Exhibit Designing Competition #2

Here's entry number three (which is probably enough to pull it back to the original deadline if you wish.

I'm doing something completely different and my entire plan is on an image - a bit like a zoo map.

Notes:
Animals underlined in red are endangered/critically endangered
Missed out African Bullfrog in the aviary/vivarium section.

 

Very interesting, however 1.2 gorillas is too short (unless the second enclosure is for the remaining 1.1). I will keep the deadline as tomorrow since to avoid any confusion .

 

Sorry, should have said, 1.1 Mountain Gorillas are mixed with King Colobus.

 

No worries, just making sure

 

Edited my entry with writing which species that are endangered. Thought I needed to add that.

 

Aaaaaah the suspense is killing me!!!

I love random stuff like this, and designing my exhibit was a ton of fun, and I love how mine came out, so I'll probably be a regular in this contest from now on, haha

 

African Forest Trail

This long loop trail houses many rarely seen animals from the rainforests of Africa. It starts out along a forest edge, with less vegetation and gradually goes deeper and deeper into the forest.
As you arrive at the trail, the first exhibit seen is part of a river at the edge of a forest. The river portion is surrounded by tall trees but there are also some more open areas closer to the water. Mixed in this exhibit are Swamp Monkeys, De Brazza's Guenons and Spot-necked Otters. Interactions between the 3 species are common, and this exhibit can be viewed from both a treetop view and a glass underwater view. Also, fish are sometimes scattered in the water for the otters to catch. Separation enclosures are available off-exhibit for all 3 species. Continuing with the river theme, there is another exhibit here. It is similarly large, but only has a few trees and is more open. It houses Pygmy Hippopotamus, and it can be viewed from the main path or through glass underwater. Slender-snouted Crocodiles share a similar but smaller exhibit. It is the least planted of the 3. It still has above and underwater viewing, both through glass.
Now you leave the river behind and go deeper into the forest. This area is darker because of the many trees growing here among many interesting African plants. The first exhibit is for Okapi. The animals can be hard to find due to the thick vegitation. Next to the Okapi exhibit is another one, but this one is a little larger and has more trees than the Okapi exhibit. It is for Guereza, Bongo, Blue Crane, and Yellow-backed Duiker. A small stream runs through this enclosure and ends in a small pond.
Next is a large netted exhibit for Red-capped Mangabey with an exhibit for Red River Hog nearby. Passing these, you arrive at the large forest aviary. This walk-through aviary has a small stream, pond, and of course many plants and trees, some of which produce fruit that the birds can eat. The birds in this aviary include: African Pygmy-goose, White-backed Duck, Olive Pigeon, Tambourine Dove, African Green-pigeon, Black-masked Lovebird, Great Blue Turaco, Hartlaub's Turaco, Green Wood-hoopoe, Blue-bellied Roller, Garden Bulbul, Oriole Warbler, Superb Starling, Golden-breasted Starling, Violet-backed Starling, Splended Glossy-starling, and Taveta Golden Weaver. A much smaller aviary outside of this one houses 2 birds that cannot be mixed with the others because they are endangered and should be kept separately: Bannerman's Turaco and Uluguru Bush-shrike, along with Pancake Tortoise. Radiated Tortoises have an exhibit nearby.
Now you come to the most important part of the entire complex. This is the African primate breeding center. It is comprised of 2 on-exhibit enclosures as well as several off-exhibit ones. The first enclosure has 1.2 Mountain Gorillas and 1.3 Diana Monkeys. The second has 1.1 Mountain Gorillas and 1.1 Zanzibar Red Colobus. Both are very large. Each one has a small waterfall, misters, and very dense foliage. In some parts it is so dense that the primates can only see a few feet in each direction, mimicking their habitat in the wild. All sorts of food is scattered around the exhibits by keepers for the animals to find, so they are never bored and can spend as much time as they need foraging for food, just like in the wild. Also, the gorillas in each enclosure cannot see each other, but they can hear each other. The off-exhibit enclosures include several for separation, including mothers with babies and separating 1 species from another. Most of the viewing is not viewed through glass but there is a small shelter with glass viewing into the first enclosure. There is a bar in front of the glass that keeps visitors from banging on it, therefore preventing disturbance. Enclosure 1 is about 1 acre in size, enclosure 2 is about 0.5 acres as the group here is smaller.
Lastly, a small building is entered. First is an aquarium for Malawi Cichlid. Also here are tanks for Hissing Cockroach, Tomato Frog, and Goliath Beetle. A larger terarium is for a Rock Python. On the other side of the room is a counter with models of gorilla skulls, fur, etc, and there is a model of a gorilla hand so you can compare your own hand size to a gorilla's. There is also information about habitat distruction and the bushmeat trade, and a donation box, all the money from which goes to help Mountain Gorillas and other wildlife in Africa. A volunteer is also here to answer any questions that visitors may have about the animals they have seen. There are also some buttons on 1 wall that play different gorilla vocalizations (chest-beating, grunting, screams, eating, etc). The last exhibit in the African Rainforest is one that visitors can skip if they want. It is a walk-through rainforest at night. A small group of Straw-colored Fruit Bats fly free inside, and also free-ranging are Dwarf Bushbabies and African Civets. If visitors do not want to enter this they can exit through a door next to the counter, bringing you back to the entrance again.

