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A Conversation with NYA Director Jon Forrest Dohlin

Jon Forrest Dohlin, Director of the New York Aquarium, has been with the Wildlife Conservation Society since 1997. Both a biologist and architect by training, Dohlin first worked as an Exhibit Designer and Project Manager in WCS’s Design Department and as a Project Manager with WCS Capital Construction. He is now leading the effort to create the Aquarium’s new Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit, as well as to rebuild the exhibits and facilities damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Dohlin also guides WCS’s New York Seascape conservation program based at the Aquarium, which conducts field research and educational outreach, as well as advocates for policy changes, in order to conserve the waters around New York.

How will the new New York Aquarium impact the New York region?

JON DOHLIN: If you look at the visitation to the Aquarium over the last few years, even in its much reduced state, you realize how much people want, enjoy, and look for a public aquarium in their overall cultural landscape. It can’t be overstated how big of an impact the new Aquarium will make, with brand new exhibits, and stronger and deeper conservation messaging. We are also playing a substantial role in Coney Island’s ongoing economic renaissance. At the same time our Aquarium is expanding on the east end, a year-round amphitheater and cultural center will be opening on the west end. We’re helping create an economic cradle for the rest of Coney Island.

For Ocean Wonders and the post-Sandy rebuild, WCS and partners are investing $250 million to create an experience at the Aquarium that will inspire people, providing them with a connection to their marine heritage, and inspiring them to help us preserve it. The Aquarium will be a place where people discover the incredible riches found offshore. Visitors will learn about the vast diversity of wildlife that is found in the Hudson Canyon, and the extent to which that overlaps with our own use of the ocean—for instance, how shipping overlaps with whale migrations, and how fishing impacts the health of fish populations. They will engage with these topics through our education programs, advocacy work, and ongoing research, sparking a potentially lifelong passion for the ocean.

Why is it important to protect New York’s waters?

JD: The New York City we know today owes its development to its incredibly fertile watershed—where the open ocean meets a series of estuaries and is joined by a major river. This is why the Dutch originally settled here: The Hudson River connected the city to upstate New York, feeding trade and industrial development, and the bountiful fish fed the city’s growing population. Today, healthy waters are still essential to this region’s economic and recreational growth. Our waters are also important habitats for an incredible array of marine species, including sharks and critically endangered whales. We want New Yorkers to have the chance to rediscover their maritime heritage and protect their surrounding marine habitats, and I believe that the New York Aquarium and WCS’s New York Seascape program are at the center of that rediscovery.

Is it a challenge to advocate for the conservation of an environment that cannot easily be seen by humans?

JD: The iconic image of New York City that exists in people’s minds is typically from the perspective of the water, looking at the land. The water is just a blank slate surrounding this incredible man-made metropolis. Our goal is to reverse that perspective, to have people look from the land out towards the sea, and appreciate the richness of life that’s underneath that vast surface. It’s a challenge because we are terrestrial creatures, and to us, the ocean is almost like an alien environment. It is largely mute and mysterious in terms of a human’s ability to perceive it. This is what makes an aquarium visit such a powerful experience. The new New York Aquarium will make those mysteries below the surface come alive like never before.

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Together, We Can Save Our Oceans from Plastic Pollution!

Since the 1950s, humans have produced more than 8 billion tons of plastic. Much of our plastic waste ends up dumped into the environment—particularly our oceans, lakes, and rivers. If we don’t change this behavior now, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

The good news is that each of us has the power to reduce plastic pollution in our everyday lives. From single-use water bottles and plastic bags, to straws and coffee cups, the problem is literally in our hands. This is why, in addition to the 30-Day Plastics Challenge we launched last month, the New York Aquarium and all other WCS parks have joined with zoos and aquariums across the country to launch the “In Our Hands” campaign. In WCS’s parks, we have already eliminated plastic straws, cold drink lids, and single-use carryout plastic bags, and are encouraging people to choose alternatives such as reusable bottles and shopping bags. Show your support by spreading the word about the campaign (and get a custom graphic of your favorite sea animal).

