Reef display grand opening!

D

drbronx

Premium Member
I just received an e-mail from the zoo director indicating that the otter tank has been buttoned up for the time being until they have a chance to finalize a solution over the winter. They want an official grand opening of the reef display with media, presentation and q&a sessions, behind the scenes "tours" with the public. He mentioned the weekend of Oct. 6 & 7 however I will try to get that moved since I have to be in NYC for my mothers memorial unveiling on Sunday 10/7 to mark the first year since her passing (its a jewish tradition thing). At the worst I can postpone my departure until early Sunday in which case others would have to cover for Sunday. They also need some rudimentary graphics available so we need to pull something together pronto. I'll be in touch with Nate and Paul re: this issue. Nate is the digital graphics guru as evidenced by his beautiful So. Tier Reef Assoc. flier. We may need a few photos from Vince's Canon Digital Rebel to illustrate some fish and corals that could be integrated with some brief text descriptions. I can pull together some basic facts about the current and future status of reefs etc.
The director also announced that an anonymous donor has stepped forward with a cash contribution to sponsor the tank! he also indicated that he has received a llot of very favorable feedback abvout the display.
 
Lets meet some evening this week so we can divide and conquer.
Also did the zoo provide us a template for the graphics.
 
I spoke to Mike janis today. The opening will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 12 noon to approx. 4 pm. He will be issuing press releases and ads. It will consist of presentations, q @ A, behind the scene tours as stated in original post. All we need to get together is a couple pages of text describing the nature of the tropical reef biotope, their location, and a list of some threats to their health/survival. A few photos of natural reefs would also be useful. The zoo can laminate and mount the above materials. I have found a couple of good photos from a Great Barrier Reef calendar I have which I will photocopy at Kinkos. I will try to locate a world map showing a distribution of reefs around the world. I will soon post a draft of some text for review feedback. I can meet tomorrow Thursday at 5:15 if any folks are interested or some time this weekend. Sunday morning would be best for me. Its also time for a water change. I will head over Friday to make up some new water.

Another thought, a photo of each calss of coral (sps, lps, soft) would also be good with a brief description.
 
I forgot to mention, the zoo received a anonymous contribution for 5K to be applied in large part to the zoo tank. Thus the zoo expressed a renewed interest in the seahorse tank for the spring opening. I gave an estimate of 2k to include set-up (including inhabitants ans a small chiller). From all I've read, aquacultured seahorses need to be maintained at about 72 degrees. So if anyone has ideas of how to get a cheap chiller, please respond. We may also need to make a small amount of more live rock.
 
Some proposed text for the display:

Value of Coral Reefs

- One of the greatest sources of biodiversity on the planet.

- protects shorelines from the impact of storms and waves

-provide benefits to humans in the form of current and future medicines and food.

-Provide economic benefit to local communities in the form of tourism



Status of the World’s Reefs

-20% of the worlds reefs are heavily damaged or destroyed and show no imminent signs of recovery.

-24% of reefs are in imminent danger of collapse and a further 26% are in danger of future destruction.



Global Change Threats to Coral Reefs

-Coral bleaching due to rising water temperatures as a result of global warming.

-diseases, plagues and invasive due directly or indirectly to human disturbances in the environment.

-over fishing and destructive fishing practices due to dynamite and cyanide fishing.

-sediments from poor land management and deforestation.

- nutrients and chemical pollution.

- overdevelopment of coastal areas.
 
And also this, composed by nate Rogers and myself:


The 180 gallon reef display was designed and constructed by members of the Southern Tier Reef Society The display is designed to provide a representation of the diversity of life that inhabits the tropical coral reefs specific to the Indo-Pacific regions including Hawaii, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Micronesia etc. Wherever possible tank bred or captive raised fish, corals, and invertebrates were used. In fact 100% of the corals in this tank were grown and donated by the local reef keepers of the Southern Tier Reef Society. Even most of the rock was produced by the reef club. Thus, the display exerted almost zero impact on the world’s natural reefs.

Coral Reefs are large underwater structures composed of aragonite which are the accumulation of thousands of years of skeletal remains of stony corals that excrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate (similar to limestone). These massive formations support the living corals (cnidarians) and a tremendous variety of other organisms including all the various invertebrates and fish. Coral reefs are found in warm and shallow areas of the ocean and span the globe in the zone from 30 degrees N to 30 degrees S of the equator.

Corals are essentially composed of large numbers of polyps. These polyps are generally incapable of producing their own food but rely on their embedded Zooxanthellae which are single celled algae that produce nutrients for the polyps via photosynthesis. The coral polyps have a symbiotic relationship with their embedded algae and cannot survive without them.

The zoo display contains examples of three of the major forms of corals: the hard stony corals also known as small polyp stony corals (SPS) that build the reefs through their calcium carbonate skeletal remains, large polyp stony corals (LPS) that have much larger fleshy polyps, and soft corals including "leather" corals, xenias, mushroom polyps, and button polyps (zoanthids). The display also contains a variety of invertebrates including shrimp, starfish, hermit crabs, snails, worms, and many other "cryptic' organisms, many of which are barely visible to the naked eye. And then of course there are the fish.

Our display features three species of tangs including the Blue or Regal Tang made famous by the character "Dory" from Finding Nemo. Tangs are extremely beautiful and active fish. They are all characterized by a sharp barb directly anterior to their tail fin which they use for defensive purposes. The display also contains two species of clownfish including the famous "Nemo" which was based on the Ocellaris clownfish. The tank also exhibits chromis, blennies, gobies, and wrasses.

The reef is still in its early phase of development. Visitors may find it interesting to watch the corals grow and colonize the rockwork over time just as would a natural reef.
 
I would be able to meet tonight or this weekend... just post to let me know.

Also, does the zoo have any green striped shrooms yet? I'll bring one of those frags in along with the long polyp sarco.
 
Thanx Gary! I'm really not sure its quite worth the three hour drive from your place but if you are ever down this way be sure to give a shout.
 
Who can make the Grand Opening next Saturday, Nov. 7. Any times between noon and four to help with talk, tours, answer questions etc.?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

NancyT3
Thankful for Dr Reefs QT Fish, Hooked on invertebrates....
Replies
2
Views
603
griss
griss
R
hob overflow/display fuge?
Replies
6
Views
554
Vinny Kreyling
Vinny Kreyling
andiserax
OCEANBERRY - The DIY aquarium controller
Replies
4
Views
3K
Misled
Misled
W
White Mountain Floating Reef
Replies
17
Views
2K
Trevor40
Trevor40
ccampo
120g reef tank for sale
Replies
2
Views
976
chgries
chgries
Back
Top