 

How far ahead is Britain than say, US Eastern time zone?

 

I think it's 5 hours ahead of central time, so 4 for you.

 

I have to wait until 4 PM tomorrow for the results? The tension is palpable!

 

Maybe later if the results aren't posted on time...

 

Oh man, the wait might keep me up tonight! Haha

 

I'm going to break the mould here, and submit an Asian habitat. Animals with black are least concern, blue are near threatened, purple are vulnerable, orange names are endangered, green are data deficient, and red are critically endangered.

The Asian Forest Trail

The Asian Forest Trail starts off by entering the large indoor complex that illustrates the forest at both day and night. Interactive displays around each enclosure enable the visitors to find out about the animals they are watching and how they live. Upon entry there are two adjacent enclosures both housing animals that come out during daylight. On the right hand viewing area there is a pair of yellow-throated martens that have a series of vines and branches to clamber around in, along with live vegetation and a small pool for the martens to drink from. Opposite this is another enclosure, of the same dimensions that house five Javan langurs, six Horsfield's tree shrews and a lone male Java chevrotain. Between the two enclosures, there is live vegetation and tree trunks/lianas have been placed to allow visitors to feel like they have been transported to the Javan rainforest. Having observed these four species, visitors head into the area based upon the nocturnal forest. What strikes the visitors first as their eyes adjust to the gloom is that there are two enclosures decorated in exactly the same way as the previous habitats, to give visitors a sense that the two enclosures show the same patch of forest. The marten enclosure houses a pair of banded linsangs that are part of a captive breeding and wild research programme, and a large interactive area near the linsang enclosure shows our conservation projects on Java, with the linsangs and many of the other animals. A further pair of banded linsangs live off show. The langur, tree shrew and chevrotain enclosure houses several new animals, namely a female Java chevrotain, five red giant flying squirrels and a pair of Malayan pangolins. A further two pairs of Malayan pangolin are kept off show to be part of the zoo's important captive breeding programme.

