Credit: THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM/ FACEBOOK

Credit: THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM/ FACEBOOK
The nonprofit Florida Aquarium had a good year. In August, researchers successfully reproduced coral two days in a row, leading CNN to run the headline “A scientific breakthrough at the Florida Aquarium could save 'America's Great Barrier Reef'.”

The attraction — located at 701 Channelside Dr. — hosted charitable events, added bars, made signature beers with Coppertail Brewing and nursed some cold-stunned turtles back to health. USA Today readers even named Florida Aquarium the No. 2 aquarium in North America. 

So it comes as no surprise to learn that the place welcomed 3,000 new animals and 184 new species since last November.

According to a press release, those new critters include “hissing cockroaches, brown pelicans, spiny lobsters, spotted goatfish and baby American alligators… crystal jellies, sea nettles, upside-down jellies and more.”

That’s a lot of new buddies.

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This article appears in Nov 21-28, 2019.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...