June 3rd, 2005
GEORGIA AQUARIUM TO BECOME FIRST IN NORTH AMERICA TO STUDY, CONSERVE AND EXHIBIT THE WHALE SHARK
Rhincodon typus is the Largest Fish in the Ocean
In keeping with its commitment to be a world leader in promoting efforts to conserve aquatic wildlife, the Georgia Aquarium (non-profit, 501c3) is conducting worldwide research and conservation efforts on sharks. Following extensive study that took place over a number of years, the Georgia Aquarium searched in the waters off Taiwan to obtain two immature whale sharks, a gentle filter-feeding species and the largest fish in the sea.
The fish, one 15 feet 6 inches, and the other 13 feet total length, were considered suitable for transport to Atlanta, and took an 18-hour ride on a UPS plane to their new home at the Georgia Aquarium. The fish were flown more than 8,000 miles, under the care and supervision of Georgia Aquarium professional staff, on a UPS B-747 freighter from Taipei, Taiwan, through Anchorage to Atlanta.
Flight logistics included the re-configuration of the plane’s interior, custom tanks with a highly advanced marine life support system, and special hoisting equipment, required at each end of the journey. The full capacity of the B-747 was required because the fish, their special tanks and water weighed a combined 54,000 pounds.
Bernie Marcus, benefactor of the $200 million Georgia Aquarium scheduled to open November 23, 2005, noted the Georgia Aquarium will be the first outside of Asia to house a whale shark. Marcus said that this research and conservation endeavor for the whale shark “is exactly in keeping with the mission” his aquarium team considered “when they envisioned the conservation and research programs the aquarium would provide.” Marcus explained that the Georgia Aquarium will continually look for research, rescue, rehabilitation and relocation opportunities.
This species of shark known to the scientific world as Rhincodon typus, its behavior and basic biology, such as where it travels in the oceans, reproduces and feeds at different life stages, is not well known to science. To unravel some of these mysteries, the Georgia Aquarium is partnering with Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida in a long-term study of whale sharks.
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For information contact:
Donna E. Fleishman
Georgia Aquarium
dfleishman@fmeonline.com
ABOUT THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM
The Georgia Aquarium will open in Atlanta, Georgia on November 23, 2005, as one of the world’s largest aquarium facilities. With more than 5 million gallons of marine and fresh water, more than 55,000 animals represented from 500 different species, the Georgia Aquarium is a $200 million gift to the people of Georgia from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of the Home Depot, and his wife Billi, through the Marcus Foundation. The Aquarium will be overseen by a nonprofit corporation run by a board of directors.
The mission of the Georgia Aquarium is to be an entertaining, educational, and scientific institution featuring exhibitions and programs of the highest standards, offering engaging and entertaining visitors’ experiences and promoting the conservation of aquatic biodiversity throughout the world. It is the goal of the Georgia Aquarium to educate audiences of all ages, while promoting a fun and entertaining learning experience that inspires guests to appreciate the world’s aquatic biodiversity and to take conservation action. Additional information on the Georgia Aquarium can be found at www.georgiaaquarium.org
GEORGIA AQUARIUM TO BECOME FIRST IN NORTH AMERICA TO STUDY, CONSERVE AND EXHIBIT THE WHALE SHARK
Rhincodon typus is the Largest Fish in the Ocean
In keeping with its commitment to be a world leader in promoting efforts to conserve aquatic wildlife, the Georgia Aquarium (non-profit, 501c3) is conducting worldwide research and conservation efforts on sharks. Following extensive study that took place over a number of years, the Georgia Aquarium searched in the waters off Taiwan to obtain two immature whale sharks, a gentle filter-feeding species and the largest fish in the sea.
The fish, one 15 feet 6 inches, and the other 13 feet total length, were considered suitable for transport to Atlanta, and took an 18-hour ride on a UPS plane to their new home at the Georgia Aquarium. The fish were flown more than 8,000 miles, under the care and supervision of Georgia Aquarium professional staff, on a UPS B-747 freighter from Taipei, Taiwan, through Anchorage to Atlanta.
Flight logistics included the re-configuration of the plane’s interior, custom tanks with a highly advanced marine life support system, and special hoisting equipment, required at each end of the journey. The full capacity of the B-747 was required because the fish, their special tanks and water weighed a combined 54,000 pounds.
Bernie Marcus, benefactor of the $200 million Georgia Aquarium scheduled to open November 23, 2005, noted the Georgia Aquarium will be the first outside of Asia to house a whale shark. Marcus said that this research and conservation endeavor for the whale shark “is exactly in keeping with the mission” his aquarium team considered “when they envisioned the conservation and research programs the aquarium would provide.” Marcus explained that the Georgia Aquarium will continually look for research, rescue, rehabilitation and relocation opportunities.
This species of shark known to the scientific world as Rhincodon typus, its behavior and basic biology, such as where it travels in the oceans, reproduces and feeds at different life stages, is not well known to science. To unravel some of these mysteries, the Georgia Aquarium is partnering with Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida in a long-term study of whale sharks.
# # #
For information contact:
Donna E. Fleishman
Georgia Aquarium
dfleishman@fmeonline.com
ABOUT THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM
The Georgia Aquarium will open in Atlanta, Georgia on November 23, 2005, as one of the world’s largest aquarium facilities. With more than 5 million gallons of marine and fresh water, more than 55,000 animals represented from 500 different species, the Georgia Aquarium is a $200 million gift to the people of Georgia from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of the Home Depot, and his wife Billi, through the Marcus Foundation. The Aquarium will be overseen by a nonprofit corporation run by a board of directors.
The mission of the Georgia Aquarium is to be an entertaining, educational, and scientific institution featuring exhibitions and programs of the highest standards, offering engaging and entertaining visitors’ experiences and promoting the conservation of aquatic biodiversity throughout the world. It is the goal of the Georgia Aquarium to educate audiences of all ages, while promoting a fun and entertaining learning experience that inspires guests to appreciate the world’s aquatic biodiversity and to take conservation action. Additional information on the Georgia Aquarium can be found at www.georgiaaquarium.org
