Last 60 Days of Swampland at Oregon Coast Aquarium
(Newport, Oregon) - Time is running out to catch exotic creatures wandering around swamp environments at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. There are two months left to see Swampland – the exhibit with habitats of three different types of swamps.
The exhibit will dismantle the swampy show beginning January 3, 2012.
Swampland is an elaborate, almost interactive experience, where colorful murals portray three different types of swamps: the South American swamps of the Pantanal, a mangrove swamp and a cypress swamp. Swampland focuses on the role of animals in these ecosystems, using a narrative style of interpretation within a storybook format that tells a fascinating tale.
Simulated cypress and mangrove trees greet you as you first enter, followed by sights of such beasties as a 12-foot anaconda inside a large tank. This helps display the food web, and the anaconda is first because it is at the top of the food chain. You then can read how swamps differ from other types of wetlands and the critters that have adapted to living there.
Creatures that live in swamps include reptiles, amphibians, fishes, birds and mammals. A 12 foot anaconda and a 6 foot alligator are among the inhabitants of Swampland. Although it is not generally interested in eating humans, the anaconda is potentially dangerous while feeding: it requires two people and a specific protocol due to its enormous size and strength. Other animals in Swampland include piranhas, red tail boas, a large alligator snapping turtle, poison dart frogs and tropical fish that use mangrove roots as nurseries.
Swampland also lets visitors touch some of the critters, or crawl through simulated environments used by creatures such as piranhas or alligators. Children can record their observations in a naturalist tent. As visitors walk through giant mangrove roots, they will see up close how the root systems act as the swamp’s “nursery” by protecting small animals.
These ecosystems have become endangered and this has been getting sizable attention in recent years, partially because of events like the Gulf oil spill and Hurricane Katrina. The importance of these environments in the greater scheme of environmental science and the ecosystem of the entire planet has become clearer and clearer. They serve a variety of purposes integral to the survival of this world, including water purification and protection of fish.
Next up at Oregon Coast Aquarium: after the Swampland exhibit shuts down: the facility will begin construction on “The Sea and Me.” opening next Memorial Day weekend. This will be an interactive family adventure spotlighting four facets of the ocean; research, fishing, recreation and culture. Live animal encounters and interactive components will show the human connection to the ocean; how we interact with it and why we should learn and care about it.
Ferry Slip Road. Newport, Oregon. www.aquarium.org or call (541) 867-FISH.
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