Newest aquarium attraction features Caribbean coral reef habitat

FORT FISHER, NC (WWAY) — Thursday is World Reef Day, and the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is inviting guests out to visit their newest exhibit.

Caribbean Corals features the spectacularly striking fish, corals and other species that inhabit the ecosystem.

Staff say Aquarium visitors will glimpse into an underwater world that is the lifeblood for ocean health. Some of the species in this new habitat at the Aquarium include redspotted hawkfish, a sharpnose puffer, blue chromis, clown wrasses, molly miller blennies, and tobacco bass.

Many of the world’s reefs have already been destroyed or severely damaged by water pollution, overfishing and destructive fishing practices, disease, global climate change, and ship groundings, according to a press release.

“It will be a long but fun process to watch as the system matures over time. The coral collection consists of small colonies that will hopefully take advantage of the larger habitat space and grow into sizeable colonies with time,” NCAFF aquarist Marc Neill said.