Marine Park get boost offerings - Closes in on dream to be a fully equipped and functioning resource centre
Published:Saturday | July 12, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Karrie Williams, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The dream of seeing the Montego Bay Marine Park transform into a fully equipped and functioning resource centre came a step closer with the addition of three seawater wet laboratories at the facility recently.
Executive Director Hugh Shim told Western Focus that the labs will go a far way in assisting the facility with its marine conservation and environmental sustainability efforts.
"Primarily, these labs will allow us to study the habits of the marine animals in our care and further expand our understanding of how they behave," he said. "This will make us better aware of their diverse needs and how to promote for them ideal conditions in the wild," he added.
An 80-gallon aquarium, donated to the marine park by board member Dell Rochester, hosts the majority of sea animals on display. There is a smaller 35-gallon aquarium which primarily houses lionfish, as they must be separated from other fish population due to their predatory nature. A third mobile unit is set up to allow visitors to pet the various marine animals.
In addition to lionfish, the wet labs currently host other marine species comprising stingrays, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, various corals, reef fish, spider crabs, and starfish.
Not only will the new wet labs benefit the marine park in its mandate of caring for aquatic life, but, according to outreach officer Joshua Bailey, the labs present an equal opportunity to increase public knowledge of marine life and help to raise awareness of man-made issues that affect them in their natural habitat.
"These labs bring to shore living examples of what marine life holds, and we are encouraging the public to come and see these animals ... . We believe that this hands-on experience will help them to acquire a new appreciation for the marine community and the local conservation issues affecting them, most importantly, over fishing," Bailey said.
Lab expansions
Shim revealed that plans are underway to expand the labs and add more species to the existing collection. He said that, in addition to learning about the living animals, visitors to the park also get a chance to view some in fossilised form, including a selection of turtle, shark, various sea shells, and corals.
There is also a host of educational books and home-made videos showing the marine park staff conducting scuba diving and performing various activities geared at showing interaction with the marine animals. This summer, Shim and his team plan to open up the park for educational tours, catering to children and others with an interest in marine life.
The park will host a summer camp throughout July for children from fishing villages within St James and neighbouring parishes. The camp carries a small participation fee, but this will be waived for participants from childrens' homes within the parish.