We are also proud to be partnering with the City of New York on an anti-litter campaign focused on marine life. Trash on the streets in New York can end up in the harbor, and hurts local wildlife like dolphins, seals, whales, oysters, and turtles. The City is developing better ways to manage storm water runoff, and is working with the New York Aquarium to encourage New Yorkers not to litter. Be on the lookout this summer for these eye-catching posters at stores, restaurants, bus stops, recreational areas, and other spots around Coney Island!

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An Impressive Shark Mobile

Many of the artistic details within Ocean Wonders: Sharks! have been designed to showcase this charismatic and often misunderstood species group. This eye-catching shark mobile, which spins continuously, will demonstrate the important role sharks play within the delicate coral reef ecosystem where they live. The mobile is made out of 48 individual graphics supported by stainless steel rods, and weighs several hundred pounds. Visitors to this exhibit can learn how WCS conservationists study shark behavior and use this science to guide field efforts and protect vital reefs around the globe.

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Reduce Your Use: Take the 30-Day Plastics Challenge

It’s estimated that over 5 trillion pieces of plastic are currently polluting our planet’s vulnerable oceans. As you can imagine, this is doing serious harm to marine wildlife such as sea turtles and birds, who can easily get tangled or mistake the plastic for food. The good news is that there are simple, everyday ways you can help make our oceans safer for marine life.

This coming Monday is International Plastic Bag Free Day, so there’s no better time to start the 30-Day Plastics Challenge! About 5,000 people have already signed up and are making a real impact by choosing to use reusable shopping bags, refill water bottles instead of tossing them, and drink straight from the cup instead of through a plastic straw. By taking the challenge, you will not only reduce the amount of plastic you use in your everyday life—you’ll also spread awareness of this issue and encourage others to get involved.

Check out the video below to learn more, and sign up for the challenge.

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Celebrating Sixty Years in Coney Island: Famous NYA Directors

The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States and has a long and rich history. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the relocation to Coney Island, an event of special significance. The Aquarium was originally located in Battery Park and owned by the City of New York, and the City transferred control and operation of the facility to WCS (formerly known as the New York Zoological Society) in 1902. At that time, the Aquarium was home to only 150 specimens of wildlife. Since then, the collection, animal care standards, and the facility itself have evolved dramatically. In 1957, the Aquarium opened at a new location in Coney Island, Brooklyn, where it remains today.

Charles Townsend, a distinguished zoologist and conservationist as well as a beloved director of the Aquarium, enlarged the collection considerably during his 30-year tenure in the early 1900s.

Charles H. Townsend, zoologist and Director of the New York Aquarium from 1902 to 1937.

Dr. Townsend researched and wrote extensively about fisheries and zoology, including a guidebook for the New York Aquarium. He also undertook important scientific and conservation work, like the start of a breeding program for Galapagos tortoises in order to help the dwindling population rebound. Under Dr. Townsend’s leadership, the Aquarium attracted as many as two million visitors a year. His guidance and successes continue to be felt at the New York Aquarium and across WCS.

First published in 1919, Guide to the New York Aquarium was popular and remained in print until the Aquarium left Battery Park in 1941.

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Four Ways to Celebrate World Oceans Day!

Despite the huge challenges facing our oceans, each year marine advocates across the globe demonstrate on World Oceans Day that by working together, we can support our oceans and protect them for future generations. On June 8, the New York Aquarium will stand with our partners, supporters, visitors, and marine lovers everywhere to honor our oceans and the critical projects in New York and around the world to conserve them.

Here are the ways you can celebrate World Oceans Day with the New York Aquarium:

Meet Your Underwater Neighbors

Immerse yourself in the fascinating underwater world surrounding New York and New Jersey—one of the world’s greatest marine environments—by visiting Brooklyn Bridge Park through June 14.  This 350-foot photographic display provides awe-inspiring images and stories about local marine life and their habitats, as well as a window into the research of New York Aquarium scientists. Working in collaboration with the New York Aquarium, renowned photographer Keith Ellenbogen has logged more than 500 hours underwater capturing the beauty and drama of local marine life.

In addition, the Underwater Wildlife New York exhibit at the National Arts Club featuring these first-of-a-kind images is on display through June 3.

Underwater Wildlife New York is on display in Brooklyn Bridge Park until June 14 along the greenway of Brooklyn Bridge Plaza at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.

