Contact:
Sue Knapp
617-973-5213
[email protected]
The coast is a magical yet turbulent place. Vacationers flock to it as a refreshing get-away destination. Sea turtles seek it when mating and laying eggs. Real estate developers and city planners covet it when it comes to land deals and growth opportunities. Whatever the reason, our planet's coastal regions are seriously deteriorating under the weight of their own popularity. Overdevelopment and the rise in human population are fast becoming the downfall of coastal regions. In fact, humans affect coastal areas, even if they live hundreds of miles inland.
Currently, about half of the earth's human population lives within 60 miles (100 km) of the seacoast. By the year 2025, an estimated 6.3 billion people may live there. The greatest threat to sea life today -- other than overfishing -- arises from human activity on land. Although our coastal conditions are critical, restoration is possible. Many coastal areas are remarkably resilient.
This is a critical, global topic, and the New England Aquarium is one organization tackling it. Starting on January 10, 1998, the New England Aquarium's new Coastal Rhythms: Creatures on the Edge exhibit addresses coastal concerns while displaying many exotic animals and locales. Visitors will learn how humans interact with and affect these habitats and the creatures that live there.
There is so much to see, experience and learn in Coastal Rhythms: Creatures on the Edge. The plight of our planet's coasts is a truly important topic that we all can't afford not to know more about. The first step in intelligent pro-active conservation is becoming aware of important issues.
In Coastal Rhythms: Creatures on the Edge, journey from New England's rocky shores, across sun-drenched beaches, then dip into a seaweed jungle halfway around the world. Along the way, see ornate leafy sea dragons from southern Australia lurking like seaweed-draped branches in underwater jungles. Watch baby saltwater crocodiles in a mangrove swamp, and marvel at silvery garden eels from the Sea of Cortez lifting their tiny heads from under the sand. These are just a few of the exhibits which explore how humans interact with these habitats and the creatures that live there.
According to New England Aquarium President Jerry Schubel, "We created Coastal Rhythms to display the beauty of these areas, and also to explore the critical problems facing them. Because coastal habitats are so diverse, and often so misunderstood, it is difficult to build the kind of conservation constituency that has rallied in support of the world's rain forests. We hope that through this exhibit, our visitors will be well on their way to becoming that constituency the world's imperiled coasts so desperately need."
Aquarium President Jerry Schubel has spent his career studying and writing about coastal matters. Greg Stone, Aquarium Director of Conservation Programs, is an expert on fisheries issues and habitat problems worldwide. Marine and Coastal Specialist Carolyn Levi, and Steve Bailey, Curator of Fishes, both very knowledgeable on coastal animals and issues, were also instrumental in creating this exhibit. All are ready to answer questions and provide information about this timely environmental topic.
Once again, the first step in intelligent pro-active conservation is becoming aware of important issues.
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