Akron Zoo Akron Zoo News 2012

I have been told by the zoo that the green tree python exhibit has been relocated back to its originally location of as today. It had been moved because it was in the way of equipment being used in Journey to the Reef.

The article I posted above does confirm several things about Journey to the Reef. The Pacific sea nettle, the Moon Jellyfish and the Upside Down Jellyfish, which were also featured in Jellies: Rhythm in the Blue, are included in the new exhibit. The new Giant Pacific Octopus is most likely female. She will be the star of the exhibit. Let's hope she does not become a diva. The zoo already has too many of them. The large school of fish exhibit will feature pilchards. I will post more on this exhibit when it becomes available. I will also post a more comprehensive overview after the member's preview on the 25th.
 
From the Akron Zoo's Facebook Page

From the Akron Zoo's Facebook Page:

Watch Diver Dan Journey to the Reef at the Akron Zoo. Watch this video and then follow him on his cross country Journey to the Akron Zoo? Will he make it? Stay tuned...

 
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Photos, videos added

TigerValley98 said:
Artistry of the Sea: Local artist works with zoo to create vast underwater mural

by April Helms | Special Products Editor

Hudsonhubtimes.com - Artistry of the Sea: Local artist works with zoo to create vast underwater mural
Click to expand...

A sister paper to the one from above posted videos and photos.

Fallsnewspress.com - Artistry of the Sea: Local artist works with zoo to create vast underwater mural (WITH VIDEOS)


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RPC Photo / April K. Helms; These steel fish, mounted near the ceiling in main part of the Journey to the Reef exhibit at the Akron Zoo, were crafted by Cuyahoga Falls artisan Tom Sullivan.

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RPC Photo / April K. Helms; Amy Mothersbaugh Roos, who owns Studio 2091 in Cuyahoga Falls, was commissioned to create a more than 10,000 foot mural to complement the Akron Zoo's exhibit, Journey to the Reef, which is slated to open May 26. The exhibit is still under construction, but many of the elements are in place.

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RPC Photo / April K. Helms; This school of pilchards, a type of herring, swims in a tight school in this schooling tank.

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RPC Photo / April K. Helms; This lumpy fish is a scorpion fish. It is one of the fish on exhibit in the aquarium featuring poisonous fish in the Akron Zoo's newest exhibit, Journey to the Reef. This fish, while poisonous, is not nearly as dangerous as the stone fish, which the scorpion fish resembles, said Pete Mohan, director of animal operations.

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RPC Photo / April K. Helms; One of the Akron Zoo's two moray eels peeks around a rock in one of the aquariums at the Akron Zoo. Two more morays will be added in the near future, said Pete Mohan, director of animal operations.

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RPC Photo / April K. Helms; Fans of the Akron Zoo's jellyfish display, which closed in October 2011, can still see three different kinds of jellyfish in Journey to the Reef, which is scheduled to open May 26. Pete Mohan, director of animal operations said that guests will notice that the moon jellies, pictured above, are larger than in previous years. That's because the zoo moved them from a warm-water environment to cooler water, which caused them to grow.



 
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From the video with the Akron Zoo's Director of Animal Collections Pete Mohan, I can now tell you that the Moray Eel exhibit will feature a Dragon Moray Eel, a Purple Mouth Moray Eel, a Viper Moral Eel, a Spotted Moray Eel, and Cleaner Gobies. He also said that a Scorpionfish will live in the Poisonous Fish exhibit.

If you get a change to watch the videos, go ahead. You get to see some of the residents in their new homes. You will also get a good sense of what the exhibit will be like. I think they have done a really nice job. The mural walls add more depth to the exhibit compared to some aquariums that have solid-color walls that do not seem to complement the exhibits.
 
New tiger on exhibit!

New tiger on exhibit!

by Akron Zoo on Monday, May 7, 2012 at 8:56am

A new Sumatran tiger is now on exhibit at the Akron Zoo. The tiger, Berani, arrived at the Akron Zoo from the San Antonio Zoo. The zoo now has two male Sumatran tigers, which are endangered species.

