New York Aquarium
South wall
|
|
| Date opened | December 10, 1896 |
|---|---|
| Location | 602 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11224 United States |
| Coordinates | 40°34′27″N 73°58′30″W / 40.574292°N 73.975116°WCoordinates: 40°34′27″N 73°58′30″W / 40.574292°N 73.975116°W |
| Land area | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Public transit access |
Subway:   at West Eighth Street – New York AquariumBus: B36 |
| Website | www |
The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, having opened in Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan in 1896. Since 1957, it has been located on the boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The aquarium is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as part of its integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium, most notably the Bronx Zoo. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
As part of WCS, the Aquarium's mission is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.
The facility occupies 14 acres and boasts 266 species of aquatic wildlife. Its mission is to raise public awareness about issues facing the ocean and its inhabitants with special exhibits, public events and research. The New York Seascape program, based out of the aquarium, is WCS’s local conservation program designed to restore healthy populations of marine species and protect NY waters which are vital to the area’s economic and cultural vitality.
The New York Aquarium opened on December 10, 1896, at Castle Garden in Battery Park. Its first director was the respected fish expert, Dr. Tarleton Hoffman Bean (1895–1898). He was also part of creating many more similar wild life Organizations/Aquariums/Protected areas. On October 31, 1902, the Aquarium was adopted into the care of what was then the New York Zoological Society. At the time, the Aquarium housed only 150 specimens of wildlife. Over time, its most famous director, the distinguished zoologist Charles Haskins Townsend, enlarged the collections considerably, and the Aquarium attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A towering figure in New York Zoological Society and New York Aquarium history, Townsend served as the Aquarium's director for 30 years. Townsend's work with whaling bans, Galápagos tortoise conservation and the development of aquarium technology are on par with the work of William Temple Hornaday.
...
Wikipedia