The Flint RiverQuarium is a
aquarium opened in 2004 and located on the banks of the
Flint River in
Albany, Georgia
Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia m ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
The aquarium follows the journey of the Flint River, and highlights the ecosystems of the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint River basins.
Features
The Flint RiverQuarium features both
freshwater and
saltwater
Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...
river
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
of
Southwest Georgia as well as the world.
Blue Hole
A blue hole is a large marine cavern or sinkhole, which is open to the surface and has developed in a bank or island composed of a carbonate bedrock ( limestone or coral reef). Their existence was discovered in the late 20th century by fishe ...
Spring is an open-air, , deep tank filled by a natural
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
below. It exhibits the diverse life forms of the
Flint River, which runs through Southwest Georgia.
The Flint River Gallery includes both freshwater and saltwater fish, and includes a live fish hatchery. In this exhibit, visitors can follow the journey of the Flint River to the ocean.
Discovery Caverns includes interactive displays and a cave exhibiting subterranean creatures.
The World of Water shows visitors other rivers around the world that share features and challenges with the Flint.
Spring Run Creek is home to the aquarium's alligators.
Cypress Pond Aviary is a high enclosure featuring birds indigenous to the Flint River basin, as well as several migratory birds that pass through the area. Although the first inhabitants of this exhibit are commercially available birds such as
quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...
and
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...
s, the RiverQuarium is working with various groups to obtain non-releasable birds native to the area.
The Adventure Center is across the plaza from the RiverQuarium, and is designed to house traveling exhibits at the Aquarium.
Architecture
The RiverQuarium was designed by architect
Antoine Predock
Antoine Predock ( ; born 1936 in Lebanon, Missouri) is an American architect based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is the principal of Antoine Predock Architect PC, the studio he founded in 1967.
Predock first gained national attention with the La ...
in association with Executive Architect Robbins Bell Kreher, and was completed in 2004. Predock was "inspired by the biology, geology and hydrology of Southwest Georgia" in creating this facility.
The facility is part of the Downtown Albany RiverFront Master Plan. Located on the banks of the Flint River at Pine Avenue and Front Street, it received the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...
(AIA) award in 2005.
It is one of the city's projects to reconnect the downtown to the river and a walkway along its banks.
The building wraps around the primary exhibit, which is the naturally landscaped Blue Hole and Cypress Creek. The building is designed to allude to the "complex Ocala limestone terrain of sinks, aquifers, caves and streams that exist below the surface."
The Exhibits were designed by
Lyons/Zaremba Inc. of
Boston, Massachusetts
See also
*
Radium Springs, Georgia
Notes
References
*
Official Web site of Antoine Predock, ArchitectOfficial Web site of Lyons/Zaremba, Inc.
{{Zoos of Georgia (U.S. state)
Aquaria in Georgia (U.S. state)
Buildings and structures completed in 2004
Antoine Predock buildings
Buildings and structures in Albany, Georgia
Tourist attractions in Albany, Georgia