Berani was born on September 18, 2001 at the National Zoo. He joins Jae-Jae who has been at the Akron Zoo since 2009. Because tigers are solitary animals by nature and Berani and Jae-Jae are both males, they will not be on exhibit at the same time. When not on exhibit they will be outside in the zoo’s off exhibit holding or in their indoor exhibit.

Sumatran tigers are indigenous to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Like all species of tigers, the Sumatran tiger is an endangered species. There are less than 300 Sumatran tigers in the wild. Deforestation and poaching are the critical challenges facing these tigers in the wild. Currently there are only five subspecies of tigers that exist in the wild: Bengal, Indochinese, Amur, Malayan and Sumatran. The South China tiger is thought to be extinct in the wild, but some do remain in captivity in Chinese zoos. The Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers are all extinct. It has been estimated that as few as 3,500 total tigers remain in the wild.


New tiger on exhibit! | Facebook
 
Journey to the Reef Species Update

Journey to the Reef Confirmed Species List

Moon Jelly
Pacific Sea Nettle
Upside-Down Jelly
Dragon Moray Eel
Purple Mouth Moray Eel'
Spotted Moray Eel
Viper Moray Eel
Spotted Scorpionfish
Potbellied Seahorse
Sharpnose Puffer Fish
Ridged Slipper Lobster
Birdsnest Coral
Grass Shirmp
False Pilchard
Red Lionfish
Clown Fish*
Sea Apple*


Touch Tank Species List

Yellow Stingray
Blue-Spotted Stingray
Whitespotted Bamboo Shark
Horseshoe Crab


* Unsure of Exact Species


Note #1: This is the most recent list I have compiled from articles, Facebook, the zoo's website, and the Spring 2012 zoo newsletter.

Note #2: The coral will be young because the zoo is growing its own coral from pieces from other zoos. There is a coloring book wall near the Coral Lab that will be filled in as the coral grows as well. It is suppose to contain up to fifteen species.
 
Journey Opening & Animal Show Info

Journey to the Reef Grand Opening

Members Preview: 5/25, 2pm to 8pm (admission of zoo members only)

Grand Opening: 5/26 at 10am (free to members; regular zoo admission rates apply)


It's a Wild World Animal Show: Zoolympics!

Tuesday to Saturday, 6/1 to 8/31 ($1 per person for show; regular zoo admission rates apply)
 
The Akron Zoo's architects, Hasenstab Architects Inc, has launched a portfolio page on The Mike & Mary Stark Grizzly Ridge.

Hasenstab Architects, Inc. | The Mike & Mary Stark Grizzly Ridge - Hasenstab Architects, Inc.

Here is the map of Grizzly Ridge the architects have posted on the page linked above. This is a different map from the one that was posted at the zoo since last summer. This is the plans they asked for bids from after the first of the year. There have been several modifications.

Colored-site.jpg


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On a side note, here is Hasenstab's pages on the new Farmland and the Conservation Carousel.

Hasenstab Architects, Inc. | Farmland Exhibit Renovation - Hasenstab Architects, Inc.

Hasenstab Architects, Inc. | Conservation Carousel - Hasenstab Architects, Inc.
 
The tortoises are now on exhibit in Wild Prairie. There are now chickens in both sides of the chicken exhibit including at least one noisy rooster. The zoo now has a Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Cafe kiosk. They are now an Associate Member of Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program. They have also added Journey to the Reef signage above the entrance of the Barnhardt Family Welcome Center and beside the entrance of Komodo Kingdom.
 
Zoo takes visitors undersea again

Zoo takes visitors undersea again

5/17/2012 - West Side Leader
By Aniqua Feerasta

WEST AKRON — The jellyfish exhibit at the Akron Zoo was so popular that officials there decided to keep the aquatic theme going with its newest attraction.

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Journey to the Reef at the Akron Zoo features this giant Pacific octopus, which shares a tank with starfish.
Photo courtesy of Akron Zoo

Journey to the Reef opens to the public May 26 in the Komodo Kingdom exhibit space. The exhibit keeps a few jellyfish species that were a hit before, but also brings in new creatures from under the sea, such as an octopus, Moray eels, sea horses, venomous lionfish and live coral.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to educate people,” said David Barnhardt, the zoo’s director of marketing and guest services. “It gives us the opportunity to tell the story of the reef, why it’s important and why we should care. It’s the most delicate ecosystem we have on earth.”

