Valentine`s Day at New York Aquarium,Timeline Photos of Ocean

Valentine's Day at New York
Aquarium
Go Wild for Valentine’s Day at WCS’s Central Park Zoo and New
York Aquarium
Events are planned at both facilities to celebrate the most
romantic day of the year
“Woo at the Zoo” at the WCS’s Central Park Zoo: Saturday, Feb.
13; 5 to 7 p.m.
“Sex in the Sea” at the WCS’s New York Aquarium: Friday, Feb.
12; 6 to 9 p.m.
Events are for adults aged 21 and over only
New York – Jan. 25, 2016 – The WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation
Society) Central Park Zoo and New York Aquarium are
celebrating Valentine’s Day with special events that focus on
animals and love. WCS animal experts will give exciting
presentations about the interesting and sometimes unusual
wildlife mating and courtship behaviors. Wine and hors
d’oeuvres will be served.
“Woo at the Zoo” at the WCS’s Central Park Zoo: Saturday, Feb.
13; 5 to 7 p.m.:
Learn about the unique courtship strategies and breeding
behaviors of the animals at the Central Park Zoo while
enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres. At the end of the night,
participants can test their newfound animal knowledge by
playing the Mating Game trivia contest.
Pricing:
Members: $120/couple
Non-Members: $130/couple
(Space is limited. Maximum of 56 people/28 tickets)
“Sex in the Sea” at the WCS’s New York Aquarium: Friday, Feb.
12; 6 to 9 p.m.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by exploring the diverse, dramatic,
and sometimes bizarre courting behaviors of marine animals.
Guest speakers will discuss the strong bonds many aquatic
animals have with each other. Ticket includes two glasses of
wine, cheese, and desserts.
Pricing:
Members: $70/single, $120/couple
Non-Members: $75/single, $130/couple
For more information,
www.nyaquarium.com.
visit
www.centralparkzoo.com
and
MEDIA NOTE: Members of the media who wish to attend/cover
these
events
should
contact
Max
Pulsinelli
at
mpulsinelli@wcs.org or 571-218-7601.
WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through
science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people
to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the
Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation
Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and
its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million
people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field,
zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit:
newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information:
347-840-1242.
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo – Open
every day of the year. General Admission is $12 for adults, $9
for senior citizens, $7 for children 3 to 12, and free for
children younger than 3. Total Experience Admission is $18.00
for adults, $15.00 for senior citizens, and $13.00 for
children 3 to 12. 4-D theater admission is $4.00 for members
and $7.00 for non-members. Zoo hours are 10am to 5:30 pm,
April through October, and 10am – 4:30pm daily, November
through April. Tickets are sold until one half-hour before
closing. The zoo is located at Fifth Avenue and 64th Street.
For further information, please call 212-439-6500 or visit
www.centralparkzoo.com
Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is open
every day of the year. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
daily. Tickets are $11.95 per person (ages 3 & up), and
include Aquarium admission plus one admission to the new 4-D
Theater; children age 2 and under are admitted free. Fridays
after 4 p.m. in the summer and after 3 p.m. in the fall,
Aquarium admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation. Last
entry is one hour before closing. The aquarium is located on
Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. The New York
Aquarium is located on property owned by the City of New York,
and its operation is made possible in part by public funds
provided through the New York City Department of Cultural
Affairs. For directions, information on public events and
programs, and other aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or
visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the
perfect time to visit and show support for the WCS New York
Aquarium, a beloved part of Brooklyn and all of the City of
New York. Due to Hurricane Sandy we are partially opened.
Check our website for more information. www.nyaquarium.com.
Timeline Photos
Wonders: Sharks
of
Ocean
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Jan. 13, 2016 – WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation
Society) New York Aquarium released today a photographic look
back on Ocean Wonders: Sharks! construction in 2015. Ocean
Wonders: Sharks! will be a 57,000-square-foot building
featuring sharks, rays, sea turtles, and thousands of
schooling fish. It will hold more than 500,000 gallons of
water in fully immersive and interactive exhibits, forging
connections between people and wildlife while highlighting the
need for conservation of delicate marine ecosystems.