The next area is made up of four large rainforest habitats, home to some of the zoo's most important breeding programmes. The first two enclosures are a pair of massive breeding aviaries, the left hand aviary housing a pair of Javan rhinoceros hornbill and the right hand aviary home to a pair of stunning and highly endangered Javan hawk-eagles. Both bird species have interactive displays showing both their threats in the wild, and how important they are to the rainforest ecosystem. The next two enclosures are the biggest in this area, and each are home to two species. The first is a large L-shaped enclosure that houses a pair of binturong and a large pond fed by a stream is home to a breeding pair of Oriental small-clawed otters and any of their offspring. Having passed the binturong and otter habitat, a much bigger enclosure is passed, with floor-to-ceiling viewing windows that enable visitors to view into the massive and well-planted enclosure. In the vines and lianas that hang from three large butress trees, a pair of loud and active silvery gibbons can be observed. These primates are part of an important breeding programme, and information areas show the threats of hunting and deforestation on these apes. Also, living on the forest floor, there is a pair of extremely active Javan mongooses along with any of their offspring.

The third exhibit area are four large outdoor enclosures. The first pair of exhibits house carnivores, and both have substantial amounts of live vegetation, a pool and areas where enrichment can be hidden (rock piles, burrows, hollow logs). This means that the pack of six dhole can explore and forage for food in, making for an active display, while the second enclosure houses a pair of Javan leopards. Bamboo viewing hides for both species contain films and interactive displays that show the animals in the wild, the threats that they both face and how the zoo is protecting them in the wild. Across from the carnivores are the two largest paddocks, each one a ten acre specially planted habitat that means that the centrepiece species, the Javan rhinoceros can live and hopefully, eventually breed in relative piece. The first enclosure of the two houses a lone female that is rotated with a male kept off display with another female, and the second paddock is home to a male/female pair of these incredible animals. Two viewing hides for each enclosure are equipped not only with interactive displays, but with binoculars and even a live streaming webcam view focused at a small waterhole at the back of each enclosure, where the rhinos may head off to wallow. The solitary female is the only animal that can be viewed in her indoor enclosure, which is a loam substrate with a large pool. Tinted and soundproofed glass surrounding her viewing area means that she is not stressed out when the viewing area along her indoor enclosure is full of visitors. Opposite this, there are information areas, interactive displays showing the threats of poaching and habitat destruction, highlights the conservation projects with the rhinos, clips from camera traps in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java to enable visitors to see photographs of wild rhinos among other animals and finally, a viewing window into the conservation laboratory, that includes a rhinoceros sperm bank, an area where specially formulated diets for the rhinos can be made and also where overseas research is made on the species is collected.

Having passed through the indoor Javan rhino viewing area, visitors head towards the main aviary. Seperated from the main enclosure by a waist-high glass wall, visitors get the opportunity to see a diverse range of eight species of bird, namely twelve Java sparrows, four scarlet minivets, two fulvous-breasted woodpeckers, four pink-headed fruit-doves, five red-breasted parakeets, fifteen Javan white-eyes, a single male Javan myna, a pair of banded pittas and the focus birds of the aviary and the zoo's conservation purposes, the pair of Javan trogons. The birds have dense vegetation to hide in, a large number of branches and vines for perching on, a pool for bathing in and nest boxes to help with the zoo's breeding efforts with many of the bird species in this aviary

The next area is a small part of the indoor complex based upon the wetlands of Java, and show the threats that forest clearence is having on the animals in the region. There is a total of three exhibits, each one housing fascinating animals from the endangered Javan mangrove forests that links in with the zoo's project to restore the forests along some sections of the coastline. The first enclosure is a large aviary, with a deep water pool, and plenty of live plants and even a couple of live mangrove trees to add to the enclosure's realism. Thin mesh means that visitors feel that they are sharing their space with the pair of Javan kingfishers and two pairs of Javan pond-heron that can come into the water extremely close to the viewing area. An interactive area enables young visitors to test their skills as both a heron and a kingfisher, challenging them to see if they can stand as still as a heron or catch a fish on a touch-screen. Opposite this is a large aquarium that allows visitors to physically stick their heads into the swirling shoal of thirty five silver barb. In this area there is a small interactive area about fish in general, allowing visitors to find out about the lateral line of fish and its function, the use of camouflage in fish and finally some general information about the silver barb. The final enclosure is the largest of the three, and includes both above and below water viewing. A grove of live mangrove trees that moves up onto a forested riverbank houses a pair of Javan reticulated pythons while in the water beneath the trees, there lives a pair of Javan wart snakes that slither among the mangrove roots, and can only be seen through underwater viewing, as these snakes are wholly aquatic.

