What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1318249
10 WHAT'S UP! DECEMBER 13-19, 2020 FEATURE Visitors to the aquarium can also meet some of the animals up close, and Bitter has worked diligently to make the experience a good one for everyone involved. "We have two touch experiences, one with rays and sharks, and another with cold water invertebrates like sea anemones and sea stars," he says. "We get the rays and sharks used to light touching in the course of normal care and during feeding times. So, they don't get especially bothered by the touching in the touch pool, as long as guests follow the guidelines we provide. We ask that our guests use a two- finger touch on specific zones of the animals. This not only keeps the guests safe, but also keeps the stimulus consistent for the animals so they don't get startled or perturbed. We think this allows for a really terrific guest experience, as it allows the guests to feel shark skin (rough) and ray skin (smooth and slippery) and to appreciate the unique aspects of each. "At first glance, the invertebrates are less reactive, but the touch experience is still quite exciting," he adds. "The sea stars are echinoderms, and they have a unique texture unlike anything else. Anemones actually have a light stinging cell on each tentacle — not dangerous though! — so they stick to the fingers of anyone who touches them." One thing Bitter doesn't have to worry about is his sea creatures contracting the coronavirus. It is limited to mammals, "and here at the aquarium we only have coldblooded animals, so the animals in our care are not susceptible to covid-19." "However," he adds, "we are very conscious of guest safety, and we are taking numerous steps to protect their health, including timed entry, mandatory face coverings, social distancing and constant cleaning. One area we focus on in the animal care department is the operation of the touch exhibits, since there is human-to-animal contact there. Fortunately, our best information is that saltwater is a disinfectant for covid-19, so any worry about the animals spreading the virus between guests doesn't seem to be an actual risk." Aquarium Continued From Page 9 "Unfortunately, nearly all of the corals in the Florida Reef Tract have disappeared in our lifetime," Bitter says. "I hope that our aquarium will inspire guests to learn more about coral and help the Coral Restoration Foundation restore that area." (Courtesy Photo) Bitter says some of the animals needed new homes, and some were sourced in the wild, but "we spent countless hours researching the origin of every single animal to make sure they came to us from sustainable and transparent sources and were handled very carefully along the way." (Courtesy Photo) Branson's brand-new Aquarium at the Boardwalk offers two touch experiences, one with rays and sharks, and another with cold water invertebrates like sea anemones and sea stars. (Courtesy Photo) The seven individual windows along one wall in the Observation Station "are meant to be special views into the coral reef ecosystem where guests can see how tiny invertebrates depend on corals," says Steve Bitter. "Corals perform what I think is the most important work in the ocean." (Courtesy Photo)