NY Aquarium Getting New Shark Exhibit

NEW YORK—The revitalization of Coney Island continues up and down the boardwalk, with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium getting the latest makeover with help from the city.

“Right from the start, the comprehensive expansion and renovation of the New York Aquarium has been a key element in revitalizing Coney Island,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said from the aquarium Thursday. 

Bloomberg unveiled the new design for what will be the centerpiece of the 10-year private-public renovation initiative at the aquarium: the new ‘Ocean Wonders: Shark!’ building. 

The new exhibit will feature 115 species of marine animals, including sharks, rays, sea turtles, and fish, in 500,000 gallons of water, providing a major upgrade for the country’s oldest operating aquarium. 

Changes are not only expected inside, but the building will also feature a seaside façade made of aluminum, providing a shimmer effect, which will allow visitors to walk up a ramp and see the ocean from up high.

“This will be a major new iconic building and a whole new experience here on Coney Island,” said Dr. Cristián Samper, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) president and CEO. “It will showcase the marine life of the seascape, which is right next to us.”

Funding for the project is both public and private, with a generous $7.5 million donation coming from Barbara Hrbek Zucker, a WCS trustee, and her husband Don. “We are New York City. We should have a first class aquarium. It is vital in this city—which is a harbor city, people forget a lot—that people become more aware of the importance of conserving wildlife and wild places,” Barbara Zucker said.

The city will put up $93.1 million, 75 percent of the total cost, agreed upon when the design was approved in 2009. The WCS will raise $34.4 million in private funds, $11.4 of which has already been raised.

City Councilman Domenic Recchia Jr. has been championing the upgrades at the Aquarium since his election in 2002. “We are one of the very few aquariums that are on the ocean, yet you can’t see the ocean,” Recchia Jr. said, calling the changes, “a dream come true.”

During construction in the winter, the sharks currently on display will be moved to the aquarium’s hospital. When spring arrives, they will move to what is currently their holding pool, according to Jon Dohlin, director of the New York Aquarium.

Groundbreaking is expected October 2012, with the exhibit set to open in 2015.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.