Following on from the wetlands area, visitors find themselves in what appears to be a volcanic vent in an area of rockwork overlooking the enclosure for the male/female Javan rhinoceros pair. This cave, as well as containing rhinoceros viewing, is also home to six vivariums, each one varying in size depensing on the species being kept. The first two exhibits are the largest, the first being home to a pair of Indonesian spitting cobras and the second housing a group of twelve Asiatic long-tailed lizards and four flat-tailed house geckos. A small aquarium houses a pair of Javanese fighting fish and a pair of similar vivariums house Javan lichen stick insects and Javan leaf insects. The final enclosure is a special one, as the zoo has started to coordinate the distribution of the Indonesian yellow crab spider among collections, and so as well as the pair in their display enclosure, there is a view behind the scenes to a small breeding facility holding over thirty breeding pairs of this arachnid. Visitors then head outside and over to the nearby stand-alone building.

The seventh and final part of this exploration of Java is the Amphibian Conservation Building, which is stand-alone from the main complex building. On display are five amphibians, all of which are being conserved by the zoo. There are five display habitats, and then there is a view into the amphibian laboratory where several breeding colonies are kept, and research is performed on the chythridiomycosis fungus to try and find a cure for this disease that is wiping out many of the world's amphibians. The first terrarium houses a pair of Javan flying frogs while the next enclosure is home to eight Javan torrent frogs, with nearby interactive displays showing the calls of various frog species. The next enclosure houses six fanged river frogs, the next habitat houses four Javan caecilians and the final enclosure houses four critically endangered bleeding toads that was almost wiped out due to the eruption of Mount Galunggung. The laboratory also displays the species in naturalistic enclosures, and there are also information boards about the zoo's amphibian conservation programmes overall. Having seen these animals, visitors can leave to overlook the viewing veranda for the lone female Javan rhinoceros.

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

 

Asian Forest Trail

This complex is designed to represent the jungle of Vietnam. It comprises of a massive central building that is surrounded by numerous outdoor exhibits, generally islands with tall trees in the center, and a few aviaries. Most of the outdoor habitats can also be viewed on a guided boat tour that cruises through the interconnected channels that separate the islands. The indoor area has exhibit areas separated with dry moats and planted with vines and palms that give the feeling you are in a jungle. There are free flying bids as well as smaller aviaries and one large walk through.

