Local biologists will cross-train with staff at the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium and perform educational and scientific research for one week
Oklahoma Aquarium biologists will travel to the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium in Jerusalem to share successes in the areas of animal health and husbandry as well as educational programs and research from December 7-15, 2019.
Amy Alexopoulos, Lead Aquarist of Marine Fishes, and Ann Money, Director of Research and Education, will cross-train with Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium staff in animal husbandry, present educational opportunities, and perform coral research in the Red Sea in Eilat, Israel.
Working closely with husbandry staff in Jerusalem, Amy Alexopoulos will share her experiences in aquarium animal care, while also studying the husbandry techniques of the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium staff. The collaboration will bring new ideas and exposure to species from different regions.
Ann Money is currently in her final trials of coral research for a PhD in Integrative Biology at Oklahoma State University. Her research, which is being conducted at the Oklahoma Aquarium, focuses on coral bio-fluorescence as an earlier indicator of coral health, and the symbiotic relationship between coral and algae. While at the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium, Ann will collaborate with other coral researchers for an exchange of ideas and potential reef recovery partnerships.
“The opportunity to visit the first stand-alone aquarium in the Middle East is extremely exciting,” Money says. “I am most interested in how they convey their conservation message and how we can partner to further research for healthier coral reef systems.”
The Oklahoma Aquarium was proud to announce its Sister Aquarium partnership with the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium on March 25, 2019. Kenny Alexopoulos, Chief Operating Officer of the Oklahoma Aquarium, made the announcement and highlighted how the two facilities share similarities in size, design, opportunities, and inland location.
“We’re looking forward to cross-training our staffs together,” Alexopoulos said. “This partnership will allow us to work with new and different species of animals and technologies, and to experience cultural enrichment with new ideas and techniques.”
Many of the life support features in the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium were designed by the Oklahoma Aquarium’s COO Kenny Alexopoulos and Deputy Director John Money. Alexopoulos and Money were contracted as head design consultants to advise on the exhibits, animal collection, visitor experience, staffing, as well as the aquarium’s filtration and other equipment necessary to care for the animals.
The Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks and the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium in Jerusalem are landlocked facilities, and both aquariums address their environmental impact on the region and large bodies of water. The Oklahoma Aquarium is located on the Arkansas River and educates visitors on human impact on local waterways and the ocean. The Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium highlights local impact on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, Lake Tiberias, the Dead Sea, and the Suez Canal. The Oklahoma Aquarium illustrates the impact of invasive species such as zebra mussels on area lakes, lionfish in the Atlantic and Caribbean, ocean pollution, and damage to aquatic ecosystems. The Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium educates visitors on the impact of commercial fishing, invasive species, plastic, and ocean pollution.
Both aquariums support each other in research and environmental education, which began with trainings in Oklahoma for staff members Noam Katsir and Pablo Ditnis from the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium. Katsir and Ditnis worked alongside staff at the Oklahoma Aquarium focusing on the reproduction of seahorses and jellyfish and filtration maintenance. During their visit, they joined Oklahoma Aquarium staff in Long Beach, California for the Aquatic Animal Life Support Operators (AALSO) international conference.
This will be the first time for Oklahoma Aquarium biologists to visit Israel specifically for animal husbandry, education, and research.
“We’re excited for the Oklahoma Aquarium to continue its partnership with the Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium,” says Kenny Alexopoulos. “We want to continue to expose employees from both institutions to different cultures and opportunities to ensure that new ideas are shared across continents.”
A photographer and videographer based in Israel will document the trip, and assets will be available for media use. All are encouraged to follow the journey with #OKAQinIsrael. Please reach out to Chief Marketing Officer Andrea Leitch at aleitch@okaquarium.org or 918-261-6285 for further information.
The Oklahoma Aquarium is a 501(c)(3); all money collected through admission, memberships, and events goes directly to our exhibits and education programs.
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