehab center," says the aquarium's Courtney Klug, "Essentially, these plates support both the aquarium's animals in our current collection and those who come in in need of veterinary care."

The plate was designed by an in-house artist at the Newport facility; it features a tufted puffin diving into the water. "It's a seabird summer at the Oregon Coast Aquarium," says Klug. 

Why a puffin plate? "Why not a puffin?!" says Klug, "The tufted puffin is an iconic seabird. They are native to Oregon's coast and we have our own flock here at OCAq. Our puffins are one of the most memorable species at the aquarium." She says visitors adore the puffins, "They often say, 'I got so close to a puffin it splashed me.' And we just love how whimsical and fun they are. And they're surprisingly graceful, so it's wonderful to give people a peek into what these birds look like in their natural element."

And Klug says issuing a license plate to raise money for the aquarium is a great way to raise awareness, "A license plate, it stays topical. It's an ongoing source of funding, and we need that ongoing funding." She adds, "A license plate is one of those things that people continue to see it everywhere. A coastal local could get a puffin license plate, drive across the state and other people will say, 'oh! Look at that, it's interesting.' And it is. It's a puffin. What's more interesting than a puffin?" 

The aquarium needs to sell 3,000 vouchers to get the plate into production. The vouchers became available this week and Klug says more than 400 were sold in the first 24 hours. Once they hit 3,000, it'll take several months for them to be available at the DMV.