New York Aquarium Opens New Bathysphere Exhibit

Brooklyn, NY – On June 7, 2005, one of the founding fathers of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) will be celebrated at WCS’s New York Aquarium. The Aquarium will unveil a special new exhibit of the Bathysphere used by William Beebe and Otis Barton in 1934 to establish a new deep-sea diving record for that time. These first two deep-sea explorers ushered in a new era of ocean research and opened the doors for many others to follow.

The Bathysphere was developed and constructed by Otis Barton in 1929. By 1930, Mr. Barton, Dr. Beebe and his staff were conducting test dives off the coast of Nonsuch Island near Bermuda. On August 15, 1934, Beebe and Barton descended to a record 3,028 feet.

In addition to breaking depth records, Dr. Beebe, as a naturalist, was interested in observing and cataloging the creatures of the deep. Until the turn of the century, scientists believed that life could not exist below 500 feet of water – Dr. Beebe showed otherwise – bringing back accounts of strange and exotic creatures from his deep-sea explorations – giant fish, large silvery eels, transparent shrimp, and many creatures that produced their own sources of light through what scientists now call the process of bioluminescence.

Beebe went on to make biological discoveries as the head of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (formerly the New York Zoological Society) Tropical Research Program. From the mountains of Burma, to the jungles of South America, to the deep-sea trench off the coast of Bermuda, Beebe observed many natural phenomena and popularized them for the general public through twenty-one books and hundreds of magazine articles.

A Wildlife Conservation Society park, the New York Aquarium opens every day of the year at 10am, and closing times vary seasonally. Admission is $11.00 for adults, and $7.00 for children ages 2-12 years old and senior citizens (65 and older); children under 2 years of age are admitted free. The Aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. For information on special group rates, call 718-265-3454. The Aquarium is a member of the American Zoo & Aquarium Association (AZA), which awards accreditation to institutions that meet the highest standards of animal care, environmental education, and visitor service. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn’s most heavily attended attraction and a beloved part of the City of New York.

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