N.C. DOCUMENTS 

 CLEARINGHOUSE 



COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



MAY 2 6 2006 



STATE LIBRARY OF 



Larger Aquarium at Pine ^^^liores 



The 



I he long awaited, much anticipated and 

 newly renovated North Carolina Aquarium 

 at Pine Knoll Shores will open its doors to the 

 public on Friday, May 1 9, at 1 0:30 a.m. The 

 $25-million expansion project has taken more 

 than two years to 

 complete, but aquarium 

 officials and staff believe 

 the public will find it 

 was worth the wait. 



"We learned a 

 lot of lessons from the 

 building of the other 

 two aquariums," says 

 Jay Barnes, the director 

 of the Pine Knoll Shores 

 aquarium, referring to 

 recent renovations at 

 Fort Fisher and Roanoke 

 Island aquariums. 



"All three 

 aquariums have their 

 own unique features, 

 but we feel this one has 

 the broadest feature 

 of animals, and it's 

 bigger." 



The new 

 aquarium is 93,000 

 square feet, with more 

 than 2,500 specimens 

 in nearly 40 exhibits 

 representing aquatic 

 habitats from North 

 Carolina's mountains 

 to the ocean. The new 



TOP: Attractions include live-animal programs, dive 



shows and animal feedingdemonstrations. 

 BOTTOM: Replicas of famous shipwrecks are the 

 backdrop for some exhibits. 



centerpiece exhibit is a 306,000-gallon "Living 

 Shipwreck," complete with a replica of the U-352, 

 a German sub sunk by the U.S. Coast Guard near 

 Cape Lookout in 1 942. The exhibit holds various 

 schools offish and sea life, as well as large sand 

 tiger sharks. 



Other exhibits 

 include a 50,000-gallon 

 tank with a replica of 

 the Queen Anne's Revenge, 

 the pirate Blackbeard's 

 famed ship, a 32-foot 

 waterfall, a stingray 

 touch pool, a river otter 

 exhibit and a sportfishing 

 exhibit. 



Education and 

 event resources include 

 150-seat auditorium, 

 discovery and school 

 classrooms, and a large 

 multi-purpose room 

 with a catering kitchen 

 that can be used for 

 weddings, parties and 

 evening rentals. 



Visitation is 

 expected to increase 

 from 240,000 per year to 

 500,000 per year. For its 

 grand opening, the new 

 aquarium will extend 

 its hours to 9:00 p.m. 

 on Friday, May 1 9, and 

 Saturday, May 20. 



- K.A. 



SealSrant 



North Carolina 



Symposium Marks 

 30TH Anniversary 



A June 20 symposium will honor 

 the 30th anniversary of North Carolina's 

 full Sea Grant College Program. 



The day will conclude with a reception 

 to honor the retirement of Director Ronald 

 G. Hodson and to introduce Michael P. 

 Voiland as incoming director. 



Both events will be held at the North 

 Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in 

 downtown Raleigh. The symposium will 

 run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will 

 feature presentations highlighting Sea 

 Grant's research and outreach efforts in 

 the state. The reception will follow from 

 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 



In 1 970, the fledgling National Sea 

 Grant College Program began funding 

 coastal and marine research programs in 

 North Carolina to address pressing coastal 

 topics. Byjuly 1 976, a comprehensive 

 program with research, extension, 

 communications and education was in 

 place. 



North Carolina Sea Grant's research 

 and outreach topics include fisheries, water 

 quality and habitat, coastal communities, 

 coastal hazards, coastal business, marine 

 education, law and policy and seafood 

 science. Headquarters are at North Carolina 

 State University, with coastal offices in 

 Manteo, Morehead City and Wilmington. 



More than $1 .6 million in Sea Grant 

 research projects were awarded in the state 

 in 2005, and Sea Grant staff brought in 

 additional grant funding. 



In addition to Sea Grant projects, 

 North Carolina Sea Grant also administers 

 the state-funded N.C. Fishery Resource 

 Grant Program and the N.C. Blue Crab 

 Research Program, a combined total of 

 $1.5 million annually. 



For details and registration 

 information on the symposium and 

 reception, call 919/515-2454. Also watch 

 for updates on www.ncseagrant.org. — K.M. 



In the Next Issue of Coastwatch 



The Day at the Docks celebrates the maritime heritage of Hatteras Island, along 

 North Carolina's Outer Banks. Ann Green shares stories of the waterfront's past and present. 

 Also, the award-winning Rocky Branch restoration project draws current and future leaders 

 to the stream's banks and waters. And Currituck is an area synonymous with waterfowl. 

 Erin Seiling tours the historic Whalehead Club and the new Outer Banks Center 

 for Wildlife Education — cornerstones of Currituck Heritage Park. 



Coastwatch I Early Summer 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 3 



