WANT TO KNOW MORE? 



North Carolina Aquariums is a division of the N.C. Department 

 of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). They are grouped 

 with the N.C. Zoological Park, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, 

 N.C. Coastal Reserve and N.C. State Parks, which play similar roles in 

 environmental education in the state. 



In 1 990, the aquariums first became accredited members of 

 the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. And this year, they 

 collectively were designated as the 18th Coastal Ecosystem Learning 

 System by the Coastal America Program. The federal partnership 

 opens the door to a variety of resource- and information-sharing 

 possibilities. 



The Fort Fisher and Roanoke Island aquariums are open daily 

 to the public year-round, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New 

 Year's Day. 



The Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium is closed to the public until 

 May 2006. Summer programs are available at a temporary site. 



Go to www.ncaquanums.com to learn about North Carolina 

 Aquariums, link to individual sites, follow progress of the Pine Knoll 

 Shores project, and to track turtles released from the aquariums' 

 collaborative rehabilitation program. 



Toll-free numbers for each facility are: 

 Fort Fisher, 866/301-3476 

 Pine Knoll Shores, 866/294-3477 

 Roanoke Island, 866/332-3475 



LEFT: The plant life in 

 aquarium exhibits helps 

 to tell the story of habitats 

 that sustain important 

 wildlife both above ground 

 and below the water's 

 surface. Conservation 

 gardening principles are 

 used to protect the animals 

 and environment. At the 

 Roanoke Island Aquarium, 

 Kathy Mitchell places a 

 sign beside newly installed 

 rainwater collection cisterns. 

 Wrapped in cedar for a 

 traditional Outer Banks 

 look, the tanks draw rain 

 from acres of roof surfaces. 

 The water will be used to 

 irrigate native plants in the 

 freshwater conservatory. 



The collection system 

 also reduces runoff into 

 the nearby sound. The 

 aquariums, the Albemarle- 

 Pamlico National Estuary 

 Program and DENR fund 

 the water conservation 

 demonstration project. 



of time. He explains the horseshoe 

 crab's prehistoric genealogy and its 

 modern pharmaceutical benefits. 



'That's why protecting 

 aquatic life is so important. Who 

 knows what other creature may 

 hold a potential cure for cancer," 

 he asks rhetorically. 



The touch tank galleries, 

 popular spots for visitors, play 

 an important role in helping 

 visitors see aquatic life and the 

 environment in a new way, says 

 McCann. 



Like his fellow aquarium 

 directors, he makes daily rounds 

 through the aquarium to get a first- 

 hand read on visitor satisfaction 

 — from a youngster's fascination 

 with sharks to a senior citizen's 

 awe at the first touch of a stingray. 



"Some spend hours reading 

 every word at every exhibit," 

 McCann says. "Some rush from 

 exhibit to exhibit." 



The important thing, the 

 directors and staff members 

 agree, is that visitors leave with a 

 foundation of knowledge about the 

 abundance and diversity of aquatic 

 life in North Carolina. 



"The public gets a larger 

 environmental picture by viewing 

 these animals in relation to other 

 species within a certain habitat. We 

 have an opportunity to show our 

 visitors the wonders of these waters 

 and where they fit into the story," 

 Barrington observes. 



Each animal serves as a 

 messenger for its brethren in the 

 wild to show they are something of 

 value and deserve to be respected 

 and protected, he adds. 



"We especially want our 

 visitors to make the healthy 

 environment/healthy animals/ 

 healthy people connection," Griffin 

 says. "We want to truly inspire an 

 awareness for the personal role 

 each of us plays in protecting the 

 environment." □ 



COASTWATCH 11 



