NOAA's Reporter's Coral Reef Tip Sheet
April 7 - Week 14
You don’t need to get a degree in marine biology to learn about the many important functions which coral reefs perform every day. And you don’t need scuba equipment to get close to the numerous animals and plants which live in, on, and around coral reefs.
Public aquariums provide excellent venues for non-scientists of all ages to learn about coral reefs -- how they’re built, where in the world they’re located, what animals and plants live on them, what threats they face, and what can be done to help save them. Put your nose to the glass to see a brightly colored feather duster worm poking out of a piece of coral, or a menacing meat-eating tiger shark swimming slowly by.
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), founded in 1924, currently represents 180 accredited zoos and aquariums in North America. April is zoo and aquarium month, so check out the AZA web page for more information about the aquarium nearest you. Below are just a few examples of the many AZA-member events and exhibits designed to help aquarium visitors learn more about coral reefs:
Florida Aquarium (Tampa, FL)
• Shark Dive Show - This interactive show features a diver who speaks to visitors from underwater while swimming throughout a 500,000-gallon coral reef exhibit. The diver describes the corals and other organisms while encouraging visitors to ask him/her questions about the creatures they see in the tank.
• Explore A Shore - This exhibit contains a 300 square-foot live pool featuring animals of a shallow reef community including starfish, anemones, and angelfish. Tunnels underneath this exhibit provide the experience of being underwater without getting wet.
Shedd Aquarium (Chicago, IL)
• Coral Reef Alert - Explore the complex relationship between corals, coral reefs and their inhabitants through an interactive display. Three exhibits interpret the effects of rising ocean temperatures by re-creating stages in the cycle of a coral reef, from healthy, flourishing coral to a reef that is stripped of life.
• Tropical Coral Reef - Discover the intricate beauty and vibrant life found in the 90,000-gallon coral reef exhibit. Observe daily feedings when a diver plunges into the water to hand-feed sea turtles, nurse sharks, green moray eels and hundreds of Caribbean fish.
Public aquariums also play a role in the research and conservation of coral reefs. The Conservation Parking Meter Program, a particularly successful mechanism for funding coral reef research and conservation efforts, is organized by the Center for Ecosystem Survival and The Nature Conservancy.
National Aquarium in Baltimore (Baltimore, MD)
• Project Reef Action - In conjunction with the International Year of the Reef campaign and the reopening of the Aquarium's renovated 350,000-gallon Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit in 1995, the Aquarium launched Project Reef Action, a coordinated, holistic coral reef conservation program. This program seeks to raise public awareness of threatened coral reefs to the level that rain forest awareness has reached in the recent years.
• Conservation Parking Meter - Since its installation in 1995, this meter has raised more than $20,000 from donated change for the Parque Nacional del Este in the Dominican Republic. The money has been used to support ongoing research projects within the park and to assist local conservation groups with educating local communities about coral reefs.
Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey, CA)
• Conservation Through Education - A strong conservation message is included in each exhibit, in classroom programs and in printed educational materials. The aquarium sponsors an annual public symposium on a conservation topic of global significance, such as fisheries conservation or protection of coral reefs.
• Conservation Parking Meter - This meter, installed in the aquarium's "Deadly Beauties" special exhibit, helps raise funds for coral reef preservation at Komodo National Park in Indonesia.
Waikiki Aquarium (Honolulu, HI)
• Coral Propagation Facility - The Waikiki Aquarium established its first coral exhibit in 1978 and now maintains 74 species making it the largest and oldest coral collection in the United States. In order to alleviate the demand for wild-caught corals, the Waikiki Aquarium has begun to culture corals for use by researchers and AZA institutions. Work on this "Coral Farm" will be completed during the International Year of the Reef, at which time it will become a working exhibit open for public viewing.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE REEF PLEASE CONTACT:
Matt Stout
Office of Public and Constituent Affairs
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
14th & Constitution Avenue, NW
Room 6013
Washington, DC 20230
tel: (202) 482-6090
fax: (202) 482-3154
e-mail: matthew.stout@noaa.gov
or coralreef@www.rdc.noaa.gov
Paul Holthus
Marine and Coastal Programme
IUCN - The World Conservation
Union Rue Mauvernay
28 CH 1196
Gland SWITZERLAND
tel: (41 22) 999-0251
fax: (41 22) 999-0025
e-mail: pfh@hq.iucn.org
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT PLEASE CONTACT:
Jane Ballentine
Director of Public Affairs
American Zoo and Aquarium Association
7970-D Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
tel: (301) 907-7777 x236
fax: (301) 907-2980
e-mail: zoognus@aol.com
http://www.aza.org
Other AZA member aquarium contacts:
Sara Elder
Communications Director
National Aquarium in Baltimore Pier 3
501 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
tel: (410) 576-3832 fax:
(410) 659-4253
http://www.aqua.org
Martha Benaroya
Director of Public Affairs
John G. Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
tel: (312) 986-2311
fax: (312) 939-8677
e-mail: benaroya@mcs.net
http://www.sheddnet.org
Andrew Ezer
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
tel: (808) 923-9741
fax: (808) 923-1771
e-mail:ezer@waquarium.waquarium.hawaii.org
http://makaha.mic.hawaii.edu:80/aquarium/
Lisa Patterson
Public Relations Manager
Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Drive
Tampa, FL 33602-5600
tel: (813) 273-4020
fax: (813) 224-9583
http://www.sptimes.com/aquarium
Ken Peterson
Public Relations Manager (print media)
Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940-1085
tel: (408) 648-4922
fax: (408) 644-7560
e-mail: kpeterson@mbayaq.org
http://www.mbayaq.org
Paula Watkinson
Development Associate
Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo
Box FL 145
Flatt's FL BX Bermuda
tel: (441) 293-2727
fax: (441) 293-3176
Deb Adamson
Public Relations Director
Mystic Marinelife Aquarium
55 Coogan Boulevard
Mystic, CT 06355-1997
tel: (860) 536-9631
fax: (860) 572-5969
Norman Gershenz
Director
Center for Ecosystem Survival
Department of Biology, SFSU
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
tel: (415) 338-3393
fax: (415) 338-2295
e-mail: gershenz@sfsu.edu
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