View the Pioneering Works of William Beebe

Much of what we know about deep-sea life is owed to Wildlife Conservation Society naturalist William Beebe and his groundbreaking research. Art, photography, film, and other artifacts from field expeditions led by Beebe will be on display at the Drawing Center through July 16. Decades later, his story and the work he and his collaborators produced are just as fascinating—don’t miss this unique opportunity!

“Bathysphaera intactica Circling the Bathysphere,” by Else Bostelmann, Bermuda 1934 

Help Protect an Ecological Treasure Trove

Located just 100 miles southeast of New York City lies the Atlantic Coast’s largest submarine canyon, rivaling the Grand Canyon in scale and majesty. The Hudson Canyon is home to an astonishing diversity of marine life including corals, endangered whales, sharks, and sea turtles, and the New York Aquarium is leading a coalition to nominate it as a National Marine Sanctuary. Voice your support by signing a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Our visitors and online supporters help the New York Aquarium advocate for regulations that protect marine wildlife.

Visit the New York Aquarium

The New York Aquarium recently asked local artists and art schools to submit mural designs that would raise awareness about the devastating effect of ocean plastics, the theme of this year’s World Oceans Day. The three winning mural designs of the contest will be installed along the Coney Island Boardwalk and unveiled for June 8.

One of three winning designs, submitted by artist Tom Manco of Manhattan.

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Special Preview of the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! Exhibit Featured in the NYT

In the five years since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the Northeast, WCS’s New York Aquarium has proved its resiliency. The Aquarium is not only rebuilding what was damaged, but transforming into a new and improved center for learning and marine conservation. For a walk through some of the awe-inspiring features of the new Ocean Wonders: Sharks! building with New York Aquarium Director Jon Forrest Dohlin, be sure to check out The New York Times piece published on May 5: Rebuilding the New York Aquarium After Hurricane Sandy. The article was also featured on the front page of the Metropolitan section on Sunday, May 7 with the headline: Rebuilding a Water World.

The spiral entrance of Ocean Wonders: Sharks! visible from the Aquarium. The building is nearing completion and expected to open in 2018.

The Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit will open in 2018. In the meantime, preview New York’s splendid marine life as well as the local marine research of New York Aquarium scientists at two free exhibitions on display currently at Brooklyn Bridge Park and the National Arts Club.

Underwater Wildlife New York is on display in Brooklyn Bridge Park until June 14 along the greenway of Brooklyn Bridge Plaza at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Visitors can access it via New Dock Street or by walking along the boardwalk by Jane’s Carousel in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

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On Display: Pioneering Collaborations of William Beebe

Last week, an exhibition of artifacts from the Department of Tropical Research opened at the Drawing Center in Manhattan. The show features art, photography, film, and other items from field expeditions led by the famed naturalist and WCS conservationist William Beebe between 1929 and 1934 in Bermuda.

The Department of Tropical Research was pioneering in that, under Beebe's direction, women were hired as lead scientists and field artists. Among the Department of Tropical Research staff was Helen Damrosch Tee-Van, an artist born in New York City. Tee-Van was an illustrator on several expeditions under Beebe, including the 1925 expedition of the Hudson Canyon, the East Coast’s largest underwater marine canyon just 100 miles offshore New York.

To learn more about Beebe’s collaborations for his expeditions with artists, historians, writers and scientists, as well as how they helped lay the foundations for modern conservation, read the New York Times article published in March, “They Mixed Science, Art and Costume Parties to Reveal Mysteries of the Sea.”

The exhibition is curated by WCS Archivist Madeleine Thompson as well as Mark Dion, an artist, and Katherine McLeod, an environmental historian and anthropologist, and will run until Sunday, July 16. More information on the exhibit can be found here.

William Beebe Preparing For a Helmet Dive in Bermuda.

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Looking Back at New York Aquarium Memorabilia

The WCS Archives are home to photos, art, and memorabilia from throughout the history of the New York Aquarium and WCS’s zoo and field work. Below are two postcards from the collection that were circulated around 1906. Sand tiger sharks and sturgeon are species found in the New York seascape—16,000 square miles of ocean from Montauk, New York to Cape May, New Jersey. Aquarium scientists recently confirmed that Long Island’s Great South Bay is a critical nursery ground for sand tiger sharks, and provides juveniles with food and shelter each summer before their migration south in the fall.

