Aquarium staff participating in beach clean-up
Propogating Boulder Brain Coral from Florida Reef Tract Project
In January, the Aquarium joined an international rescue effort for endangered flamingos in South Africa. Aquarium staff traveled to assist with the feeding, housing, and medical care of approximately 2,000 abandoned lesser flamingo juveniles that were found in Kamfers Dam, as well as the field rescue and care of hundreds of flamingo eggs. Sustainable seafood, which is seafood caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term health of the species and the ocean, continued to be a major focus of the Aquarium’s conservation work. “Seafood Wars,” educational culinary events that invite competing chefs to create sustainable seafood dishes, informed guests on the importance of supporting local fishermen. The Aquarium also joined forces with other organizations to encourage area seafood restaurants to use locally caught seafood
using sustainable practices. When a deadly disease began killing off large swaths of the Florida Reef Tract, the Aquarium was one of many Association of Zoos and Aquariums partners that participated in a project to save the reef ’s remaining coral and help with a potential rebuilding project. Several species of coral were transported to the Aquarium in July and introduced to a safe offsite habitat where they could be cared for and propagate until a time when they can, hopefully, be reintroduced to their natural habitat. Staff and volunteers also galvanized the community to keep local coastlines healthy. As a local host of the Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Program, the Aquarium organized the cleanup of beaches, making them safer for people and wildlife alike.
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