Sunday, March 09, 2008

"Jellyfish exhibit coming to Akron"

Why just 3 years?

From ohio.com

Display to open June 7 in Komodo Kingdom

Imagine hundreds of jellyfish rhythmically moving to the sea-like sounds of a pipe organ.

That's what visitors will see when the Akron Zoo opens a new exhibit — the only one of its kind in Ohio — on June 7.

In filling a rotating exhibit space in its Komodo Kingdom building, the zoo wanted to provide ''something different for the people of Northeast Ohio that they've never seen before,'' marketing director Dave Barnhardt said Thursday.

The exhibit — Jellies: Rhythm in the Blue — is under construction, with five of the 10 aquarium tanks already built.

When all the tanks are complete, they will house seven different species — moon jellies, Pacific sea nettles, blue blubbers, umbrella jellies, Japanese Sea nettles, upside down jellies and comb jellies.

The hundreds of jellyfish will be brought in from aquariums throughout the country over the next several weeks.

''We're real excited because this is going to be the largest jellyfish exhibit ever created at a zoo in Ohio,'' Barnhardt said. ''And it's something drastically different than what we've ever had before.

''Our main aquatic animal has been the penguin and we've never had jellyfish.''

Barnhardt said the jellyfish's rhythmic movements ''are very intriguing to people. We'll have specially designed lighting and music and there will be a real artsy feel to the entire exhibit.''

Barnhardt said the jellyfish exhibit is scheduled to be at the zoo for three years.

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