Beachgoers at Brooklyn鈥檚 Coney Island will soon be coming ashore to see sharks up close鈥攁bout 40 of them. The design for the New York Aquarium鈥檚 鈥淥cean Wonders: Shark鈥� exhibit, scheduled to open in 2015, has received approval from New York City. The 50,000-square foot building will be a celebration of the city鈥檚 maritime history and of sharks, animals often misunderstood and threatened worldwide by overfishing. The exhibit will feature whitetip reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks, sandbar sharks and sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, Port Jackson sharks, and wobbegongs. The 500,000-gallon tank will also hold many skates, rays, , and thousands of schooling fish. But the sharks won鈥檛 be the only eye-popping attraction. The building itself will resemble a shimmering wave. Small aluminum squares will sparkle in the sunlight and move with the wind along a 1,000-foot-long dynamic wall. Wrapping around the building, the spiral ramp will transport visitors between the aquarium and Coney Island鈥檚 boardwalk. Along the way are ocean views, a water play sculpture area, a touch tank filled with local species, and a roof deck with an interactive gathering space. 鈥淭his exciting new shark exhibit will attract people from far and wide to visit the New York Aquarium,鈥� said Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., whose district includes Coney Island. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a dream of mine to have a world-class shark exhibit at the New York Aquarium, and this brings us one step closer to making that dream a reality. The revitalization of Coney Island is already attracting record-breaking crowds and Ocean Wonders: Shark is an important piece of our ultimate goal鈥攅stablishing Coney Island as the biggest, best year-round tourist destination in the world.鈥�
Beachgoers at Brooklyn鈥檚 Coney Island will soon be coming ashore to see sharks up close鈥攁bout 40 of them. The design for the New York Aquarium鈥檚 鈥淥cean Wonders: Shark鈥� exhibit, scheduled to open in 2015, has received approval from New York City.
The 50,000-square foot building will be a celebration of the city鈥檚 maritime history and of sharks, animals often misunderstood and threatened worldwide by overfishing. The exhibit will feature whitetip reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks, sandbar sharks and sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, Port Jackson sharks, and wobbegongs. The 500,000-gallon tank will also hold many skates, rays, , and thousands of schooling fish.
But the sharks won鈥檛 be the only eye-popping attraction. The building itself will resemble a shimmering wave. Small aluminum squares will sparkle in the sunlight and move with the wind along a 1,000-foot-long dynamic wall. Wrapping around the building, the spiral ramp will transport visitors between the aquarium and Coney Island鈥檚 boardwalk. Along the way are ocean views, a water play sculpture area, a touch tank filled with local species, and a roof deck with an interactive gathering space.
鈥淭his exciting new shark exhibit will attract people from far and wide to visit the New York Aquarium,鈥� said Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., whose district includes Coney Island. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a dream of mine to have a world-class shark exhibit at the New York Aquarium, and this brings us one step closer to making that dream a reality. The revitalization of Coney Island is already attracting record-breaking crowds and Ocean Wonders: Shark is an important piece of our ultimate goal鈥攅stablishing Coney Island as the biggest, best year-round tourist destination in the world.鈥�
Dr. Steve Sanderson, WCS President and CEO extended his appreciation to all partners of A Sea Change, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and Department of Parks and Recreation, the Mayor鈥檚 Office of Economic Development, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Councilman Recchia. 鈥淥cean Wonders: Shark will inspire New Yorkers to celebrate the city鈥檚 maritime heritage and attract more visitors and business to Brooklyn鈥檚 oceanfront,鈥� he said.
Join more than one million wildlife lovers working to save the Earth's most treasured and threatened species.
Thanks for signing up