Captions:
Photo 1 – OW in Jan. 2015 – A year after the Ocean Wonders:
Sharks! groundbreaking, crews worked in hostile weather to lay
below-grade infrastructure including life-support, plumbing
and other utility piping Photo Credit: Ray Davis © WCS
@WCS
Photo 2 – 0929 –WCS and Turner Construction crews celebrated
the topping out of Ocean Wonders: Sharks! by raising the
United States flag on the top floor of the building in June
2015. When the building opens visitors on the top floor will
see out to the Atlantic Ocean and up and down the Coney Island
Boardwalk.
Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS
@WCS
Photo 3 – 3rd Flr looking east – By October, the seasons were
changing, and the air started to get crisper and cooler. This
photo shows a view of the Atlantic Ocean from the Learning
Laboratory atop Ocean Wonders: Sharks!. From the rooftop
visitors will enjoy a breathtaking look at Coney Island and
the nearby shoreline.
Photo Credit: Muni Abdullah
@WCS
Photo 4 – Spiral Entry Entrance – By November, the building’s
exterior was transforming into an architectural marvel. Shown
here is the base structure for the building’s future spiral
entry.
Photo Credit: Muni Abdullah
@WCS
Photo 5 – Aerial View 2 – This year-end photo shows an aerial
view of the work site.
Photo Credit: Muni Abdullah
@WCS
This project would not be possible without the leadership of
the Mayor of the City of New York, the New York City Council,
the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, the Office of
the Staten Island Borough President, the New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic
Development Corporation as well as WCS Trustee Barbara Hrbek
Zucker, Donald Zucker, and many other generous supporters.
Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is open
every day of the year. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
daily. Tickets are $11.95 per person (ages 3 & up), and
include Aquarium admission plus one admission to the new 4-D
Theater; children age 2 and under are admitted free. Fridays
after 4 p.m. in the summer and after 3 p.m. in the fall,
Aquarium admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation. Last
entry is one hour before closing. The aquarium is located on
Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. The New York
Aquarium is located on property owned by the City of New York,
and its operation is made possible in part by public funds
provided through the New York City Department of Cultural
Affairs. For directions, information on public events and
programs, and other aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or
visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the
perfect time to visit and show support for the WCS New York
Aquarium, a beloved part of Brooklyn and all of the City of
New York. Due to Hurricane Sandy we are partially opened.
Check our website for more information. www.nyaquarium.com.
Aquarium To Stay Open Late on
New Year's Eve
The WCS New York Aquarium will stay open late this New Year’s
Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31, to coincide with the Coney Island
celebratory ball drop by the beach. Last ticket and entry will
be at 8:30 p.m. From 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., admission will be
discounted to $5. Parking at the aquarium will be available
for the usual price of $13, with last parking entry at 9 p.m.
Exit only after that.
All animal exhibits at the aquarium will be open.
Artificial Coral Reef Tunnel
Under
Construction
At
Aquarium
By Barbara Russo
The coral reef tunnel in Ocean Wonders: Sharks! will have
artificial corals that create a beautiful reef-like home for
the animals that will live there. The above picture shows a
model made by staff from WCS’s Exhibit and Graphic Arts
Department. Coral creation starts with a small, six-inch claylike model like this, followed by a precise process of
designing, crafting, and installing life-size pieces into the
building. Once complete, our coral reef will be a colorful
world filled with replica corals of different kinds and
majestic marine life that will amaze all who visit!
The below photo shows a cownose ray gracefully gliding through
its Glover’s Reef habitat at the New York Aquarium. Rays such
as this one will be among the 115 species of sharks, skates,
rays and other fish that will live in Ocean Wonders: Sharks!
Other kinds of elasmobranchs – cartilaginous fish with several
rows of teeth – that will be on exhibit include sand tiger
sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks, and roughtail rays.
To find out more about the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit as
well as new developments at the New York Aquarium check out
the WCS Newsroom Picture Blog.
Barbara Russo @WCS
View Progress At New York
Aquarium's Wonders: Sharks!
Exhibit
Progress is moving along quickly at the New York Aquarium’s
$156 million “Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit. The exhibit
which has been planning on opening sometime next year will be
featuring over 45 sharks as well as a 60ft high view of the
beach and boardwalk. The project which was delayed because of
Hurricane Sandy will hold a tank with more than 500,000
gallons of water for the sea turtles, rays and yes. Sharks!
