Marineland's dolphin conservation area has grand opening

Marineland's dolphin conservation area has grand opening



By MARCIA LANE
marcia.lane@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 04/22/09

Miners once took canaries underground with them to test the air purity.

Georgia Aquarium's chief veterinarian sees dolphins and whales serving a similar purpose when it comes to the health of the seas.

Marineland will be part of the pulse-taking, following the opening of a new facility in conjunction with the Georgia Aquarium.

"(Dolphins and whales) are very good sentinels of the ocean's health," said Dr. Greg Bossart during ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the Dolphin Conservation Field Station at Marineland on Tuesday morning.

The conservation field station will conduct research and provide veterinary facilities for rescued marine mammals.

The ribbon-cutting was largely ceremonial since the field station is already built and partially furnished. Construction will begin shortly on the ponds where injured marine mammals will be rehabilitated.

Wielding the ribbon-cutting scissors were Bernie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot and the major benefactor of the Georgia Aquarium, and Jim Jacoby, owner of Marineland of Florida. Jacoby serves on the board of the Aquarium and offered the Florida location.

"Our focus is going to be dolphins and small whales. That's where the need is," said Meghann Gibbons, director of public relations for the Georgia Aquarium.

Aquarium officials talked to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials among others to find out where help was needed. They said Georgia and Northeast Florida. That made for a natural fit with Marineland.

Marcus made conservation and environmental issues important parts of the attraction. The Aquarium is funding research on whale sharks and belugas, two of the unique species at the aquarium. The research includes the annual migration of whale sharks off Mexico and beluga whale assessments in Alaska.

The field station at Marineland is a first, but also involves a continuation of the research emphasis.

The station is waiting on required permits from National Marine Fisheries Service, but workers are already on the job.

They helped remove a wayward dolphin from Lake Monroe in the heart of Sanford in February. She apparently entered the St. Johns River at Jacksonville and wove her way south.

"She was stranded in the fresh water lake, and then (various groups working together) moved her back to salt water," said Cathy Campbell, who describes herself as the lead volunteer for the field station.

A former employee of Marineland, she's an enthusiastic supporter of the new collaboration.

The second effort involved helping a manatee with health problems. That involved working with Jacksonville Zoo officials.

Photo identification of the dolphins in the area is under way, and health surveys will be conducted. That data will be compared later with information from projects in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. That will allow scientists to better assess the health and status of dolphins.

Marine animal strandings will be among research efforts. Officials hope to be ready soon to rescue stranded animals and rehabilitate them on site.

Dolphins will play a bigger role at the Georgia Aquarium in 2010 when a $110 million expansion opens. Bottlenose dolphins from Marineland's Dolphin Conservation Center will be the first inhabitants of the facility's 1.3 million gallon exhibit.

The dolphins are part of a breeding loan from Marineland, offered by Jacoby.

"Since we opened, people have loved the aquarium, but they always ask 'Where are the dolphins?'" Gibbons said.

PARTNERSHIP

Georgia Aquarium -- Pledged $3 million plus to the care and study of dolphins through initial contribution to build the facility for $1.5 million and annual operating costs of $300,000.

Marineland of Florida - Donated use of land for facility.

FOR MORE:

www.georgiaaquarium.org

www.dolphinfieldstation.org

www.marineland.net

AT THE STATION:

Two-story building to blend in with Marineland and Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience.

Includes labs downstairs and living facilities upstairs.

Two outfitted trailers/trucks - one for live animals, the other for dead animals allows necropsies to be done at the scene without contamination.

Two boats.


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