The jellyfish exhibit debuted in 2008 and helped set attendance records that year. Barnhardt said the popularity of that exhibit led the zoo to decide to do something in a similar vein.

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Anemonefish like these clownfish are part of the Akron Zoo’s new exhibit, along with anemones.
Photo courtesy of Akron Zoo

Also, many of the zoo’s employees, like Pete Mohan, director of animal operations, had been employed at Sea World of Ohio and had a lot of expertise with sea life, Barnhardt said.

Mohan said the exhibit will examine reef life from the Caribbean, Indo-Pacific and Northwest Pacific coasts.

“We wanted to talk about conservation issues relative to reef health,” Mohan said. “Our reefs are threatened. There are real threats, especially to ones in the Caribbean.”

He said there are some types of coral in the Florida Keys region that are virtually extinct.

To help educate visitors, each tank will be accompanied by a digital screen that will include information on what is displayed.

Mohan and Barnhardt agreed they expect one of the most popular animals featured in the exhibit to be the Giant Pacific Octopus. The specimen comes from the waters from Northern California to Alaska, Mohan said.

The octopus shares a tank with some purple starfish, and the tank was designed so that even when the octopus attempts to hide, she will still be visible to visitors, Mohan said.

Four varieties of Moray eels will make their home in one of the 17 aquariums. Another aquarium features an array of unusual varieties of anemones from the cold waters around Vancouver, such as the powderpuff anemone, white spotted anemone and the strawberry anemone, along with a blood starfish and bat starfish.

Fans of Nemo will likely delight in another tank, which features anemonefish like the clownfish with anemones.

Mohan also thinks viewers will enjoy a tank that houses coral that emits a bright green light. The tank will be illuminated with blue lights and have a yellow filter so the green will glow, he said.

From the entrance and throughout the exhibit, the reef theme is carried out with a mural designed by Cuyahoga Falls artist Amy Mothersbaugh-Roos. Zoo officials said she spent more than a thousand hours working on the elaborate sea scene with the help of a crew of volunteers.

The exhibit concludes with a touch tank that will allow visitors to get close to small stingrays and horseshoe crabs. In addition, three interactive stations will help children learn about three levels of the ocean: the kelp forest, coral city and harbor, according to Autumn Russell, the zoo’s director of education.

Russell also said the zoo is pleased to have one of just a few displays loaned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium on sustainable seafood. The “Seafood Watch” interactive kiosk will help visitors learn about what are the best fish to eat to avoid destructive overfishing.

The Akron Zoo is located at 500 Edgewood Ave. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8.50 for seniors citizens, $7 for children ages 2-14 and free for those younger than 2. Parking is $2.

For more information, call 330-375-2550 or go to AkronZoo.org.

Akron Ohio News - Zoo takes visitors undersea again
 
Confirmed Species List Update

Journey to the Reef Confirmed Species List

Moon Jelly
Pacific Sea Nettle
Upside-Down Jelly
Giant Pacific Octopus
Dragon Moray Eel
Purple Mouth Moray Eel
Spotted Moray Eel
Viper Moray Eel
Spotted Scorpionfish
Potbellied Seahorse
Sharpnose Puffer Fish
Ridged Slipper Lobster
Australian Sea Apple
Lawnmower Blenny
Powderpuff Anemone
White-Spotted Anemone
Strawberry Anemone
Purple Sea Star
Birdsnest Coral
Grass Shirmp
False Pilchard
Red Lionfish
Clown Fish*
Blood Star
Bat Star


Touch Tank Confirmed Species List

Yellow Stingray
Blue-Spotted Stingray
Whitespotted Bamboo Shark
Horseshoe Crab


* Unsure of Exact Species
 
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It's a Wild World Animal Show 2012

Attend a Live Animal Show at Akron Zoo

Mon, 5/21/2012 - 3:47 PM
By David Barnhardt

Akron, OH - – The Akron Zoo’s live Animal Show, “It’s a Wild World Animal Show,” will return for its fifth season. The theme of the show is Zoolympics and it will start June 1, 2012 and runs Tuesdays through Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. The cost of the show is $1.00 and tickets can be purchased at the Zoo the day of the show.

