3/5 Digital H. 8 months ago on Google
Title:
Love
for
Marine
Life
Coupled
with
Mixed
Experiences
I'm
a
long-time
family
member
of
the
New
York
Aquarium,
visiting
at
least
once
a
year
for
many
years
like
a
ritual.
While
I
appreciate
the
work
the
Aquarium
is
doing
in
marine
conservation,
my
recent
visit
on
June
25,
2023,
left
me
with
some
mixed
feelings.
Over
the
years,
the
Aquarium
has
evolved,
sometimes
for
the
better.
However,
recently,
the
visitor
experience
has
started
to
falter.
The
Aquarium
was
home
to
an
impressive
collection
of
marine
life,
including
dolphins
and
whales,
but
these
have
been
moved
to
other
facilities.
While
the
aquarium
staff
claimed
that
they
were
concerned
about
the
animals'
well-being
in
captivity,
I
can't
help
but
wonder
if
this
was
more
of
a
cost-saving
measure.
The
construction
of
the
new
Sharks
Exhibit
disrupted
the
visitors'
experience
for
four
years.
Despite
the
disturbance,
the
resulting
exhibit
and
the
panoramic
view
from
the
cafeteria
rooftop
provided
a
unique,
refreshing
perspective
of
Coney
Island.
Sadly,
this
experience
was
cut
short
without
any
explanation
when
the
rooftop
was
closed
to
the
public.
The
Aquarium
seems
to
justify
a
continual
rise
in
admission
and
membership
fees
by
citing
the
costs
of
their
ongoing
projects,
conservation
efforts,
and
operational
expenses.
As
patrons,
we
were
willing
to
contribute
but
didn't
expect
a
decline
in
the
services
provided.
Once
a
highlight
of
the
Aquarium,
live
marine
shows
have
been
drastically
reduced
in
frequency
and
duration.
The
mermaid
storytellers
and
live
music
performances
that
were
a
delight
for
children
have
vanished.
The
sea
lions
and
dolphins'
showtime
has
been
cut
from
a
half-hour
to
just
10
minutes,
shortchanging
young
visitors
of
a
valuable
educational
experience.
Despite
these
criticisms,
I
must
give
credit
where
it's
due.
The
Aquarium
is
undoubtedly
doing
crucial
work
in
the
field
of
marine
conservation.
The
research
on
sharks,
whales,
and
sea
turtles
and
their
breeding
programs
for
endangered
species
is
commendable.
The
educational
outreach
programs
are
vital
in
raising
awareness
among
adults
and
children
about
marine
life
conservation.
Their
advocacy
work
in
policy-making
circles
is
also
praiseworthy.
Their
commitment
to
preserving
sea
life
is
evident
through
their
specific
projects,
such
as
protecting
the
Hudson
Canyon
habitat,
monitoring
the
Bronx
River's
ecosystem,
and
reducing
ghost
nets.
Ultimately,
despite
the
less-than-stellar
visitor
experience
lately,
I
am
compelled
to
rate
the
NY
Aquarium
three
stars
instead
of
two.
This
extra
star
recognizes
the
Aquarium's
contributions
to
marine
conservation,
which
often
go
unseen.
They
are
significantly
impacting
endangered
species,
reducing
pollution,
and
raising
awareness
of
marine
conservation's
importance.
I
still
encourage
families
to
visit
the
NY
Aquarium.
It
remains
a
unique
New
York
City
attraction
with
a
mission
we
can
all
get
behind.
However,
I
implore
the
management
to
focus
on
improving
visitor
services
and
experience
without
compromising
their
commendable
work
in
marine
conservation.
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