Behind the Scenes with our Aquarists from World Alive
August 15, 2011
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- Check out what's under the sea in World Alive!
Discovery Place curators travel across North Carolina in order to bring the most authentic and educational learning experiences to all of our guests in World Alive. Each year, Discovery Place renews its Educational Collection Permit with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Marine Fisheries to collect approved animals for display in World Alive. Specifically, our staff collects animals for our North Carolina coast exhibit, which features a spartina marsh, an oyster reef and an eelgrass bed, all natural habitats in our local oceans and waterways.
Many of the animals found in World Alive, especially those in the North Carolina coast habitat, are not commercially available. In order to create a display that is true to our animals’ natural environment, the aquarist team must go out into the field and collect these plants and animals themselves. Our team works with other museums, universities, zoos, and aquariums to find the best collection areas, typically traveling near Wilmington and Beaufort, NC to collect their specimens.
Once our aquarists arrive at their destination, they use a variety of different techniques to gather the diverse group of plants and animals you see in World Alive. The team typically uses seine nets, dip nets, crab pots, and other traps to humanely collect these animals. They charter boats that bring them into the deep ocean to collect echinoderms for the touch tank including sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and other invertebrates that are native to our coasts. They also travel in smaller skiffs to reach the shallow waters where the salt marshes and oyster reefs are located.
Animal care and safety is always a top priority for our aquarist team. During their trip, the specimens collected are kept in holding tanks at the Duke Marine Laboratory where they are able to maintain a fresh and clean habitat for the animals while the team ventures out again. This allows the team to make the most out of each visit by taking multiple trips out to sea.
Most importantly, our aquarist team understands that they are visitors to this wonderful coastal environment. They are sure to collect only animals that they know will be able to live happily in our 3000 gallons of exhibit tanks in World Alive. The team follows all rules and regulations to protect the safety and well-being of our natural coastal environments, and never collects any animal that is protected by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources.
The Discovery Place aquarist team works tirelessly to not only maintain a genuine educational experience for our thousands of visitors each year, but also to maintain a clean, authentic, and happy environment for all of our animals.
If you would like to help support plant and animal care at Discovery Place, please call 704.348.1994 or donate online on our website.
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