Over 10 animals will be showing off their athletic abilities in Zoolympics. Parts of the show include audience participation. A lucky member of the audience will be able to hold some of the animals, race a snake and more. The 20-minute show is held in the Zoo’s indoor theatre in the Lehner Family Zoo Gardens.

For an extra wild experience the Zoo is offering an opportunity for people 12 years of age and older to become part of the show.

Trainer–for-a-Day allows guests to meet some of the animals that appear in the show up-close, take a behind-the-scenes tour and help the education staff get ready for the show and appear in the show. The cost for this program, which is one full day from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., is $175 for Akron Zoo members and $200 for non-members. The fee also includes admission to the zoo, a Trainer-for-a-Day t-shirt and lunch. For more information people can call the Zoo at (330) 375-2550 ext. 8973 or visit AkronZoo.org.

The Akron Zoo is open 361 days a year. Hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and admission is $10 for adults, $8.50 for senior citizens, $7 for children (ages 2-14). Children under two are free and parking is $2. For more information visit AkronZoo.org or call (330) 375-2550.

Founded in 1953, the Akron Zoo is a non-profit, world conservation Zoo with over 700 animals from around the world. Located just west of Downtown Akron, the Zoo strives to provide a dynamic, financially responsible, guest centered animal experience that is energized by innovation and fun. The Akron Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.


Attend a Live Animal Show at Akron Zoo - Zoo and Aquarium Visitor News
 
Journey to the Reef Species Listing

Thank you to the Akron Zoo for answering my Facebook question. I will try to clean this up and make it clearer on species, but I wanted to share this as soon as possible. Enjoy!!!

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Journey to the Reef Species Listing

Tank B – Moon Jellies

Tank C – Japanese nettles

Tank D – Pot-bellied Seahorse
• pot-bellied seahorse; aka big-belly seahorse, (Hippocampus abdominalis) (TNAq)
• longfin sculpin, Jordania zanope (in QR)
• crescent gunnels, Pholis laeta (in QR)
• various invertebrates TBD

Tank E – Northwest Pacific Coast Community
• spot prawn, Pandalus platyceros
• purple urchins, Stongylocentrotus purpuratus
• bat stars, Patiria miniata
• sailfin sculpin, Nautichthys oculofasciatus
• strawberry anemone colonies, Corynactis californica
• Rough keyhole limpet, Diodora aspera
• White-spotted anemone, Urticina lophotensis
• Plumose anemone, Metridium giganteum
• Black chiton, Catherina tunicate
• Mossy chiton, Mopalia, lignose
• Blood star, Henricia leviuscula
• Sharpnosed crab, Scyra acutifrons
• Other small fishes and invertebrates

Tank V – Giant Pacific Octopus
• giant Pacific octopus, Enteroctopus dolfleini
• purple star, Pisaster ochraceus

“Touch Tank System”(includes small bullnose tanks; tropical species)

Tank W – Caribbean Seagrass Community
• Lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus
• Tiger goby, Gobiosoma macrodon
• rusty goby, Priolepis hipoliti
• fringed filefish, Monocantus ciliatus
• sharpnose puffer, Canthigaster rostrata
• royal gramma (fairy basslet), Gramma loreto
• Molly Miller blenny, Scartella, cristata
• redlip blenny, Ophioblennius atlanticus
• Atlantic deer cowrie, Cypraea cervus
• Echinaster spinulosus, brown spiny sea star (here, not in there yet)
• hermit crabs (species unknown - here, not in there yet)
• peppermint shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni

Tank F – Coral Fluorescence
• Soft corals will likely include various coralimorpharians such as Actinodiscus and Ricordia spp (coral-like and anemone-like anthozoan cnidarians that go by odd names like elephant ears, mushrooms, disk anemones, etc. (Sarcophyton sp and Sinularia sp confirmed) Future stony coral genera could include Acropora, Favia, Lobophyllia, Galaxea, Caulastrea, Montipora, Porites, etc.

