North Carolina Aquariums
Encyclopedia
North Carolina Aquariums is a system of 3 public aquarium
s located in Kure Beach
, Roanoke Island
and Pine Knoll Shores. All are operated by the Aquariums Division of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
since 1976 and are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
. All three aquariums feature dive shows, live animal encounters, and feeding programs.
The focus of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
, in Kure Beach
, is to educate visitors about the waters of the Cape Fear
region. The Cape Fear Conservatory, the visitor’s first stop in the aquarium, features freshwater life. In this large, tree-filled atrium, streams, ponds and swamps are home to frogs, snakes, bass
, catfish
, and perch
. Box turtles hide among the Conservatory’s groundcover. American alligators native to North Carolina
occupy one of the larger exhibits in the Conservatory. An albino alligator exhibit opened in 2009. In 2006, the aquarium opened an exhibit featuring the venomous snakes of the region, including several species of rattlesnake
, copperheads, and cottonmouths
.
The Coastal Waters Gallery, which includes the Coquina
Outcrop Touch Pool, provides hands-on opportunities to learn about sea urchins, horseshoe crabs, whelk
s, and other creatures of a rocky outcrop surf zone. Masonboro Inlet
Jetty features the fishes common around a wave-washed rock jetty, an indoor salt marsh
, a sea horse habitat, and a loggerhead sea turtle
display.
The Open Oceans Gallery includes Sharkstooth Ledge, which features fish common to offshore North Carolina, such as pufferfish
, hogfish
, and filefish
. The gallery also displays octopus
, jellyfish
, and corals native to the state's waters. A new multimedia suite features an extinct whale-eating shark called Megalodon. This exhibit, opened on July 1, 2011, includes projections on a 23-ft curved screen, as well as interactive holograms and touch-screen interfaces.
Holding 235000 gal, Cape Fear Shoals is the largest of the aquarium’s saltwater exhibits. The 24 feet (7.3 m)-deep replica of an offshore reef
affords two-story, multi-level views of large shark
s, stingrays, groupers, and moray eels.
The Exotic Aquatics Display features animals native to Indo-Pacific
and other ocean regions. These displays include spiny lobsters, the red lionfish
(Pterois volitans), and a North Carolina native, the spotted scorpionfish
. They are both known for their inconspicuous, venomous spines. Lionfish are native to the Indian
and Pacific Oceans, but in 2000 were confirmed as having established themselves in North Carolina. Australian spotted jellies, recently invasive in U.S. coastal waters, are among the gallery's newer exhibits.
The 550 gal Pacific Reef Display features living corals, giant clam
, anemones, cardinalfish, hawkfish
, clownfish
, wrasses, surgeonfish, and nearly a dozen other fish species.
. Notable among them are two sand tiger sharks – one that measures nearly nine feet long, a green moray eel
measuring about six feet long, a goliath grouper
approaching four feet, and a number of sizable nurse shark
s, sandbar shark
s and various game fish
es.
Most of the larger creatures inhabit the Aquarium’s centerpiece exhibit, the 306000 gal Living Shipwreck. Along with hundreds of schooling fishes and other animals, they create a swirl of constant motion around a replica of U-352, a German submarine that lost a World War II
battle with a Coast Guard cutter off the North Carolina coast. The Aquarium’s two river otters also have lived up to expectations of stardom. With the help of the public, the two were named Neuse and Pungo after North Carolina rivers. Wide viewing windows bring their playful antics and underwater agility to child-eye-level, and the lively pair enchants people of all ages.
The North Carolina Aquarium also features two hands-on exhibits: the Tidal Touch Pool, featuring a large variety of aquatic invertebrates, and Skate and Ray Encounters.
Visitors can get a glimpse of the North Carolina Aquarium’s successful sea turtle
rehabilitation program in the Sea Turtle Odyssey exhibit. Each year, weak sea turtle hatchlings from nearby beaches are brought by the state Wildlife Resources Commission to the North Carolina Aquarium. Once there, they are rehabilitated and often put on exhibit until they can be released back into the wild. Some of the turtles' travels are recorded daily via satellite tag and viewable to the public.
