Who’s the Newest Adopted Member of the Sunshine State?
Make a guess – which amazing aquarium does enough good to be called an adopted member of the “Sunshine State”?
Discovering the Georgia Aquarium’s conservation efforts reach far beyond Georgia boarders makes our day!
Marineland Dolphin Adventure in St Augustine, Florida has a long history that began way before Georgia Aquarium took ownership or even existed.
Marineland opened in 1938. First known as Marine Studios or “The World’s First Oceanarium”, it was a popular filming location for many movies.
Marineland is home to 14 dolphins, some currently in their 40’s, like Betty and Chubby, all the way down the age-line to Coquina, who is 5 ½ months old.
In 2008, Georgia Aquarium and Marineland teamed up to open the Dolphin Conservation Field Station. But in 2011, Georgia Aquarium bought Marineland and the Dolphin Conservation Field Station was renamed Georgia Aquarium Conservation Field Station (GACFS).
These facilities further the conservation efforts of both organizations since this prime location sees more standings than the entirety of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Their “4R” Program (Rescue, Research, Rehabilitation and Responsibility), is possible through Georgia Aquarium and Marineland’s teamwork. Each “R” represents a ton of amazing work.
GACFS is a member of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s stranding network. They respond to strandings in Flagler County, FL and take them back to the station for treatment. They will also help other nearby facilities when needed and assist in mass strandings, such as the many cold stunned sea turtles in February of 2009. Georgia Aquarium was able to take 5 turtles back to rehabilitate and later release.
The research programs through GACFS help us understand why marine mammals are stranding, identify emerging diseases in their species, and monitor the overall health of the ocean. They are also working on photo ID’ing the wild dolphin population to learn more about the individuals inhabiting the area.
GACFS and Marineland are equipped to handle stranded dolphins, small whales and other smaller animals like sea turtles. Georgia Aquarium has taken in rescued sea turtles, southern sea otters and California sea lions. All animals are released back into the ocean if deemed releasable.
Georgia Aquarium has ongoing research programs reaching from the Florida Keys to Alaska. Preserving and protecting the natural world we share is the responsibility of facilities such as Georgia Aquarium as well as everyone so that our oceans will be here for many generations to come.
By: Carol Ashburn
