(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- The soon-to-open Oman Aquarium celebrated World Oceans Day with its first collection of fish for its quarantine facility recently.
Oman Aquarium is set to be the largest of its kind in the Middle East and Oman's first-ever public aquarium, stated a press release.
The landmark occasion took place offshore Saham, the beautiful town in North Batinah governorate, where Sheikh Mahmood al Jarwani, chairman, Al Jarwani Group – whose hometown is Saham – was the guest of honour to accompany the Oman Aquarium team during the collection. On the day, the expedition team journeyed offshore from Saham's harbour on three dedicated aquarium boats to where the Oman Aquarium team – working with local fishermen earlier in the week – had placed several fish collection cages.
The cages, full with fish, were hauled onto the boats, and Sheikh Jarwani was assisted by the Oman Aquarium's head curator, Nick Derbyshire, as well as general manager, Adrian Tolliday, to choose the healthiest and most appropriate fish specimens. With the collection accomplished, the expedition team returned to the harbour, and the fish were carefully transported in oxygen enriched and temperature controlled water tanks back to Muscat, where they were placed in Oman Aquarium's quarantine facility for later release into its tanks. Along with being a celebration of World Oceans Day, the landmark occasion also marked Oman Aquarium's commitment to embracing marine conservation, education and research in the sultanate.
It also aimed to cultivate in the hearts and minds of the people of Oman and the Middle East region an awareness and passion for the ocean and its precious marine ecosystems.
At the heart of World Oceans Day is promoting the reality that healthy oceans are critical to our survival, as they generate most of the oxygen we breathe, help feed us, regulate our climate, clean the water we drink, offer unique pharmacological resources and provide limitless inspiration to people in the world. World Oceans Day also raises awareness of the pressures that ocean environments face from pollution and overfishing.
Tolliday said, 'World Oceans Day is such an important global event in the conservation calendar, and at Oman Aquarium we are committed to celebrate oceans in everything that we do. Today is a critical milestone in the development of Oman Aquarium as we embark on a journey to collect animals for our aquarium, with our first collection trip.
Sheikh Jarwani said, 'I am very proud of the commitment and the dedication that our aquarium team has vowed to conserve and protecting the environment. I am also proud to have personally participated in the first fishing trip alongside our aquarists and marine biologists in order to make sure that we catch and select the right fish to welcome to our aquarium without any harm done to any of these animals.'
World-class aquarium at Muscat Mall
Scheduled to be launched in Q4 2018, the Oman Aquarium is one of the Al Jarwani Group's latest developments in the Sultanate of Oman, and will be located at the soon-to-be-opened Muscat Mall, in the suburb of Ma'abela.
Visitors can look forward to a world-class aquarium housing a fascinating and diverse array of marine exhibits and marine life – all spread out over two floors and a total area of 8,000sq m.
While marine conservation, education, and research are central to Oman Aquarium's mission, the venue will also provide an enriching entertainment experience for visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
MENAFN1906201801410000ID1097037936
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.