Brooklyn, N.Y. – Sept. 12, 2011- The new electric eel at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium has a new name – Wattson – thanks to the hundreds of New Yorkers who submitted names online. The online contest at newyorkaquarium.com generated more than 1,500 name submissions for the new eel. Among the names suggested by the public were Tra-volt-a and Sparky. But it was Wattson that was finally chosen as the winner by aquarium staff. “We want to thank everyone who participated in our eel-naming contest. We received so many creative suggestions, it was a challenge to choose a winner,” said Jon Forrest Dohlin, WCS Vice President and Director of the New York Aquarium. “It was amazing to see how many New Yorkers wanted to help us decide what to call this electrifying creature.” Aquarium visitors can see Wattson in the Explore the Shore exhibit. Electric eels are native to streams and lakes of South America. They generate electricity which they use for navigation and survival. The species uses low-intensity electrical impulses to navigate murky waters. It generates pulses of more than 650 volts – five times the voltage of a standard wall socket – to disable its prey. The Wildlife Conservation Society conducts research throughout South America, including in the Amazon basin where the electric eel lives. WCS works in all four oceans and in 20 countries to protect marine wildlife and ecosystems. Last fall, WCS initiated A SEA CHANGE at the New York Aquarium which includes The New York Seascape, a conservation program designed to restore healthy populations of local marine species in the New York Bight from Montauk, New York, to Cape May, New Jersey.
Contact: Barbara Russo – 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org Max Pulsinelli – 718- 220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org Steve Fairchild – 718 – 220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium opens every day of the year at 10am, and closing times vary seasonally. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $10.95 for children ages 3-12 and $11.95 for senior citizens (65 and older); children under 3 years of age are admitted free. Fridays after 3pm, admission is by suggested donation. The Aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn's most heavily attended attraction and a beloved part of the City of New York. The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.
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