A glimpse at the Henry Doorly aquarium renovation

By
Alyssa Schukar
– January 26, 2012

The Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium, which closed for renovations on Oct. 3, 2011, is not yet open to the public, but fear not. We’ve got you covered with all of the pertinent information and visuals until it reopens in the spring.

Dennis Pate leads a media tour through the Shark Reef in the Scott Aquarium in Omaha on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. Interpretive graphics inside of the Shark Reef tunnel will help visitors identify fish.

 

Watch Kyle Benecke’s video below and scroll down for images of Thursday’s media tour led by Dennis Pate, seen above, who is the director and CEO of the Henry Doorly Zoo. Also, make sure to read reporter Carol Bicak’s story.

 

While current renovations will cost close to $10.5 million, the renovation of the aquarium alone will cost close to $6.5 million.

 

A Pacific sea nettle jellyfish floats in a tank in the the Ocean Drifters area of the Scott Aquarium. The area will feature five species of jellyfish.

 

Several of the changes are designed specifically to engage children with the displays, Pate said.

 

Dennis Pate, director and CEO of the Henry Doorly Zoo, leads a media tour through the Scott Aquarium.

 

Always a visitor favorite, the Shark Reef tunnel will see few changes other than the addition of new fish, including the lookdown fish, and interpretive graphics to assist in identification of fish.

A lookdown fish is a new addition to the Shark Reef in the Scott Aquarium.

 

While protective boards cover much of the aquarium glass, Pate made sure to pull back some sheets to reveal the Ocean Birds area, always a crowd pleaser.

Tags: , , , ,

About Alyssa Schukar

I have been a staff photojournalist at the Omaha World-Herald since September 2008. I'm from Lincoln and am a 2006 graduate of the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Previously, I worked as an assistant at Malone and Co., a commercial photography studio in Omaha. My favorite pictures are those that give insight on the life of an individual or family because I understand the world better through the experiences of the people I meet. It's always humbling to be allowed such intimate access. My most challenging assignments come in many forms. Funerals, especially those of soldiers, always are emotionally draining, but I try to approach people with respect and dignity. In my time at the paper, I have covered a wide variety of assignments, including the Nebraska and Iowa National Guard's deployments in Afghanistan, Husker football at home and away, portraits of wigs big and small, rodeo queen competitions and intimate views of everyday life and love. Follow me on twitter @OWHalyssa.