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WORLD RENOWNED - AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR – VISITS THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM FOR EDUCATION AND FUNTampa following their performance the night before at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (special Penguin Promenade scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Taylor Great Room).

Touring The Florida Aquarium while in

The Highly-acclaimed African Children’s Choir launched a Fall Tour “Journey of Hope” on October 12, 2007. Recently seen on American Idol, Good Morning America, Ellen DeGeneres Show and more, the African Children’s Choir is participating in their first theatrical tour at performing arts centers and universities across the United States. The performances showcase numerous African tribes and countries designed to share the stories of Africa’s people, culture and joy. A show both children and adults will love!

The African Children’s Choir is a world renowned Choir that has been working with the most vulnerable children in Africa for 23 years, raising awareness of the plight of the orphaned and abandoned, but also showing the beauty, dignity and potential of the African child. With a focus on education the Choir is currently caring for several thousand underprivileged children throughout Africa. This educational outreach is an aspect that they are bringing to school children throughout the year as they intend on bringing their message to U.S. educational establishments.

With a common focus on education, The Florida Aquarium is honored to host the African Children’s Choir and show them the many wonderful animals and environments found in the state of Florida. Opportunities to get video, still photography and interviews will be made available to the media.

When: Monday, March 10 from 10 a.m. to noon

Tampa, Fla. (Feb. 25, 2008) – Beginning on February 29^th and lasting throughout the year, zoos and aquariums across the country will celebrate Leap Day to promote amphibian conservation and help kick off “Year of the Frog”.  The Florida Aquarium has added four new exhibits featuring native, African and South American frogs and educators will have fun, frog-related activities on Friday, Feb. 29 for children of all ages. The Aquarium is also offering free admission on Leap Day to anyone born on Feb. 29 (with valid ID) and a special admission rate of $29 for up to four people (normally $72).

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) chose 2008 as the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort addressing the amphibian extinction crisis. The Year of the Frog is also meant to engage the public in amphibian conservation and to raise funds for AZA amphibian conservation efforts into the future.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates that at least one-third of known amphibian species are threatened with extinction. While the major culprit has historically been habitat loss and degradation, many of the declines and extinctions previously referred to as "enigmatic" are now being attributed to the rapidly dispersing infectious disease chytridiomycosis, which is caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Bd is causing population and species extinctions at an alarming rate.

The combined effect of habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and Bd cannot be addressed solely in the wild. Captive assurance populations have become the only hope for many species faced with imminent extinction and are an important component of an integrated conservation effort. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, with their demonstrated expertise in endangered species breeding programs, have been called upon to meet this conservation challenge.

Frogs on display at The Florida Aquarium (species on display will vary during the course of the year):

Wetlands Gallery

-          Bullfrog

-          Southern Leopard Frog

-          Bronze Frog

-          Florida Gopher Frog

-          Green Tree Frog

-          Barking Tree Frog

-          Squirrel Tree Frog

Aquariumania

-          Bumble Bee Dart Frog

-          Green and Black Poison Dart Frog

-          Blue Poison Dart Frog

-          Dyeing Poison Dart Frog

-          African Clawed Frog

Paleo-Florida ‘Springs’ to Life

Archeological Exhibit on UM’s Little Salt Spring Opens at The Florida Aquarium

Tampa, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2008) – Diving aficionados and history buffs have a chance to view an unusual collection of artifacts excavated from Little Salt Spring in North Port, Fla., in a new exhibit showing at The Florida Aquarium titled: “Dive into the Past: An Exhibit on the Little Salt Spring Archaeological Site.” Conceived and created by Dan Hughes, the Sarasota County archaeologist, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, it is on display through March 30.

Who: John Gifford, PhD, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science associate professor and Little Salt Spring principal investigator

What: Presentation on findings and expectations of site at Little Salt Springs “Dive into the Past: An Exhibit on the Little Salt Spring Archaeological Site.”

When: Wednesday, January 30, Presentation at 6:30 p.m. (approximately 45 minutes in length)

Where: The Florida Aquarium, Taylor Great Room (please use business entrance)

Why: Little Salt Spring is one of the most important archaeological sites in the state, and perhaps the nation, for its wealth of information about the first Floridians more than 12,000 years ago. The sinkhole’s water chemistry and temperature have helped to create a one-of-a-kind, prehistoric submerged site where late Paleo-Indian and Archaic artifacts have been excavated from a portion of the spring basin.