Indoor
You enter the building and pass through a dark cave. This is home to Cave Nectar bats(40.40), which are free flying throughout the whole building. As you emerge from the cave you see a small glass fronted exhibit for Moonrats(2.2) and Chinese Pangolins(1.1). It has a soil floor and specialized feeders that imitate termite mounds. Out side the exhibit there is a hut with signs and videos detailing the enormous illegal trade of pangolins. As you leave the hut you come across the central feeding station for the free-flying birds. They include Little Heron(3.3), Little Egret(4.4), Siamese Fireback(3.5), Green Peafowl(5.5)White Breasted Waterhen(3.3), Bronze-Winged Jacana(5.3), River Lapwing(2.2), Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo(3.3) and White-Vented Myna (15.15). This station Features al large pond and also provides ID Guides and signs explaining the effects of the illegal bird trade. After trying to find and Identify all the different bids, you walk onto a boardwalk that passes over the moat of an exhibit home to Hog Deer(2.5) and the Critically Endangered Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey(3.6). It has a large sand beach area that is backed by tall trees. The trees are widely spaced to allow the deer to feel secure yet still be viewable. There are small signs here acknowledging the work of the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Vietnamese Government in their conservation work, particularly with Primates. Behind this area is the Primate Breeding Center. Its purpose is to propagate the many endangered primates that inhabit the complex. It has numerous off show areas designed for breeding, research and quarantine of the primates. Further on there is the large walk through aviary. It features a stream, palms, vines, and fruiting trees. The inhabitants of this aviary are the endangered White-Winged Duck(3.3), Asian Emerald Cuckoo(2.2), Pale Capped Pigeon(4.4), Red Headed Trogon(2.2), Black and Red Broadbill(3.3) and Red-Breasted Parakeets(5.5). Endangered Big-Headed Turtles(2.2) inhabit the stream and if you are lucky, climbing one of the trees! Here you will have the chance to watch a video on habitat destruction, as it is an issue that effects all the animals of the ecosystem. Exiting the aviary there is a piano wire exhibit home to Owtson’s Palm Civets(1.1). It is set into the undergrowth and the top and other three sides blend seamlessly into the surrounding jungle. Emerging from the undergrowth You enter an area netted off from the rest of the complex. It is home to the endangered Indochinese Tigers(1.2) and Dhole(3.3). There are three dry moated habitats that the animals rotate through. One is quite rocky, one lush trees and shrubs and the third is planted with tall grasses and sedges at the back. This area is netted off to protect the free flying birds from possible predation. Here there is information on the trade of animal parts for traditional medicine and how the true believers in the stuff have said that there are alternatives of plant origin.On the other side of the path from the second exhibit is a large pond with sandy banks. It is home to the critically endangered Siamese Crocodile(1.2). Beside this is a smaller pond with the juvenile crocodiles(0.0.15). There is also a terrarium nearby that is home to Vietnamese Stick Insects(0.0.5) and Vietnamese Tree Frogs(4.2). Leaving the netted area you find an exhibit similar to the one with hog deer, but this time there are Asian Open-Bill Stork(2.2), Gaur(1.3) and Pig-Tailed Macaque(2.5). After this area there is a large Glass fronted terrarium with a stream running through it. It is home to Water Monitors(0.1). The stream Has under water viewing and is home to Clown Knifefish(0.0.3), Fire Eel(1.2) and Tinfoil Barbs(0.0.15). The path leads you to a pair of aviaries, one larger than the other. The larger one is home to a pair of Wreathed Hornbills(1.1) and the smaller one is home to Banded Kingfisher(1.1) and Blue bearded Bee-Eater(2.2).

The next area you come across is the Rhino Research Center. It is designed to Look like a tented camp, some tents offer views of the Javan Rhinos(2.5) that the zoo holds, others give information on poaching and one affords you great close up views of Marbled Cats(1.1). The Rhino center has 2 indoor viewing areas, 3 off-show areas and 2 outdoor islands. The first indoor area is specially designed to offer privacy to mothers with calves, the second is ideally suited to males. This being said, you never know where the animals will be, if they are alone or if they are out at all. Here there is an amphitheater that not only affords great views of the male exhibit, but also is host to the “Poacher Patrol” show, it features keepers or docents educating the public about the problems, what they can do to help and also providing the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the residents including Pangolins, Civets, Pythons and Tortoises. The final tent before leaving the camp has a large terrarium home to an huge Reticulated Python(0.1).

As you leave the camp you rise up onto a board walk. From here you look down onto the forest floor and are able to catch glimpses of the critically endangered Saola(2.3). Here you can also look on screens that are connected to cameras inside the Tropical Ruminant breeding center. This includes 10 outdoor yards and 5 indoor holdings for the deer, gaur and saola. Continuing on the board walk there is another exhibit for Sambar (1.4)and Buff-Cheeked Gibbons(1.1). Once again there is a moat and sandy beach that the sambar rest on and tall trees for the gibbons. Also living on the beach and nesting in the trees is a small colony of endangered Greater Adjutant(3.3). The final exhibit you see before boarding a boat for the canal cruise is a terrarium for the endangered Elongate Tortoise(2.2) and Giant Water Bugs(0.0.5)

Outdoor

There is a series of 6 islands connected to the house and a further 2 exhibits for the Dhole and Tigers. The inhabitants of the islands are not set and you have the chance of seeing up to two ungulates and one primate on each island. The only islands that are off limits to the other ungulates and macaque are the two for the rhinos. This being said the gibbons and snub nosed monkeys do have access to these islands. On one of the rhino islands and on one of the other islands there are swampy wallow areas. The connections to the house are all well hidden as are the outdoor holdings and breeding areas. The Adjutants and Open-Bill Storks also have access to the islands.

