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Saturday, April 12, 2014

$700K Texas State Aquarium upgrade

$700K Texas State Aquarium upgrade takes you deeper into Gulf as you tour

  • The Texas State Aquarium is a popular place for families to visit in Corpus Christi. Photo: John Tedesco, San Antonio Express-News

With its latest addition, the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi offers visitors a quick introduction to the Gulf of Mexico.

A new exhibit named Nearshore opened April 9 at 2710 North Shoreline Blvd.

It's the first area that visitors come to when they enter the aquarium, and the water level gradually deepens as they tour the popular attraction.

The $735,ooo project is the first of various planned exhibits that will provide a "fully immersive journey into diverse habitats," Jesse Gilbert, the aquarium's vice president and chief operating officer said in a news release.

The Nearshore exhibit portrays life at the shoreline and houses species both beneath and above the water, such as Atlantic stingrays, American alligators, flounder and spotted sea trout.

Bird species in the new exhibit include roseate spoonbill, green heron and white ibis, according to the release.

Some animals in the Nearshore exhibit came from the aquarium's Second Chances Wildlife Rehabilitation Program, where they received treatment for illness or injury but were ultimately deemed not releasable, the release said.

Construction of the new exhibit began in November. Its opening this week brings the number of special exhibits to 15.

Other exhibits include Dolphin Bay, the 400,000-gallon home to two male dolphins, and Tortuga Cay, a sanctuary for rehabilitated sea turtles. Both exhibits offer visitors a view from above and below the water.

The Hawn Wild Flight Theater has a variety of birds, including hawks, owls and falcons.

For more information, visit www.texasstateaquarium.org.

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