New York Aquarium memorabilia postcards, circa 1906. Visit the WCS Archives’s digitized collection to view more historical New York Aquarium postcards.

Sand tigers will be one of several shark species featured in the upcoming Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit, scheduled to open in 2018. “Canyon’s Edge” will depict a near-shore ecosystem at the edge of the Hudson Canyon, the largest underwater canyon off the US Atlantic Coast rivaling the scale of the Grand Canyon. Visitors will come nose-to-nose with sharks and other animals against the backdrop of a seemingly limitless ocean, where the edge of the continental shelf meets the steep slope of the canyon.

“Canyon’s Edge” from the upcoming Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit.

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Upcoming Underwater Photography Exhibitions

Underwater Wildlife New York is a project of the New York Aquarium and renowned underwater photographer, Keith Ellenbogen. This spring, New Yorkers and visitors have the opportunity to view the collection at two upcoming exhibitions and immerse themselves in the underwater world surrounding this great city.

Working in collaboration with the New York Aquarium over several years, Keith Ellenbogen has logged more than 500 hours underwater capturing the beauty and drama of local marine life. This exhibit showcases awe-inspiring images of sharks, mola mola, seahorses, squid, and many other extraordinary animals in their natural habitats.

From April 22 through June 14, a photographic display spanning 350 feet will feature awe-inspiring images from Underwater Wildlife New York in Brooklyn Bridge Park. This exhibit provides viewers with stories about local marine life and their habitats, as well as a window into the marine research of New York Aquarium scientists.

The exhibition will be on display between April 22 and June 14 along the greenway of Brooklyn Bridge Plaza at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Visitors can access it via New Dock Street or by walking along the boardwalk by Jane's Carousel in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

In addition, 22 large-format prints from the Underwater Wildlife New York collection are on display currently at the National Arts Club in Manhattan until June 3. The prints will also be available for purchase to support this underwater photography project. Galleries of the National Arts Club are open to the public. There is no admission fee. For more information about the National Arts Club, visit nationalartsclub.org.

A lined seahorse, photographed 20 nautical miles south of Shinnecock Bay in 2016. Tiny seahorses are one of the many species featured in Underwater Wildlife New York.

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Help Save the Planet’s Coral Reefs

The Wildlife Conservation Society, the New York Aquarium’s parent organization, is calling on the diving community to help marine scientists survey coral reefs globally. With just a pencil and an underwater slate, savvy divers can now participate in an initiative to record coral bleaching observations around the world.

The rising ocean temperature disturbances that cause coral bleaching have created a widespread problem affecting many species. In 2016, more than 50 percent of the 70,000 coral colonies across 13 countries were bleached. Yet, our data show that there are species and reefs that can survive if other disturbances do not overwhelm them. Through this crowdsourcing effort, WCS aims to bring together datasets from researchers and citizen scientists to better understand the environmental factors that keep reefs healthy. To learn more about this initiative, watch the video below and visit wcs.org/coral.

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Construction Update: Finishing Touches

Spring has finally arrived, and the New York Aquarium welcomes warmer days while we complete finishing touches before the 2018 opening of Ocean Wonders: Sharks! The outside roof, concrete facade, and preliminary shimmer wall elements (pictured below) were set up over the winter so that the installation of cabling and the 30,000 individual metal panels can begin this spring. On the boardwalk at the western end of Ocean Wonders, a rock garden is taking shape (also pictured below). Once completed, seating and interactive viewscopes will allow boardwalk visitors the chance to pause and appreciate the ocean view.

Pictured above are the rock garden and preliminary shimmer wall elements of Ocean Wonders: Sharks! The New York Aquarium logo graphics now emblazoned on the side of Ocean Wonders will be alternately screened and revealed by the movement of the individual panels of the shimmer wall.

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Visit Original Link

Acoustic Buoy Detects Endangered Whales in New York

An acoustic buoy deployed last June by the New York Aquarium and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has detected four species of great whale, including the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale and the sei whale, an elusive species rarely seen in New York. Filling information gaps on these elusive giants is helping WCS protect their passage through the busy waters of the New York Bight.

Below is a sound file of a North Atlantic right whale sped up twice as fast. This sound was recorded by WHOI’s “Nomans Land” acoustic buoy several miles to the southwest of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts between March 2015 and March 2016. The “Nomans Land” buoy is identical to the “Melville” buoy recently deployed by the Aquarium and WHOI in the New York Bight.