These pictures give you a glimpse into what the exhibit will
eventually look like with it’s rooftop classroom and
restaurant as well as the enormous tank featured in the
Canyon’s Edge exhibit.
Check out the WCS Newsroom blog for further developments.
Thanks Barbara Russo.
Don’t forget to book a winter tour with Coney Island Tours.
Rated #8 best tour in the city by NYC&Co. Tours are given
daily at 12:30pm. Check our calendar HERE to book a tour.
@WCS
Left photo: © WCS; Right photo: © The
Portico Group
Left photo: © WCS; Right photo: © The Portico Group
@William Flynn Turner Construction
Left photo: © WCS; Right photo: © The Portico Group
Aquarium Helps Clean Up Coney
Island
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Sept. 15, 2015 – WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation
Society) New York Aquarium, in collaboration with the American
Littoral Society, Partnerships for Parks, and other partners,
will hold a beach cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 19 in Coney
Island’s Kaiser Park to acknowledge International Coastal
Cleanup Day.
Volunteers are needed to help collect debris that finds its
way to the Coney Island shores. This debris includes plastics
that pose significant threats to wildlife, fishing, human
health, tourism, water quality, and marine ecosystems.
Last year’s beach cleanup resulted in more than 1,500 pounds
of debris removed from Coney Island’s shores.
Participating in a beach cleanup is an activity that helps
community members learn about marine environments, its value
to people and animals, and the actions people can take to
improve it. Participating in a cleanup also helps foster
appreciation for the wildlife and habitats.
Those interested in volunteering for the cleanup event can
find more information at www.nyaquarium.com.
For more information on the event or to speak with a WCS
expert, contact Barbara Russo at 718-265-3428 or
brusso@wcs.org.
Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is open
every day of the year. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
daily. Tickets are $11.95 per person (ages 3 & up), and
include Aquarium admission plus one admission to the new 4-D
Theater; children age 2 and under are admitted free. Fridays
after 4 p.m. in the summer and after 3 p.m. in the fall,
Aquarium admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation. The
aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney
Island. The New York Aquarium is located on property owned by
the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in
part by public funds provided through the New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs. For directions, information on
public events and programs, and other aquarium information,
call
718-265-FISH
or
visit
our
web
site
at
http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit
and show support for the WCS New York Aquarium, a beloved part
of Brooklyn and all of the City of New York. Due to Hurricane
Sandy we are partially opened. Check our website for more
information. www.nyaquarium.com.
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) MISSION: WCS saves
wildlife and wild places worldwide through science,
conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value
nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives
in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace
and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth.
To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses
the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60
nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife
parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually.
WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to
achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org;
http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS;
http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia Follow: @thewcs.
NY
Aquarium
Benefit
Central Park Zoo
at
WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) will host the
third annual Sip for the Sea at the WCS Central Park
Zoo on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
The event will bring together New York City’s top
chefs to serve up sustainable seafood and other
selections. All proceeds go to support the WCS New
York Aquarium and WCS’s commitment to marine
conservation in New York and around the world.
Chefs from the following restaurants will be dishing
up dinner at Sip for the Sea 2015:
* Almond
* Asellina
* Atlantic Grill Lincoln
Center
* Casa Mono
* Clement at The Peninsula
* Crave.It
* Davio’s Manhattan
* Esca
* Hudson Market Bistro at
Sheraton NYC
* Hundred Acres
* Luke’s Lobster
* Monument Lane
* Ocean Grill
* Sirio Ristorante
* Tavern on the Green
* Thalassa Restaurant
* Union Square Events
* The Wayfarer
The evening will feature pairings of sustainable wines
from Jekel Vineyards, a California wine producer, with
sustainable seafood and other special offerings.
With many fish species facing serious threats such as
over-fishing, sustainable seafood options help ensure
the longevity of diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems
around the world. Sip for the Sea attendees will
learn about marine conservation in the waters around
New York and see some of the Central Park Zoo’s
amazing animals, including California sea lions.
Hashtag for the event: #sipforsea.
For more information or to purchase tickets for Sip
for the Sea, visit www.wcs.org/sipforthesea
What:
Sip for the Sea to
benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York
Aquarium
Date:
Wednesday, Sept. 16
Time:
Media check-in: 6 p.m.