The exhibits for the carnivores are in a separate area from the islands. They have moats at the front and the other boundaries are disguised with bamboo and tall grass. These exhibits are also interchangeable for both species.

 

Judging that one was a real task, they were all amazing and each one filled with a new idea/ideas that were extremely well thought out. Congratulations should go to all of you for your designs, however since there can only be one winner, I have to make a very difficult choice.

That choice is...Dibatag. There were two particular ideas in this that caught my eye the most, and these were the guided boat tour and the ampitheatre show in the Javan Rhino House. The whole design certainly focused on education, and dealt with it in a number of different ways to keep visitors engaged. The show is a brilliant idea to have guests really get involved. Well done.

I certainly hope you all continue to design exhibits in the upcoming rounds, for it would be a real shame not to hear your brilliant ideas on any of the challenges

 

Thank you very much! This has been one of my favourite challenges so far!

Now for the next one

Your challenge is to designe a costal exhibit.
-Can be outdoor, indoor or both
-Must have both land and aquatic exhibits
-Minimum 2 mixed exhibits
-Maximum 12 mammals, 18 birds, 10 reptiles/amphibians, 30 fish and 20 inverts
-Minimum 5 mammals, 5 birds, 2 reptiles/amphibians, 10 fish and 5 inverts
-Species do not have to be held in captivity
-Must educate on the risks facing the ocean and costal areas
-Must include a educational presentation(show)

Deadline 10pm GMT-6 Sunday 15th Aug

 

Done!! But might still need a few tweaks.
Deep Reef exhibit

Visitors who enter are greeted by a long (18’ long) wave pool, filled with 0.0.8 Pacific Jack Crevalle . There is an info card next to the tank talking about seaside development and pollution of beaches. This room is accompanied by the sounds of pounding waves. The walls are blue with wave patterns.

The next room contains yet another wave pool, this time containing .0.0.9 Inshore Lizardfish and 0.0.2 Sennette Barracuda . This tank is made up of soft sand bottom and sea grass, and next to it is an info card about the destruction of grass flats by boat propellers and runoff.

The next room is a large, the walls adorned with 3-D rock designs. To one side is a large saltwater palidarium containing 2.5.0 Galapagos Marine Iguana and .2.4.0 Blue-Footed Booby . The palidarium has a saltwater wave pool, in which weighted seaweed is tossed for the Iguanas. It also has sea cliffs and perches for the Blue Footeds. A large screen on the opposite wall of the pali shows “Exploring the Galapagos” by the Discovery Channel. Across the room is a large aviary containing a large male Galapagos Hawk .

As visitors continue to the next room, the lighting dims. There is next to no light on the pathway. On the right is a large tank, whose lights are dark navy blue to create a continental shelf type biotope. The tank contains 2.4.0 critically endangered Maltese Skate Rays, which patrol the upper water column, and 0.0.23 Pacific Chub Mackerel. A large screen in this room shows a presentation on how commercial fishing can deplete stocks of oceanic schooling fish like the Mackerel, while a plaque talks about the threats to the Maltese Ray, and despite how endangered they are, how they are still targeted by sport fishermen.

The next room contains a small mudflat tank. It has a sloping sandy bottom, which goes from being up on dry land to a foot under water. It contains 3.3.0 Halloween Crab and 1.2.0 Grass Goby . An info card discusses the destruction of mudflats by beachside development.

