Texas State Aquarium
Encyclopedia
The Texas State Aquarium is a nonprofit
aquarium
located in Corpus Christi, Texas
, United States
. It is dedicated to promoting environmental conservation and rehabilitation of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico
. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA) since 1995.
After more than 20 years of fundraising, planning, and building, the Texas State Aquarium opened its first exhibit to the public on July 6, 1990. In 1993 the aquarium became a federally-permitted animal rehabilitation, and in 1995 it was accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA).
The current director and chief executive officer
of the aquarium is Tom Schmid.
Poison dart frogs and piranhas
, a red-tailed boa, and also a bird eating spider can be seen in the Amazon exhibit, along with many other reptiles and fish.
Dolphin Bay
This 400000 gal saltwater exhibit houses three Atlantic bottlenose dolphins: Shadow, Kai, and DJ (of which Shadow and DJ are brothers). The three Atlantic dolphins put on a dolphin training program three times per day so visitors can experience how the trainers interact with their dolphins as well as learn more about how to conserve and protect the world's oceans.
Eagle Pass
All of the raptor
s featured in this exhibit were rehabilitated at the Texas State Aquarium and deemed unreleasable. This exhibit includes a bald eagle
named Grace.
Floating Phantoms
This 800 gal exhibit contains a variety of jellyfish
and sea nettle
, most of which can be found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Flower Gardens
Replicating a coral reef
, this 40000 gal exhibit features tarpon
, green moray eels, and cownose stingrays. The Aquarium's "Diver in the Water" show takes place in this exhibit.
Hawn Wild Flight Theater
These presentations feature a variety of trained birds including parrots, hawks, owls
, and falcon
s. The Hawn Wild Flight Theater honors the Hawn family for their long-standing commitment to the Aquarium's mission of wildlife education and conservation in South Texas. The theater was opened April 24, 2007.
Islands of Steel
The largest indoor exhibit at the Aquarium, Islands of Steel recreates the habitat formed around an oil platform
. The 125,000-gallon exhibit includes nurse sharks
, amberjack
, tarpon
, grouper
, a barracuda
, a sand tiger shark, and many other species that could be found in a naturally-occurring habitat in the Gulf of Mexico.
Living Shores
Visitors can interact with hermit crabs, lightning whelks, and pencil urchins that reside in several touchpools at this exhibit.
Otter Creek
Four North American River Otters reside at the Aquarium and can be viewed interacting with one another and their trainers throughout the day.
Stingray Flats
Visitors can touch Atlantic and cownose stingrays in the Aquarium's largest outdoor touch pool.
Swamp Tales
Bo, a 10.5 feet (3.2 m) American alligator
, and six species of freshwater turtles and tortoises reside in the newest exhibit at the Aquarium.
Tortuga Cay
Visitors can view the rehabilited and unreleasable sea turtles above and below the water at this exhibit. Tortugay Cay includes three green sea turtle
s (Squirt, Pickles, and Crush), one kemp's ridley sea turtle (Daisy), one hawksbill sea turtle (Hemingway), and a loggerhead sea turtle
(Tiki).
, when Harmon Rabb Jr. has a flashback of when he was with his father as a child on board an aircraft carrier (the aircraft carrier USS Lexington
is located nearby).
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
aquarium
Public aquarium
A public aquarium is the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, housing living aquatic species for viewing. Most public aquariums feature tanks larger than those kept by home aquarists, as well as smaller tanks. Since the first public aquariums were built in the mid-19th century, they have become popular...
located in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is dedicated to promoting environmental conservation and rehabilitation of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
(AZA) since 1995.
History
Originally conceived by a coalition led by the Junior League of Corpus Christi and named the Gulf Coast Zoological and Botanical Society, the organization changed its name to the Corpus Christi Aquarium Association in 1978, and then to Texas State Aquarium Association in 1986 after the Texas State Legislature designated it the "Official Aquarium of Texas", although it would receive no state dollars.After more than 20 years of fundraising, planning, and building, the Texas State Aquarium opened its first exhibit to the public on July 6, 1990. In 1993 the aquarium became a federally-permitted animal rehabilitation, and in 1995 it was accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
(AZA).
The current director and chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the aquarium is Tom Schmid.