6:30 p.m. Grand Taster Admission
7:30 p.m. General Admission
Where:
Food & Wine:
WCS’s Central Park Zoo
830 Fifth Avenue
at 64th Street
Jekel Vineyards; Many
of NYC’s top restaurants
Sponsor:
Paul Gauguin
Cruises
Media Partner:
Wine Spectator
Details
World Oceans Weekend at NY
Aquarium
WCS’s New York Aquarium Celebrates World Oceans Day
Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Costumed characters from Nickelodeon’s animated preschool TV
series, Bubble Guppies, headline the weekend
Activities include meet-and-greets with the aquarium’s expert
dive team, crafts, fish printing, and more
Aquarium staff will be available to answer questions about
WCS’ New York Seascape local conservation program.
Brooklyn, N.Y. – June 2, 2015 –WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation
Society) New York Aquarium will hold a special celebration in
advance of the United Nations’ World Oceans Day the weekend of
June 6 and 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
World Oceans Day celebrates oceans and raises awareness about
their environmental importance. Oceans help generate oxygen,
regulate climate, and are home to a plethora of marine species
that are vital to life on earth.
Throughout the weekend, WCS will educate the public about
oceans and the New York Seascape – WCS’s conservation program
designed to restore healthy populations of local marine
species and protect waters in and around New York City. These
waters are important to wildlife and key to the area’s
economic and cultural vitality.
The waters surrounding NYC serve as a feeding ground, nursery,
and migratory corridor for hundreds of species of aquatic
wildlife, many of which are threatened or endangered. One of
the most fragile local marine areas that the New York Seascape
program covers is the Hudson Canyon, the East Coast’s largest
submarine canyon. Located 100 miles off the coast of New York
City, it is home to deep-sea corals that provide food and
shelter for many species.
But the Hudson Canyon, like many other submarine canyons, is
facing serious threats from human activity, including the use
of bottom-fishing gear that damages coral communities.
Recently, as part of a broad coalition, WCS supporters
submitted 13,000 letters, petitions, and drawings asking the
Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) to protect
coral communities in the mid-Atlantic, including those found
in the Hudson Canyon.
World Oceans Day activities at the New York Aquarium include:
Meet-and-greets with Bubble Guppies – Molly & Gil from the
popular Nickelodeon TV series will be available both days at
the Oceanic Deck at 11 a.m., 1, and 3 p.m.
The Ocean Pledge –A message wall will display personal pledges
written by visitors about saving the ocean. Examples of ways
to protect the oceans include turning off water faucets when
they’re not in use and not littering. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both
days.)
Sea Life on the Beach – New York Aquarium docents will be on
site to answer questions about the ocean and its aquatic
wildlife at the Sea Life on the Beach cart located on the
Coney Island boardwalk outside the aquarium. (2 to 4 p.m.,
both days.)
Diver Discussions – New York Aquarium divers will be available
to interact with visitors, answer questions and offer
information about the importance of underwater diving in our
oceans. (Two sessions both days: 10 to 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 to
2:15 p.m.)
Turning Trash into Crafts – Members of the aquarium’s Project
Ripple club will demonstrate how items can be reused and
repurposed as creative art materials rather than being thrown
away as trash. (Saturday only; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Aquatic Art – Crafts such as fish printing and port hole art
projects will take place throughout the weekend (11 a.m. to 4
p.m.)
Partners on World Oceans Day at the New York Aquarium are:
WCS New York Seascape
American Littoral Society
Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island
Seatuck Environmental Association
The Wildlife Conservation Society has been helping the world
discover and conserve our oceans for more than a century. WCS
engages in ocean protection, sustainable fisheries, and marine
species conservation across the waters of 23 countries and all
five oceans.
On Thursday, June 11, 2015, WCS will host its annual black tie
Gala reception and dinner at WCS’s Central Park Zoo. The
evening will celebrate WCS’s vital role in protecting
vulnerable marine species off the coast of New York and around
the globe and provide critical support for WCS’s parks,
education, global health, and global conservation programs.
For more information or to purchase tables and tickets, visit
wcs.org/Gala.
More information about World Oceans Day at the New York
Aquarium is available at www.nyaquarium.com.
