National Aquarium in Baltimore Houses Many Newly Protected Species

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For Immediate Release

National Aquarium in Baltimore Houses Many Newly Protected Species

MARYLAND, BALTIMORE, Dec. 4 -/E-Wire/-- The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) recently announced protection of all seahorses, as well as certain birds, sharks, whales and mahogany species. Visitors to the National Aquarium in Baltimore learn from several of these rare plants and animals, seeing them, or their relatives, in award winning, recreated habitats.

No species has ever become extinct due to trade once protected by CITES. Glenn Page, the Aquarium's director of conservation, says, "Protecting the world's fragile ecological balance is important to the survival of all species. The Aquarium allows people to discover how their lives fit into this precarious balance."

The Convention voted to protect all 32 known seahorse species. This year 24 million seahorses were harvested from the wild and evidence shows trade could soon threaten their continued survival. Several developing nations, such as the Philippines, harvest seahorses for traditional medicines and the pet trade, are economically dependent upon them. The United States is the world's leading importer of live seahorses.

To reduce pressure on natural populations, the Aquarium developed and operates a seahorse breeding laboratory. The lab currently supplies seahorses to numerous facilities worldwide, including the Aquarium's own blockbuster exhibit, Seahorses: Beyond Imagination.

In addition to housing rare seahorses, the Aquarium offers the closest experience many visitors ever have to a natural rainforest. More than 500 species of plants thrive in its humid Rain Forest exhibit, including mahogany. American mahogany and other similar species have been harvested from the natural environment for furniture and other goods; some populations have been devastated by as much as 70 percent. Other important and familiar plants in the Rain Forest include cacao (chocolate) trees, plumeria, allspice and coconut trees.

More than 20 bird species also thrive in the Rain Forest exhibit; their counterparts in the wild are threatened by deforestation. Yellow-headed Amazon parrots, found in the exhibit, are one of three species now prohibited from trade.

The Convention also voted to protect whale sharks and basking sharks. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea and are hunted for meat and fins. Several close relatives, including the nurse, zebra and white spotted bamboo sharks live at the Aquarium. Sand tiger sharks, known for their toothy, open mouths, are close relatives to the toothless basking sharks. Little is known about basking sharks, which are hunted and also caught unintentionally by the fishing industry.

CITES is an international organization dedicated to guaranteeing that international trade does not threaten populations of wild plants and animals. Countries join voluntarily and help design a legally binding structure of regulations the members then follow. Comprised of 160 countries, the United States was the first to join in 1975.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, a non-profit organization, is Baltimore's leading attraction, hosting more than 1.6 million visitors per year. The Aquarium's vision is to connect people with aquatic life in order to create a better world for both. It's dedicated to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community.

National Aquarium in Baltimore

Jenny Fiegl, (410) 576-3874

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