Exhibits
AmazonPoison dart frogs and piranhas
Piranhas
Piranhas is a historic city and municipality in the western of the State of Alagoas, in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Located on the bank of the São Francisco River, just at the border with the State of Sergipe, Piranhas was founded in 1891 and originally named Floriano Peixoto...
, a red-tailed boa, and also a bird eating spider can be seen in the Amazon exhibit, along with many other reptiles and fish.
Dolphin Bay
This 400000 gal saltwater exhibit houses three Atlantic bottlenose dolphins: Shadow, Kai, and DJ (of which Shadow and DJ are brothers). The three Atlantic dolphins put on a dolphin training program three times per day so visitors can experience how the trainers interact with their dolphins as well as learn more about how to conserve and protect the world's oceans.
Eagle Pass
All of the raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s featured in this exhibit were rehabilitated at the Texas State Aquarium and deemed unreleasable. This exhibit includes a bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
named Grace.
Floating Phantoms
This 800 gal exhibit contains a variety of jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
and sea nettle
Sea nettle
Chrysaora quinquecirrha is a species of jellyfish that inhabits Atlantic estuaries, such as the Chesapeake Bay...
, most of which can be found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Flower Gardens
Replicating a coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
, this 40000 gal exhibit features tarpon
Tarpon
Tarpons are large fish of the genus Megalops. There are two species of Megalops, one native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific oceans.They are the only members of the family Megalopidae.- Species and habitats :...
, green moray eels, and cownose stingrays. The Aquarium's "Diver in the Water" show takes place in this exhibit.
Hawn Wild Flight Theater
These presentations feature a variety of trained birds including parrots, hawks, owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
, and falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s. The Hawn Wild Flight Theater honors the Hawn family for their long-standing commitment to the Aquarium's mission of wildlife education and conservation in South Texas. The theater was opened April 24, 2007.
Islands of Steel
The largest indoor exhibit at the Aquarium, Islands of Steel recreates the habitat formed around an oil platform
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
. The 125,000-gallon exhibit includes nurse sharks
Nurse sharks
Ginglymostomatidae is a cosmopolitan family of carpet sharks, containing the three monotypic genera of nurse sharks. Common in shallow, tropical and subtropical waters, these sharks are sluggish and docile bottom-dwellers...
, amberjack
Amberjack
Amberjack refers to 3 species of Atlantic fish of the Carangidae family , which includes the jacks and the pompanos.Greater amberjacks, Seriola dumerili, are the largest of the jacks. They usually have dark stripes extending from nose to in front of their dorsal fins...
, tarpon
Tarpon
Tarpons are large fish of the genus Megalops. There are two species of Megalops, one native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific oceans.They are the only members of the family Megalopidae.- Species and habitats :...
, grouper
Grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
, a barracuda
Barracuda
The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. Some species could reach up to 1.8m in length and 30 cm in width...
, a sand tiger shark, and many other species that could be found in a naturally-occurring habitat in the Gulf of Mexico.
Living Shores
Visitors can interact with hermit crabs, lightning whelks, and pencil urchins that reside in several touchpools at this exhibit.
Otter Creek
Four North American River Otters reside at the Aquarium and can be viewed interacting with one another and their trainers throughout the day.
Stingray Flats
Visitors can touch Atlantic and cownose stingrays in the Aquarium's largest outdoor touch pool.
Swamp Tales
Bo, a 10.5 feet (3.2 m) American alligator
American Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
, and six species of freshwater turtles and tortoises reside in the newest exhibit at the Aquarium.
Tortuga Cay
Visitors can view the rehabilited and unreleasable sea turtles above and below the water at this exhibit. Tortugay Cay includes three green sea turtle
Green Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
s (Squirt, Pickles, and Crush), one kemp's ridley sea turtle (Daisy), one hawksbill sea turtle (Hemingway), and a loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
(Tiki).
On television
The aquarium appears in the pilot episode of JAGJAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, when Harmon Rabb Jr. has a flashback of when he was with his father as a child on board an aircraft carrier (the aircraft carrier USS Lexington
USS Lexington
USS Lexington may refer to one of many actual or fictional vessels:In the United States Navy:, a brigantine acquired in 1776 and captured in 1777, a sloop in commission from 1826 to 1830 and from 1831 to 1855, a timberclad gunboat in commission from 1861 to 1865, an aircraft carrier commissioned in...
is located nearby).