Volunteers from the Belle Isle Aquarium hope to restore some sparkle and excitement to the Aquarium. The Belle Isle Aquarium in Detriot, Michigan opened in 1904. When it closed in 2005, it was the oldest continually operating public aquarium. The aquarium re- opened in 2012, and is run solely by volunteers of the Belle Isle Conservancy. The volunteers plan to drive to Washington, D.C. to salvage supplies from the National Aquarium that closed Sept. 30. Using a donated truck, the group plans to return to Detroit with professional-grade aquarium filters, pumps, holding tanks, simulated coral reefs and other materials. The National Aquarium closed after 81 years of operation to make way for renovations in the basement of the giant Herbert C. Hoover Building. About 2,000 fish and aquatic animals were sent to other aquariums, mainly to the National Aquarium-Baltimore. The supplies include artificial rocks created by National Aquarium artisans, with features such as a simulated sunken ship and a sunken airplane. “At this point, we want to create really beautiful tanks, and that’s what this donation will give us. This is really expensive stuff, so it’s a very lucky find for us,” said Belle Isle Aquarium volunteer Jennifer Boardman. “When the City of Detroit closed the Belle Isle Aquarium, a lot of this kind of stuff just disappeared.” MORE… More:
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