Throughout the year the North Carolina Aquarium offers free daily programs, including: live animal programs, animal feeding presentations, a "Live Dive!" show, puppet shows, quiz games and hands-on activities. A number of special activities are available for a small fee. In the summer, beginning June 1, the North Carolina Aquarium offers snorkeling
, surfing
classes, night treks to search for nesting sea turtles, on board collection and river cruises, kayaking
and canoe
ing excursions, and fishing
courses. Kayaking, canoeing and fishing programs continue into the fall, when seafood cooking classes are also offered. Behind-the-scenes tours, Dinner with the Critters, and Breakfast with the Rays are offered year-round.
is a 68000 square feet (6,317.4 m²) facility located on the Outer Banks
. The focus of the aquarium is the sealife and ecosystems in the waters of the Outer Banks as well as the weather that affects it. Galleries include, Coastal Freshwaters, Wetlands on the Edge, Hurricanes and Northeasters, Marine Communities, Close Encounters, Open Ocean, and Oceans Revealed: Powers of the Planet.
destroyed the structure. Plans were made to completely rebuild Jennette’s as a concrete structure with a 1000 feet (304.8 m) pier. $25 million was set aside for construction which began in early 2009. On May 21, 2011, Jennette's Pier was finally reopened to the public. Programs such as recreational fishing, field trips and extension education are conducted at the pier. There are plans to build two other piers near the aquariums at Fort Fisher and Pine Knoll Shores, but money has not been allocated for construction.
Public aquarium
A public aquarium is the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, housing living aquatic species for viewing. Most public aquariums feature tanks larger than those kept by home aquarists, as well as smaller tanks. Since the first public aquariums were built in the mid-19th century, they have become popular...
s located in Kure Beach
Kure Beach, North Carolina
Kure Beach (ˈkjʊərɪ KYUR-ee) is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina about 15 miles south of Wilmington. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2000 census...
, Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
and Pine Knoll Shores. All are operated by the Aquariums Division of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources is the state's leading stewardship agency for the preservation and protection of natural resources and public health.- Divisions :* Air Quality* Aquariums...
since 1976 and are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
. All three aquariums feature dive shows, live animal encounters, and feeding programs.
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
, in Kure Beach
Kure Beach, North Carolina
Kure Beach (ˈkjʊərɪ KYUR-ee) is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina about 15 miles south of Wilmington. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2000 census...
, is to educate visitors about the waters of the Cape Fear
Cape Fear (region)
Cape Fear is a coastal plain and tidewater region of North Carolina centered about the city of Wilmington. The region takes its name from the adjacent Cape Fear headland, as does the Cape Fear River which flows through the region and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near the cape...
region. The Cape Fear Conservatory, the visitor’s first stop in the aquarium, features freshwater life. In this large, tree-filled atrium, streams, ponds and swamps are home to frogs, snakes, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, and perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
. Box turtles hide among the Conservatory’s groundcover. American alligators native to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
occupy one of the larger exhibits in the Conservatory. An albino alligator exhibit opened in 2009. In 2006, the aquarium opened an exhibit featuring the venomous snakes of the region, including several species of rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
, copperheads, and cottonmouths
Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen
Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen is a venomous pitviper subspecies found in the eastern United States.-Description:The Northern copperhead grows to an average length of 61-91 cm , with a maximum of 134.6 cm ....
.
The Coastal Waters Gallery, which includes the Coquina
Coquina
Coquina is a sedimentary rock that is composed either wholly or almost entirely of the transported, abraded, and mechanically sorted fragments of the shells of either molluscs, trilobites, brachiopods, or other invertebrates. For a sediment to be considered to be a coquina, the average size of the...
