Presentation Abstracts Host Facility Spotlights Landry’s Golden Nugget - Mike Bajek The Golden Nugget is the largest hotel and casino in the city of Las Vegas constructed back in 1946. There have been numerous owners over the years including Steve Wynn and it was most recently purchased by Landry’s Restaurants Inc. on September 27, 2005. Shortly thereafter the casino underwent a three phase renovation which began with a $100 million dollar face lift in 2006; a $70 million dollar renovation which included the $30 million dollar pool with a 200,000 gallon aquarium insert, and ending with a $150 million dollar project which included the Chart House Aquarium restaurant and the Rush Tower. There is now a 375,000 gallon plus saltwater aquarium facility on property. This presentation will introduce you to some of the LSS responsibilities and current projects. The Mirage- Grant Reeves The Mirage has many very different aquatic environments that are absolutely fascinating. From the Volcano, with its fully automated show of water, fire, and musical accompaniment to the Front Desk Aquarium, with its hundreds of species of fish to the Secret Garden’s different habitats and varied requirements of operation. This presentation will highlight these areas and give some insight of what it takes to operate each environment and to create astounding displays and interactions for our guests. Illustrating The Mirage’s different exhibits, as well as their supportive hardware will demonstrate our collective diversity in aquatic operations. Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay – Alex Hunter Since it’s opening in the spring of 2000, Shark Reef has been a unique attraction for the Las Vegas Strip. While not only unique as an attraction, Shark Reef is also unique in that it brings a message of conservation to a culture of excess. After nearly 14 years this attraction continues to be popular with tourists as well as locals and averages about one million visitors each year. This presentation will focus on Shark Reef exhibits, life support systems, facility staff, educational programs, and daily operations. Short Facility Updates Caesars Palace- Keely Biggs The Caesars Palace Aquatics Department is responsible for 33 fresh and saltwater aquariums and live seafood holding systems; most of which the public has never seen before. Get a sneak peek into our small but flourishing department as we maintain the only public Seahorse exhibit in Nevada, aquariums in our luxury villas and meet challenges that come naturally with low space, the inability to see our aquariums every day and a demand for four star perfection. California Science Center - Bill Johnson, Ph.D.
The Ecosystems exhibition, which opened in March 2010, is the latest milestone in the advancement of the Master Plan. Unique among science centers internationally, Ecosystems immerses guests in environments that house almost 250 species of plants and animals side-by- side with hands-on interactive exhibits. This innovative learning environment effectively conveys the principles of ecology and creates more responsible stewards of the environment through scientific understanding. Ecosystems is a logical extension of the World of Life gallery that opened in 1998. Where World of Life focuses on the processes necessary to sustain individual organisms, Ecosystems explores the relationships between individual organisms, species, and their environment---and how those relationships shape the world. Oregon Coast Community College Aquarium Science Program- Chris Spaulding The Aquarium Science Program at the Oregon Coast Community College is currently within its 10th year of offering college degrees and certificates, through formal education and training, to students planning a career in the aquatic animal care profession. The presentation will discuss this unique program with its one-of-a-kind course curriculum and practical hands-on learning opportunities along with plans and strategies for equipping present and future aquarium professionals entering a progressive and ever-changing field. A brief history and overview of the program, including updates on the state-of-the-art Aquarium Science Lab Facility and contributions of the program and its graduates to the industry will be reviewed. University of New England Aquaculture and Aquarium Science Program- Timothy Arienti and Jeri Fox The Aquaculture and Aquarium Science (AQS) major at the University of New England is an innovative and truly interdisciplinary program connecting multiple academic disciplines such as Biology, Marine Science, and Business. But the collaborative program that exposes the students in the major to some of the most unique opportunities and adds to their skill set is the one that the AQS program has with UNE’s Marine Science Center and the Life Support Te am staff. Through team teaching and projects, we are able to use real life situations and equipment to instruct. Through a combination of internships, teaching labs, and volunteer programs, students in the AQS major get involved in projects ranging from redesigning a recirculating system for sea turtles to building and using ROVs to check dock pylons. Other “living classrooms” include the flowthrough system, the Marine Animal Rehabilitation and Conservation group, the phytoplankton room, and the oyster recirculating system. New York Aquarium: 18 Months After Hurricane Sandy- Dennis Ethier, New York Aquarium This presentation will give an update to where the New York Aquarium is in relation to the rebuild effort post Sandy and provide an update to our newest endeavor; Ocean Wonders Sharks. We will discuss our experiences after the initial cleanup and share what we’ve learned about required documentation for insurance carriers and FEMA. We’ll also give a short presentation on our new Shark exhibit, a 57,000 square foot undertaking that will add about a half million gallons of water exhibit to the Aquarium. Key Note Speaker The Beginning of AALSO- John Watters, Watters Life Support & First AALSO President Beginning around 1978, Jim Ring and Gerald Kor started the first water quality department which John was a member at SeaWorld of San Diego. Over time the department evolved by adding divers for exhibit cleaning, heating and chilling for the mammal and fish systems, adding Ozone and other technologies. Durring his time at ENARTEC Engineering in 1992 he started LSS facilities in Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Taiwan and many others. In 1993 he asked Nestor
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