Aquarium on Track to Help Spark Coney Island Comeback from Hurricane Sandy



Coney Island, Brooklyn, April 5, 2013 -- The 菊花视频聽will partially reopen the New York Aquarium on Saturday, May 25.

This partial reopening will come about 7 months after Hurricane Sandy聽devastated the 14-acre aquarium campus, severely damaging its buildings,聽exhibits, and the facility鈥檚 aquatic life support systems.

The partial reopening will include:聽Glover鈥檚 Reef (featuring the sea life found in Glover's Reef, Belize);聽Exhibits in Conservation Hall (Coral Triangle of Fiji, Great Lakes of East聽Africa, and the Flooded Forests of the Amazon;) Outdoor spaces of Sea Cliffs聽(walrus, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters and penguins); And a fully聽re-modeled Aquatheater with a new sea lion demonstration.

"We are ready to welcome New York families and tourists back into the WCS聽New York Aquarium," said Cristi谩n Samper, WCS President and CEO. "We have聽worked nonstop to ensure that the marine life in the aquarium was safe and聽secure. We want to share this progress with New Yorkers and be a part of the聽Coney Island comeback following Hurricane Sandy. The aquarium is an聽important economic engine for the community, providing jobs and sparking聽commerce. We have been encouraged by the outreach from the city and across聽the country urging us to reopen."

Added Jon Forrest Dohlin, WCS Vice President and Director of the New York聽Aquarium, 鈥淚 want to thank all of our Coney Island neighbors for supporting聽us through these difficult months since the hurricane. The community spirit聽has inspired the WCS aquarium staff to work hard every day so we can reopen聽and again bring economic stimulus to Coney Island and to share the wonders聽of the oceans with New Yorkers and tourists."

New York City Council Member Domenic M. Recchia, Jr said, 鈥淭he reopening of聽the aquarium is an exciting milestone in Coney Island's recovery from聽Superstorm Sandy. As one of the area's few year-round staples, the aquarium聽serves as a vital economic and educational engine for the community and all聽of New York City bringing in over 750,000 visitors and $58 million dollars聽in economic revenue. I am so grateful for the remarkable efforts of the聽aquarium's staff and community partners who have all worked tirelessly to聽reopen this important cultural icon.鈥�

In conjunction with the partial reopening of the aquarium, education聽programs will resume on a limited basis at the facility. This will include聽the teen docent program, summer camp for students, and training for聽educators. In addition, aquarium staff will continue to work closely with聽the WCS Global Marine Program on the WCS New York Seascape initiative to聽conduct conservation research from Cape May to Montauk.

WCS is continuing to develop a detailed scope and budget for full聽restoration, and is continuing to work with the City of New York to plan for聽the aquarium expansion, Ocean Wonders: Sharks!


CONTACT:
Barbara Russo 鈥� 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli 鈥� 718- 220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org
Steve Fairchild 鈥� 718- 220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org