Tank I – Touch Tank
• Yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis
• Blue-spotted stingray, Neotrygon kuhlii
• Horseshoe crab, Limulus
• Whitespotted bambooshark, Chiloscyllium punctatum

Tank S – Venomous Fishes / Invaders
• Red lionfish, Pterois volitans
• Spotted scorpionfish, Scorpaena plumieri
• Foxface, Siganus vulpinus
• Orangespot rabbitfish, Siganus guttatus

Tank U – Schooling Fishes
• False pilchard

Tank R – Moray Eels and Cleaning Symbiosis
• Dragon moray, Enchelycore pardalis
• spotted moray, Gymnothorax moringa
• viper moray, Enchelycore nigricans
• purplemouth moray, Gymnothorax vicinus
• neon gobies, Gobiosoma spp
• scarlet lady shrimp, Lysmata grabhami

• Tank O – Anemonefish
• Yellowtail anemonefish
• Anemones

Tank P – magnifier options
• Pieces of “live rock” with coral polyps, worms, etc.
• Barnacles on rock
• Starfish

Micro-Aquariums

Tank AA (low position) Slipper lobster and urchins
• Shovelnose slipper lobster, Scyllarides awquinoctialis
• Stripe-legged slipper lobster, Scyllarides, nodifer
• Green pincussion urchin, Lytechinus variegates
• Black boring sea urchin, Echinometra lucunter
• Pencil urchin, Eucidaris tribuloides

Tank BB (high) Sea apples and starfish
• Australian sea apple, Pseudocolochirus violaceus
• Chocolate chip star, Protoreaster nodosus
• Small moray eel

Tank CC (low) Upside-down jellies
• Upside-down jelly, Cassiopea xamachana

Tank DD (high) Hermit crabs
• various un-IDed species

Tank EE (low) Triton, tulip, or conch (large gastropods – existing spp)
• Atlantic Triton's trumpet, Charonia variegata or other species in collection
• Small moray eel

“Coral Display System”
(will have many if not all of these genera or species listed below)
• Acropora spp
• Pocillopora spp.
• Pavona spp.
• Catalaphyllia spp.
• Euphyllia spp.
• Caulastrea spp.
• Favia spp.
• Favites spp.
• Porites spp.
• Seriatopora spp.
• Actinodiscus spp.
• Ricordia spp.
• Tridacna spp
• Zebrasoma xanthurum
• Chelmon rostratus
• Gobiodon okinawae
• Gold headed (blue bar) goby, Valenciennea strigata.
• Six line wrasse, Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
• Blue leg hermit crab.
• “Turbo snails” (Lithopoma tectum).
• Florida sea cucumber, Holothuria florida

The Zoo's Response to My Facebook Question
 
Journey to the Reef Aquarium Locations

I have been looking over the information that the zoo provided me on the species information for Journey to the Reef. There will be at least 60+ non-coral species. There will be at least a dozen coral species represented. I took this information mentioned above, plus the videos and photos I have seen, to make the list below of each tank and where it is located. If you went to Jellies: Rhythm in the Blue, this will give you a better idea of the exhibit's layout. I am also impress on the number of species being added. I think this will be the most diverse exhibit the zoo have ever installed. I will post a more detailed species listing after Friday's Members Preview to clarify the list even more.

Note: Tank C says Japanese nettles, but I believe that Pacific sea nettles are in that exhibit. I think that may be a misprint unless there has been a last minute change.

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Journey to the Reef Layout

Tank B – Moon Jellies
This is the former Japanese sea nettle exhibit.

Tank C – Japanese Nettles
This is the former Pacific sea nettle exhibit. This was confirmed when I watched Fox 8 News in the Morning on Wednesday. The stripes on the sea nettles confirmed this. I have asked the zoo on Facebook for a confirmation from them.

Tank D – Pot-bellied Seahorse
This is the former crystal jellies exhibit. I believe this exhibit has been moved toward the left to make room of Tank V.

Tank E – Northwest Pacific Coast Community
This is the former comb jellies exhibit. I believe this exhibit has been moved toward the left to make room of Tank V.

Tank V – Giant Pacific Octopus
This new exhibit is located in the corner where there used to be the big illuminated sign on comb jellies and their relatives.