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) MISSION: WCS saves
wildlife and wild places worldwide through science,
conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value
nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives
in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace
and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth.
To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses
the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60
nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife
parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually.
WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to
achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org;
http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS;
http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia Follow: @thewcs.
Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is open
every day of the year. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
daily. Tickets are $11.95 per person (ages 3 & up), and
include Aquarium admission plus one admission to the new 4-D
Theater; children age 2 and under are admitted free. Fridays
after 4 p.m. in the summer and after 3 p.m. in the fall,
Aquarium admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation. The
aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney
Island. The New York Aquarium is located on property owned by
the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in
part by public funds provided through the New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs. For directions, information on
public events and programs, and other aquarium information,
call
718-265-FISH
or
visit
our
web
site
at
http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit
and show support for the WCS New York Aquarium, a beloved part
of Brooklyn and all of the City of New York. Due to Hurricane
Sandy we are partially opened. Check our website for more
information. www.nyaquarium.com.
Special Note to the Media: If you would like to guide your
readers or viewers to a Web link where they can make donations
in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please
direct them to wcs.org.
###
Barbara Russo
Assistant Director of Communications – Wildlife Conservation
Society’s New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo
Phone: 718-265-3428
E-mail: brusso@wcs.org
Skype: barbararusso516
Visit the WCS Newsroom for our latest news and information:
http://newsroom.wcs.org/
Council Member Mark Treyger
Sponsors
Afternoon
for
Seniors at NY Aquarium
This Friday May 22, Council Member Mark Treyger will be
sponsoring an afternoon of activities with our community’s
seniors. The event will take place between 12:30-2:30pm at the
NY Aquarium.
Schedule of Activities
12:30-1PM
-Biofacts(touchable artifacts of animals)
-Encounters with Invertebrate Animal Ambassadors
1pm-1:20pm
-Sea Lion Celebration in Aquatheater
1:30-2:30pm
-Sandy Shore Bingo with prizes
Watercolor painting
To RSVP call Samantha Ross 718-373-9673
Surfside
Spotlight
on
Danielle Newton: Manager of
Admissions
An Interview by Barbara Russo
Danielle Newton deals with the human side of things at the New
York Aquarium. As the Manager of Admissions, she oversees the
day-to-day on-site operations of the aquarium’s admissions
departments. She’s not only her team’s supervisor, but a
cheerleader who keeps them pumped and energized for the
hundreds of thousands of visitors they greet each year.
Danielle, when did you start working for WCS?
I started working for WCS as Manger of Admissions at the Bronx
Zoo in February, 2013. I moved to the aquarium in November the
same year, so I wasn’t there that long! I love working at the
aquarium because it’s smaller and I have a lot more
responsibility.
What’s a typical day like for you?
I come in and check my email for exhibit closures, cancelled
shows, or anything else I might need to tell my staff. Then
I’m up in the lobby by 9:15 to brief my team on the day. We do
a quick roll call before going over our cheers.
Wow that sounds interesting…what do you mean by cheers?
Each morning one of us picks an animal to be the name of our
team for the day. I usually pick sea otters. Then, on the
count of three we say as a group, “Goooo sea otters!” to get
us ready and hyped for the day.
That’s really cool. Who came up with this idea?
I started the cheers at the Bronx Zoo and then brought it
here. Mostly we use marine mammals that live at the aquarium,
but it could be any animal!
What are some compliments you get from our visitors?
The Aquatheater show is a visitor favorite. They always tell
me what a great job the trainers do. Visitors tell us we’re
doing a great job restoring the aquarium since Sandy. We
definitely get a lot of repeat members who just love it here!
We recognize many of them and enjoy chatting and catching up
with them.
What’s your favorite exhibit?
I love the sea otters. They are so active and cute. Although,
I have to admit Halftime the sea lion is pretty great, too.
When you’re not hard at work at the aquarium, how do you like
to spend your time?
I like to go to other cultural institutions. The American
Museum of Natural History is a favorite. I love going to the
movies, and I’m a foodie! My favorite food is the classic
cheeseburger. I really like to find places known for their
cheeseburgers, like the Shake Shack and the Billy Goat Tavern
in Chicago. In my hometown of Miami, Fla., B & B is my
favorite cheeseburger joint!