HR 9091

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution recognizing April 11, 2007, as "Florida
3	Aquarium Day" in Florida.
4
5	WHEREAS, since its opening on March 31, 1995, the Florida
6	Aquarium has welcomed over 7 million visitors and annually
7	serves more than 100,000 school children, many of them entering
8	an aquarium facility for the first time, and
9	WHEREAS, the Florida Aquarium annually educates more than
10	1,000 teachers from across the state in the marine sciences
11	through continuing education courses that meet the Sunshine
12	State Standards, and
13	WHEREAS, the Florida Aquarium houses 35 permanent exhibits
14	in 4 main galleries, providing a visual and hands-on overview of
15	Florida's ecological system, and contains more than 20,000
16	aquatic plants and animals representing more than 1,800 species,
17	and
18	WHEREAS, the Florida Aquarium is home to successful Florida
19	Otter and Sea Turtle rescue and rehabilitation programs and
20	offers guest diving opportunities that allow divers to
21	experience the beauty of Florida's bays and oceans within the
22	safety, comfort, and security of the aquarium's tanks, and
23	WHEREAS, in 2006, the Florida Aquarium, in partnership with
24	the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, installed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
25	Touch Tank beyond the centerfield wall at Tropicana Field in St.
26	Petersburg and later expanded and improved the aquarium's Lobby
27	Touch Tank, and
28	WHEREAS, the Florida Aquarium's exhibits continue to grow
29	and include Aquariumania! Crazy About Fish Tanks, an exhibit
30	featuring a variety of tropical and freshwater fish tanks;
31	Explore A Shore, an exciting water park; Fantasy Island, an
32	outdoor classroom; and Invaders! Florida's Most Unwanted
33	Species, an interactive exhibit concerning the dangers of
34	invasive species, and
35	WHEREAS, the Penguin Promenade, introduced in 2006, has
36	offered visitors to the Florida Aquarium a direct encounter with
37	two African black-footed penguins, NOW, THEREFORE,
38
39	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
40	Florida:
41
42	That the House of Representatives recognizes the Florida
43	Aquarium for its dedication to preserving, protecting, and
44	educating the public about Florida's natural habitats and
45	ecological systems and recognizes April 11, 2007, as "Florida
46	Aquarium Day" in Florida.
47	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be
48	presented to the Florida Aquarium as a tangible token of the
49	sentiments expressed herein.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.