Jerusalem Biblical Zoo A new aquarium

[kiang]

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo gets Israel's largest aquarium.

The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo and the Jerusalem Municipality have announced a NIS 80 million initiative to create Israel's largest aquarium. The aquarium, which will open in 2015, will focus on life in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. There will also be 30 smaller tanks showcasing small habitats.
The exhibit's star attraction will be an underwater tunnel where spectators can get a 180 view of sharks, sea turtles, coral reefs and exotic fish—some of which may have been the "fishes" of the "loaves and fishes" story in the New Testament.

The aquarium, funded by New York philanthropists Ruth and David Gottesman, will be built on a 6,000-square-meter campus next to the Biblical Zoo's existing facilities.

Zoo director Shai Doron said that an aquarium focusing on local sea habitats is "of paramount importance" to encourage conservation and study of Israel's rapidly disappearing marine life.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo gets Israel's largest aquarium

 

[Giant Panda]

The Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium is due to open later this year:

National aquarium set to make waves in Jerusalem

Hopefully the focus on natives reflects/hastens a wider effort to improve the appalling state of Israel's marine and freshwater ecosystems.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

The Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium is due to open later this year:

National aquarium set to make waves in Jerusalem

Hopefully the focus on natives reflects/hastens a wider effort to improve the appalling state of Israel's marine and freshwater ecosystems.

I was thinking much the same and allthough glad they will built an aquarium in Jerusalem, I cannot help but wonder why freshwater fish fauna from Israel, Middle East and Meditterean basin apparently do not get a prominent place on exhibit. Or will they ...???

The feature article signals in the last paragraph the work they do with freshwater shrimps and Yarkon bleak behind the scenes. The freshwater fish fauna and particularly those from the various river systems like Aphanius spp. is certainly a fascinating one. Sadly, these thru Industrial and sewage pollution and overuse of frehswater resources and acquifers are in danger of drying up Israel''s and the wider regions' freshwater reservoirs.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

For fear it might have escaped folks to see this news clip from November 2009.
During this time the freshwater exhibit West Side Story was opened: QUOTE "The exhibit tells the story of a drop of water that falls in the Hula Valley in northern Israel, following it on its worldwide journey as it encounters fish and other aquatic animals. The little drop of water passes through various habitats, including Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), the Jordan River and the springs around the Dead Sea, the coral reefs of the Red Sea and down the Mediterranean coast.

It even makes it to a lake in Africa and the Amazon in South America -- and through human creations such as dams, contaminated rivers, water pumps and agricultural irrigation water." UNQOUTE

Link: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/134461

 

[Giant Panda]

A short video of the new aquarium. It looks nice.

Ynetnews Culture - Nemo finds Jerusalem: a new aquarium in the capital

Note: This won't be Israel's first aquarium; there's already Coral World in Eilat.

 

[The_UltimateBea]

The aquarium is open. Guided tours only.