Hurricane heroism at the New York Aquarium

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Among the casualities of Monday's Hurricane Sandy was the New York Aquarium. The Wildlife Conservation Society confirmed Thursday that the beloved seaside venue sustained "serious flood damage" and will be closed "indefinitely." The WCS went on to add that "Staff have established temporary life support for the aquatic systems, are pumping flood waters out of basements and mechanical areas, and are working to restore filtration and other life support essentials for the exhibit and holding tanks. We have a short window of time to get these systems re-established. If this cannot be accomplished in this critical period, we will temporarily relocate the collection to other AZA aquariums in the region."

The aquarium's severe damage is yet another painful setback for the city, and the decimated boardwalk region of Coney Island, which was pummeled by massive waves. But it's also yet another one of the stories only now emerging, days after Sandy, about the generosity and bravery displayed during the storm. The WCS announced Thursday that 18 aquarium staff workers stayed on duty all throughout the hurricane to protect the animals. You're free to start crying now.

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Hurricane heroism at the New York Aquarium