Outcrop Touch Pool, provides hands-on opportunities to learn about sea urchins, horseshoe crabs, whelk
Whelk
Whelk, also spelled welk or even "wilks", is a common name used to mean one or more kinds of sea snail. The species, genera and families referred to using this common name vary a great deal from one geographic area to another...
s, and other creatures of a rocky outcrop surf zone. Masonboro Inlet
Masonboro Inlet
Masonboro Inlet is an inlet in New Hanover County, North Carolina, separating the town of Wrightsville Beach from Masonboro Island. The inlet was used as a hideout by Confederate blockade runners during the Civil War. The blockade runners would hide in the inlet until nightfall, then sail to the...
Jetty features the fishes common around a wave-washed rock jetty, an indoor salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
, a sea horse habitat, and a loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
display.
The Open Oceans Gallery includes Sharkstooth Ledge, which features fish common to offshore North Carolina, such as pufferfish
Pufferfish
Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the Tetraodontiformes order. The family includes many familiar species which are variously called pufferfish, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab...
, hogfish
Hogfish
The Hogfish is a species of fish that is a member of the wrasse, Labridae, family. The hogfish is one of the larger species of wrasses and is found in the western Atlantic Ocean with a range from Bermuda, south through the Caribbean Sea and northern Gulf of Mexico, continuing to the north coast of...
, and filefish
Filefish
Filefish are tropical to subtropical tetraodontiform marine fish of the diverse family Monacanthidae. Found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the filefish family contains approximately 107 species in 26 genera...
. The gallery also displays octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
, jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
, and corals native to the state's waters. A new multimedia suite features an extinct whale-eating shark called Megalodon. This exhibit, opened on July 1, 2011, includes projections on a 23-ft curved screen, as well as interactive holograms and touch-screen interfaces.
Holding 235000 gal, Cape Fear Shoals is the largest of the aquarium’s saltwater exhibits. The 24 feet (7.3 m)-deep replica of an offshore reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
affords two-story, multi-level views of large shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s, stingrays, groupers, and moray eels.
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
and other ocean regions. These displays include spiny lobsters, the red lionfish
Red Lionfish
The red lionfish is a venomous coral reef fish in the family Scorpaenidae, order Scorpaeniformes. P. volitans is natively found in the Indo-Pacific region, but has become a huge invasive problem in the Caribbean Sea and along the East coast of the United States along with a similar species,...
(Pterois volitans), and a North Carolina native, the spotted scorpionfish
Scorpionfish
Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfish, are a family of mostly marine fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species. As the name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of "sting" in the form of sharp spines coated with venomous mucus. The family is a large one, with hundreds of members. They are...
. They are both known for their inconspicuous, venomous spines. Lionfish are native to the Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Pacific Oceans, but in 2000 were confirmed as having established themselves in North Carolina. Australian spotted jellies, recently invasive in U.S. coastal waters, are among the gallery's newer exhibits.
The 550 gal Pacific Reef Display features living corals, giant clam
Giant clam
The giant clam, Tridacna gigas , is the largest living bivalve mollusc. T. gigas is one of the most endangered clam species. It was mentioned as early as 1825 in scientific reports...
, anemones, cardinalfish, hawkfish
Hawkfish
Hawkfish are strictly tropical, perciform marine fish of the family Cirrhitidae. Associated with the coral reefs of the western and eastern Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, the hawkfish family contains 12 genera and 32 species. They share many morphological features with the scorpionfish of the family...
, clownfish
Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Twenty-eight species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones...
, wrasses, surgeonfish, and nearly a dozen other fish species.