Further down the trail is a small tank containing Red Branching Sponges and 0.0.4 Catalina Gobies . This room features a series of pictures and charts discussing the destruction of kelp gardens.

This is the end of the first room. The door out of the room leads to a huge circular pool with an “island” in the middle. This exhibit houses 1.3.0 California Fur Seals , which, three times a day, are part of a presentation featuring a trainer. The Seals fetch fish in the ponds, do tricks, and are used as living props for the trainers to educate about conservation, overfishing, and overdevelopment.

The next exhibit, also outdoors, is another huge circular pool featuring rocks in the middle. This enclosure contains 6.10.0 African Jackass Penguins . An info card discusses the effects of overfishing and pesticide use on Penguins and Shorebirds.
The 3rd outdoor exhibit is a large walk-through aviary, geared towards the conservation of America’s Shorebirds. It contains Black-Necked Stilt , Ruddy Turnstone , Piping Plover , Killdeer Plover , and Hooded Gulls . A projector outside the exhibit talks about the pesticide use and the shore development that threatens these birds.

The next exhibit is a small, brightly lit enclosure featuring 1.1.0 endangered Aruba Island Rattlesnake . The opposite wall is made into a giant info card discussing the threats to the fauna found on the Aruba Islands.

Through a set of doors is the next room, which opens up into a brightly lit circle. There is a sign above the doorway saying “GULF OF MEXICO REEF”. At the center is a huge floor-to-ceiling cylindrical tank, 15 feet in diameter. It houses Atlantic Lookdown Jack , Yellowtail Snapper , Atlantic Spadefish , Cownose Ray , Gag Grouper , Black Seabass , Sand Tilefish , Bluespotted Cornetfish , Brazillian Reef Stingray , Hogfish , Green Moray Eel , Red Snapper and Crocodile Needlefish . Visitors can walk all around the tank and see many different angles. The walls of the circular room are covered in information on threats to the Gulf: overfishing, pollution, global temperature change, and, of course, the oil spill. It features take-one pamphlets on “What you can do to help” and has websites that people can go to for further information.

After the Gulf exhibit, the next room is an IMAX theater with a screen that extends to the ceiling. It shows a presentation geared towards the conservation of North America's native saltwater fish, and extends towarsds its audience by showing a view from a submersible in the Gulf, as well as marine biologists and conservationists discussing what can be done to preserve our fish.

The next room is a large, dark room with an equally dark enclosure, separated from the public by a chain link fence and a safety bar. In it are 1.3.0 North American Raccoons . A lighted sign on the opposite wall talks about how even certain land mammals commonly associated with woodland utilize the mudflats for food.

In the corridor to the next room is a small vivarium, housing 2.1.0 Shore Pit Viper . The corridor has text on it, talking about how members of animal groups not associated with the sea may use it as much as animals stereotypically associated with the sea. Opposite that exhibit is another viv, this one with mangrove branches and a water feature (fresh water, to go easier on equipment) . This viv houses the venomous and little known 0.0.3 South American Mangrove Snake , from Trinidad.

The room at the end of the corridor is a huge aquarium tank, holding 100k gallons… this tank is more like a gym filled with water than an aquarium! It houses 2.3.0 1.0.0 engangered Green Sea Turtle , 0.1.0 Loggerhead Sea Turtle , a huge 1.0.0 Roughtail Stingray , 2.3.0 endangered Bowmouth Guitarfish , 6.9.0 Atlantic Permit , 3.4.0 Whitetip Reef Shark , and 3.4.0 , Sand Tiger Shark . A large TV screen plays a presentation about the conservation of large keystone species in the ecosystem.

The next room is a darkened room with subtle purple lighting. In a large, bare cylindrical tank are 0.0.8 Atlantic Lion’s Mane Jellyfish , which can always be seen with the tank’s 10 Man-of-War fish swimming in front of the bell. There is an info card next to this tank that talks about mutualism and symbosis.
The next tank over, also a large cylinder, houses one large Stinging Cauliflower Jellyfish .