Tank W – Caribbean Seagrass Community
This new tank is just like Tank F. It is located between Tank V and Tank F.

Tank F – Coral Fluorescence
This is the former upside-down jellies exhibit. I believe this exhibit has been moved toward the left to make room of Tank W.

Tank I – Touch Tank
The Touch Tank is located in the same location, but with new residents. There is also a brand new ADA ramp that has been added.

Tank S – Venomous Fishes / Invaders
This is the former moon jellies exhibit.

Tank U – Schooling Fishes
This new exhibit is the largest tank in Journey to the Reef. It is located on the wall where there used to be children's art and to the left of Tank S.

Tank R – Moray Eels and Cleaning Symbiosis
This is the former blue blubber jellies and Australian spotted jellies exhibit.

Tank O – Anemonefish
This is the former juvenile moon jellies exhibit next to the lab.

Tank P – Magnifier Options
This is the former moon jelly polyps exhibit near the lab.

Tank AA (low position) Slipper lobster and urchins
This new micro-aquarium is located on the wall where there were musical instruments in glass cases on the wall to go along with the theme of the Jellies exhibit.

Tank BB (high position) Sea apples and starfish
This new micro-aquarium is located on the wall where there were musical instruments in glass cases on the wall to go along with the theme of the Jellies exhibit.

Tank CC (low position) Upside-down jellies
This new micro-aquarium is located on the wall where there were musical instruments in glass cases on the wall to go along with the theme of the Jellies exhibit.

Tank DD (high position) Hermit crabs
This new micro-aquarium is located on the wall where there were musical instruments in glass cases on the wall to go along with the theme of the Jellies exhibit.

Tank EE (low position) Triton, tulip, or conch
This new micro-aquarium is located on the wall where there were musical instruments in glass cases on the wall to go along with the theme of the Jellies exhibit.

Coral Display System
This is new exhibit is the coral culture tank that features multiple species of coral and fish to help keep maintenance in the exhibit. This tank is in the new Coral Lab, which was formerly known as the Jelly Lab.
 
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Journey to the Reef was on Fox 8 News in the Morning. The exhibit is looking nice. Japanese sea nettles seem to have replaced the Pacific sea nettles. I have asked for confirmation on this. The coral fluorescence tank looks cool. You can see the exhibit as it normally appears and how it looks when certain lights are placed on it allowing them to appear to glow. The is an interactivity that allows you to change the color of the light in the moon jelly exhibit. The exhibits with multiple species, such was the Northwest Pacific Coast Community tank and the micro-aquariums, are as full as the species list the zoo provided said they are. There are several lionfish in the Venomous Fish/Invaders tank. The touch tank features multiple small horseshoe crabs, two yellow stingrays, two blue-spotted stingrays, and a white-spotted bamboo shark. Most of the signs are in place. I still noticed one or so of the illuminated signed not up yet. The small digital screens were all on with species information. Considering how many species are in some of the tanks, I am not surprised they went with this type of signage. Overall, it is looking good. The commercial has also began airing as well.
 
ABJ's article on Journey to the Reef opening

Akron Zoo opening new reef exhibit

By Paula Schleis | Beacon Journal staff writer
Published: May 24, 2012 - 10:50 PM

The giant Pacific octopus doesn’t have a name, but she commands attention as the queen of the new Journey to the Reef exhibit opening Saturday at the Akron Zoo.

Slowly, suction cups on elegant arms move her along glass that puts her just an inch from inquisitive fingertips until she reaches a back wall of rock. Instantly, her skin flickers from red to gray, revealing instinctive camouflage skills.

The octopus has taken up residence in the area that formerly hosted Jellies: Rhythm in the Blue, a wildly successful exhibit that drew a record 328,000 visitors to the park when it opened in 2008 and stuck around a year longer than zoo officials had intended.

“We’re hoping people respond to it the way they did the jellies,” marketing director David Barnhardt said.

Journey to the Reef is an under-the-sea experience. The exhibit is darkened and a boat bottom and various sea animals hover overhead, giving visitors the illusion of being below the surface.