Expansion
The facility closed in November 1999 for a major expansion and reopened in March 2002. The new construction increased the size of aquarium systems from 77000 gal to 455000 gal. The expansion included the creation of the Cape Fear Shoals tank, a 235000 gal exhibit recreating the hard bottomed coral reefs off the coast of North Carolina.North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Since reopening, the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has continued to feature aquatic animals of North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Notable among them are two sand tiger sharks – one that measures nearly nine feet long, a green moray eel
Moray eel
Moray eels are cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. The approximately 200 species in 15 genera are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few, for example the freshwater moray can sometimes be found in freshwater...
measuring about six feet long, a goliath grouper
Goliath grouper
The Atlantic goliath grouper or itajara , commonly known as the Jewfish is a large saltwater fish of the grouper family found primarily in shallow tropical waters among coral and artificial reefs at depths anywhere from 15 to 165 feet...
approaching four feet, and a number of sizable nurse shark
Nurse shark
The nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, sometimes referred to as the Nur Shark is a shark in the nurse sharks family, the only member of its genus Ginglymostoma...
s, sandbar shark
Sandbar shark
The sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. It is distinguishable by its very high first dorsal fin and inter-dorsal ridge....
s and various game fish
Game fish
Game fish are fish pursued for sport by recreational anglers. They can be freshwater or marine fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, though increasingly anglers practise catch and release to improve fish populations. Some game fish are also targeted commercially, particularly...
es.
Most of the larger creatures inhabit the Aquarium’s centerpiece exhibit, the 306000 gal Living Shipwreck. Along with hundreds of schooling fishes and other animals, they create a swirl of constant motion around a replica of U-352, a German submarine that lost a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
battle with a Coast Guard cutter off the North Carolina coast. The Aquarium’s two river otters also have lived up to expectations of stardom. With the help of the public, the two were named Neuse and Pungo after North Carolina rivers. Wide viewing windows bring their playful antics and underwater agility to child-eye-level, and the lively pair enchants people of all ages.
The North Carolina Aquarium also features two hands-on exhibits: the Tidal Touch Pool, featuring a large variety of aquatic invertebrates, and Skate and Ray Encounters.
Visitors can get a glimpse of the North Carolina Aquarium’s successful sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
rehabilitation program in the Sea Turtle Odyssey exhibit. Each year, weak sea turtle hatchlings from nearby beaches are brought by the state Wildlife Resources Commission to the North Carolina Aquarium. Once there, they are rehabilitated and often put on exhibit until they can be released back into the wild. Some of the turtles' travels are recorded daily via satellite tag and viewable to the public.
Throughout the year the North Carolina Aquarium offers free daily programs, including: live animal programs, animal feeding presentations, a "Live Dive!" show, puppet shows, quiz games and hands-on activities. A number of special activities are available for a small fee. In the summer, beginning June 1, the North Carolina Aquarium offers snorkeling
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...
, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
classes, night treks to search for nesting sea turtles, on board collection and river cruises, kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
and canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing excursions, and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
courses. Kayaking, canoeing and fishing programs continue into the fall, when seafood cooking classes are also offered. Behind-the-scenes tours, Dinner with the Critters, and Breakfast with the Rays are offered year-round.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke IslandRoanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
is a 68000 square feet (6,317.4 m²) facility located on the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
. The focus of the aquarium is the sealife and ecosystems in the waters of the Outer Banks as well as the weather that affects it. Galleries include, Coastal Freshwaters, Wetlands on the Edge, Hurricanes and Northeasters, Marine Communities, Close Encounters, Open Ocean, and Oceans Revealed: Powers of the Planet.
Jennette's Pier
In 2002, the NC Aquarium Society purchased Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, the oldest pier along the Outer Banks, with plans to refurbish it as an outreach site. Those plans were put on hold in September 2003, when Hurricane IsabelHurricane Isabel
Hurricane Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. The ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Isabel formed near the Cape Verde Islands from a tropical wave on September 6 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean...
destroyed the structure. Plans were made to completely rebuild Jennette’s as a concrete structure with a 1000 feet (304.8 m) pier. $25 million was set aside for construction which began in early 2009. On May 21, 2011, Jennette's Pier was finally reopened to the public. Programs such as recreational fishing, field trips and extension education are conducted at the pier. There are plans to build two other piers near the aquariums at Fort Fisher and Pine Knoll Shores, but money has not been allocated for construction.