The anatomy of an exhibit

Ever wonder what it takes to create an exhibit at an Aquarium? It’s a huge team effort with two goals:  to offer a healthy habitat for the animals and a great visitor experience. We have been working dilligently for the last year to create Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance, opening Memorial Day weekend. With less than a month go, let’s take a look back at the process.

It’s not as easy as it sounds to bring a new animal collection into the fold. First, there is the issue of space―there is only so much of it. Jellies require much more water than the frogs that previously occupied the same area of the Aquarium. So the first order of business was to provide for sufficient water flow and drainage to the area.  Workers distributed water from the main building, poured a new concrete floor and created a trench drain system. Most of this work had to be done off-hours to minimize visitor inconvenience.

National Australia Day at the Aquarium!

Today is Australia Day, also known as Anniversary Day and Foundation Day, the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the unfurling of the British flag at Sydney Cove and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia. This day of celebration is very similar to America’s 4th of July. The National Aquarium celebrated with visitors in the Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit  this past weekend. Let’s take a look at a very special Australian animal that is now featured in the exhibit:

Irwin’s Turtle:

Irwin’s turtle was discovered by Steve Irwin and his father Bob on a camping trip in 1990. Because the turtle was new to them, it was photographed and sent to a turtle expert. After Steve Irwin’s death, the expert, John Cann, determined that the animal was indeed a new species. It was subsequently named Elseya irwini, with the common name, Irwin’s turtle. Ecologist Dr. Ivan Lawler suggests that the species, known only from the Burdekin and Bowen rivers in Australia, may be endangered or close to it. Lawler’s “best guess” is that there are only 4,000 to 5,000 in the wild.

From the Curator: National Aquarium wins best exhibit award!

From John Seyjagat, Curator of Australia Exhibits

The National Aquarium’s Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit was recently awarded best exhibit in the North America zoo and aquarium community. As the curator of this exhibit, I must say I am overwhelmingly proud to have received this coveted award given by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) each year– and the first to claim bragging rights, as this project was no easy feat for our exhibit team!

Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes is a lot more than a new exhibit. We have harnessed modern technologies, innovative designs, interactive learning, visitor friendly exhibitory and a unique Australian animal and plant collection, to create a one-of-a-kind visitor experience.

There are so many great features to this exhibit. Perhaps my favorite aspect is how the exhibit plays on the “wow” factor by incorporating prey and predators all sharing common spaces. The habitats are alive with color, movement, and noise the unique animals tell stories of their own.