The walls feature a mural of a vibrant underwater community painted by Cuyahoga Falls artist Amy Mothersbaugh Roos and a handful of volunteers who contributed more than 1,000 hours to 10,000 square feet of wall space. (And yes, if the Mothersbaugh name sounds familiar, she is the sister of Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh.)

Within the walls are 17 aquariums filled with reef animals, a live coral display and a pool with stingrays waiting to be touched.

While most of the jellyfish from the last special exhibit have gone to new homes in other zoos, a few remain. A tank of the “moon” variety has been fitted with buttons that allow visitors to change the colors of the transparent creatures. Another tank of deep blue features the bright orange Japanese sea nettles and their long, mesmerizing tentacles.

They’re sharing space with some animals the zoo has never hosted before: venomous lion fish, strange scorpion fish, whimsical sea horses, dragon moray eels playing hide-and-seek in a wall of crevices and a school of silvery fish that run circles around themselves.

There are also clown fish in a tank of anemone — a symbiotic relationship that needs no explanation for a youngster who has watched Finding Nemo.

Reefs are one of the most important ecosystems on Earth but require a perfect environmental balance.

The colorful living coral that makes up the foundation of a reef is too fragile to grow in the fish tanks on display, but one large aquarium has been set aside for just that purpose. Small starts of various species have been attached to shelves of underwater limestone, and visitors will see over the years how the coral grows to cover the entire rock pile.

The exhibit room will continue to feature interactive kiosks that restless kids can investigate and climb on, a tradition started when the space first opened as the Lizard Lounge.

Sticking with an aquatic theme for the latest exhibit was a no-brainer, Barnhardt said. Not only are sea critters popular with patrons, but the Akron Zoo also has the experience to handle them.

When Sea World closed its Aurora park, the Akron Zoo nabbed some key staff, including three animal care managers and Pete Mohan, director of animal operations.

“There’s not a lot here that’s new to me, but it is new to the staff,” Mohan said, so training was necessary.

Still, the aquatic handlers had a head start in their education because of the jellyfish.

“Jellies is one of the hardest things you can do. The water quality has to be so high,” Mohan said. “We learned an awful lot.”

Mohan said he’s also excited to offer families the chance to see things that are hard to find elsewhere in Northeast Ohio. Even the new Greater Cleveland Aquarium doesn’t have octopus, jellies or live coral, Mohan said.

So what’s next for the zoo? No secret there.

A vacant hillside exhibit slated for a makeover this summer has a sign announcing that grizzly bears and wolves will be moving in next year.


Akron Zoo opening new reef exhibit - News - Ohio

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A giant Pacific octopus clings to the wall of its tank in the new exhibit, Journey to the Reef at the Akron Zoo. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal)
http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.309402.1337914228!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_500/image.jpg


See the next post for the rest of the images from the Akron Beacon Journal.
 
More ABJ Photos

TigerValley98 said:
Akron Zoo opening new reef exhibit

By Paula Schleis | Beacon Journal staff writer
Published: May 24, 2012 - 10:50 PM

Akron Zoo opening new reef exhibit - News - Ohio

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See the next post for the rest of the images from the Akron Beacon Journal.
Click to expand...


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A hermit crab crawls over a rock in its tank as part of the new exhibi, Journey to the Reef. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal)
http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.309404.1337914231!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_500/image.jpg


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A lion fish swims in its tank as part of the new exhibit at the Akron Zoo, Journey to the Reef that explains how a coral sea operates. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal)
http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.309405.1337914234!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_500/image.jpg


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A lined seahorse floats in its tank as part of the new exhibit, Journey to the Reef, at the Akron Zoo. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal)
http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.309406.1337914236!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_500/image.jpg


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A bright royal gramma swims in its tank as part of the new exhibit at the Akron Zoo called Journey to the Reef. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal)
http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.309407.1337914239!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_500/image.jpg


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A group of false pilchards schooling fish swim in their tank as part of the new exhibit at the Akron Zoo called Journey to the Reef. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal)
http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.309408.1337914241!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_500/image.jpg


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Horseshoe crabs and stingrays swim in the touch tank which is part of the new exhibit at the Akron Zoo called Journey to the Reef. The exhibit shows how a coral sea operates. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal)
http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.309409.1337914243!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_500/image.jpg
 
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