Farther down the room is a tank containing 0.0.3 Atlantic Moon Jellyfish .

The next tank is a large cylinder containing 30 or so Atlantic Sea Walnut Comb Jellies , accompanied by an info card discussing how seasonal changes and changes in water temperature and current can cause huge influxes of certain species, like the Sea Walnut.

In the next room, there is a medium sized tank. This tank is somewhat unsightly… the bottom is made of white PVC pipes and rock piles. But if guests watch the tank long enough, they will be treated to the sight of a large, curious Caribbean Reef Octopus . This tank is accompanied by a large, bright sign cautioning seafood consumers about purchasing Octopus for dinner, discussing low survival rates of offspring, short lifespans of adults, and the fact that each female only spawns once in her life.

The next room features a huge aviary, containing 2.3.0 rehabbed Osprey , which vocalize throughout the day. This room also has a large whiteboard, and being projected onto it is a presentation about DDT, overfishing, habitat loss, illegal poaching, and development. However, the presentation finishes on a happy note, noting that Osprey populations are on the rise thanks to banning of DDT, fishing regulations, and the installment of nesting platforms. Plus, the all-important “what can you do to help?” portion of the presentation.

The next room is also an educational journey: A large, brightly lit tank featuring 3 Volitans Lionfish . The walls are adorned with info about Lionfish as an invasive species thanks to being released by careless fishkeepers, their threats to people as well as native echosystems, Lionfish hotspots, treatment for Lionfish stings, and a large passage urging people to view this as a cautionary tale and always research before buying a pet.

The next tank, across from the Lionfish, seems inconspicuous to the untrained eye. It appears to be a rock pile covered in reddish-pink macroalgae. In fact, it houses 0.0.3 Reef Stonefish , the world’s most venomous fish. The tank has an info card informing readers how to prevent Stonefish injuries and what to do if one does occur.

The room of this exhibit is one designed for the crowd to interact directly with animals. A large saltwater pond with a footbridge going over it. Visitors can pay 50 cents for 2 frozen/thawed Silverside fish to feed to the tank’s inhabitants: 4.6.0 Banded Hound Shark , and 4 large Great Barracuda , who often break into a feeding frenzy when being fed by a large crowd.

After guests feed the Barracudas and Houndsharks, they come to a door leading outside. This section houses the non-presentation marine mammals.

One large tank houses 2.3.0 California Sea Otters . These animals often get enrichment in the form of live clams to crack open and fish.

The next tank is giant… 40 feet long and 35 feet wide. It houses 2.1 West Indian Manatee . These gentle giants are favorites of visitors for their clumsy, lumbering antics. There is a sign on the tank explaining the threats to Manatees from boat propellers, grassflat destruction, and pesticides.

The next large pool contains water that is run through an ice-filled chiller to comfort its inhabitants: 2.1.0 Harp Seal . A plaque discusses global climate change and how it can adversely affect polar animals.

A pool adjascent to the Harp Seals contains 1.1.0 endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals . A huge plaque discusses the danger to them causes by boats, pollution, overfishing, and poaching, and how these factors led to the decline and eventual demise of the Caribbean Monk Seal.

The final exhibit takes us back to the polar regions. A very large outdoor exhibit, also with ice-chilled water, houses 1.1.0 Polar Bear . The public look down into the exhibit from a balcony, but can also run downstairs and look underwater to see the Bears swimming. Also downstairs is a closed-circuit TV showing inside the den, for those days when the Bears are feeling lazy. The walls surrounding the exhibit are covered with Polar Bear factoids, threats to the Polar Bear, global climate change, what is being done to help, and, of course, the all-important “What can I do to help?” section.

 

i do beilieve that you meen the demise of the carrabean (spelling?) monk seal

 

Oh! Thanks for catching that!!

 

also i don't think that an "Indian Monk Seal" has ever existed