A North Atlantic right whale breaches the ocean surface, displaying its baleen. Photo taken by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources under NOAA permit #15488.

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Visitor Drawings Give National Marine Sanctuary Nomination a Boost

In November, WCS’s New York Aquarium submitted a proposal to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to nominate the Hudson Canyon as a National Marine Sanctuary. Located just 100 miles from New York City, the Hudson Canyon is the Atlantic Coast’s largest submarine canyon, rivaling the Grand Canyon in scale and majesty. Federal designation as a sanctuary can help safeguard the astonishing array of marine life that depends on the canyon for food and shelter, including whales, sharks, and sea turtles.

The proposal submission is the first step in a multi-year, stakeholder-driven process before a new national marine sanctuary can be established. Public advocacy in support of the sanctuary is critical in helping the proposal move forward. The New York Aquarium has already submitted 1,700 drawings and 20,200 petition signatures to NOAA from our Zoo and Aquarium visitors as well as from online supporters advocating for the designation. You can support the designation of the Hudson Canyon as a National Marine Sanctuary by visiting a WCS park and looking for ways to get involved. Please also consider signing our online petition!

Drawings by WCS Zoo and Aquarium visitors of species found in the Hudson Canyon, created to advocate for federal designation of the canyon as a National Marine Sanctuary.

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Saving Whales in an Era of New Dangers

On February 15, WCS, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Government of France hosted a panel discussion at the United Nations on the impacts of the shipping industry on whales. Participants from government agencies, scientific organizations, and the shipping industry examined the threats of collisions and noise from commercial vehicles on these acoustically sensitive marine mammals.

This event will set the stage for international collaboration between governments, industry, and conservation organizations to reduce the impacts of ship-strikes and noise on whales, especially as new monitoring and mitigation technologies emerge.

For example, WCS’s New York Aquarium and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution deployed a buoy last summer in the New York Bight. This technology can eventually be used to help ships avoid whales by alerting ship captains to the presence of whales.

There is no better time than now to find solutions on how to best protect these marine mammals in busy waterways, and WCS is proud to be part a leader in this movement.

Humpback whales swimming in the busy New York Bight.

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Where Land Meets Sea

With nearly 5,000 miles of shoreline, the coastal environments surrounding New York support a diverse range of habitats and marine life. Underwater photographer Keith Ellenbogen captured this photograph of a saltwater marsh tucked behind the barrier islands of Fire Island and Jones Beach Island in Great South Bay, New York. Saltwater marshes are considered one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. These tidal wetlands cycle nutrients, protect the shoreline, and provide vital nursery and foraging habitat for many marine species, from seahorses to sharks.

Great South Bay saltwater marsh in summer 2015. Photograph commissioned by the New York Aquarium. © Keith A. Ellenbogen

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Views from the Early Years

The New York Aquarium is the oldest continuously operating aquarium in the United States. Originally owned by the City of New York, the Aquarium opened at Castle Clinton in Lower Manhattan in 1896. WCS (formerly the New York Zoological Society) assumed management from the City in 1902. The aquatic life collection and zoo grounds, along with animal care practices and exhibit standards, have evolved with time. One of the more significant physical changes to occur was the relocation of the Aquarium to Coney Island in 1957. The images below show historic views of the Aquarium from around 1905 at its first location.

The New York Aquarium has been one of Brooklyn’s most popular cultural institutions for decades. The Campaign funds the most extensive expansion of the Aquarium since its opening in Coney Island 60 years ago. Once completed, the new 57,000-square-foot exhibit called Ocean Wonders: Sharks! will showcase more than 100 marine species from the New York seascape and around the world. More information on the transformation can be found at nyaquarium.com/transform.

New York Aquarium, around 1905. 

Fish hatchery at the New York Aquarium, around 1905. Each year, the New York Aquarium’s fish hatchery produced several millions of young food and game fishes that were deposited in New York State waters.

New York Aquarium staff members, around 1905.

Staff member working behind the scenes at the New York Aquarium, around 1905.

These photos are part of a WCS Archives project to preserve images dating back to the founding of the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. Visit the WCS Archives to view more photos and information.