Aug. 4 Book Nook Explores the Life of an Aquarist

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (July 11, 2012) - Discover the secrets of being an aquarist at our monthly book nook  with a book reading and talk with Deborah Barkley, one of The Pier Aquarium's marine educators.

Barkley will read the book, Abby the Aquarist written by Australian Heidi de Maine, part of the Abby’s Aquarium Adventures series. Visitors will accompany Abby on an underwater adventure as she describes exotic marine creatures and her job. With vivid, animated illustrations by Keli Hazelton and language that is easy to understand, learning becomes a fun, exciting experience for all ages.

Barkley will then talk about her daily experiences at the aquarium, her favorite animals and why she enjoys her job.

This month, the featured creature is the Zebra Moray Eel. Fresh Fish Theater holds craft time for kids to make popsicle stick eel puppets before the reading.  

After this fun event, kids are bound to ask fishy questions all day long! It doesn’t matter what age you are; all are welcome.  The Book Nook by the Bay is free for children 6 and under or with the purchase of aquarium admission. 

Don’t miss a chance to learn all about the life of an aquarist and the Zebra Moray Eel.

Aug. 4 Schedule
10:30am-noon

The Book Nook by the Bay is a literary event featuring Fresh Fish Theater and a craft activity, Featured Creature facts, suggested reading by the Youth Services Coordinator Beth Lindsay from the St. Petersburg Public Library System, the aquarium’s marine science library and, of course, the reading of books. It is offered the first Saturday of each month and is free with a paid admission.

About The Pier Aquarium
Established in 1988, The Pier Aquarium is a private, non-profit aquarium and marine education center located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida at The Pier. It showcases 17 tanks of live fish and other marine life and educational exhibits on the first and second floors and an outdoor marine laboratory and teaching unit, the Roy G. Harrell, Jr. Education Station, located on the Pier approach. 

Its mission is to enhance the public’s understanding of the value and fragility of the local and global marine environment through research, education and personal experiences.

The Pier Aquarium serves as the "public face” for the St. Petersburg Ocean Team’s research, innovation and technology. The Ocean Team is a consortium of 14 marine science and oceanographic institutions and environmental research agencies in the Southeast and one of the top such industry clusters in the nation. 

More than 65,000 visitors, including 15,000 who participate in our scheduled educational programs, come to The Pier Aquarium annually to attend our Saturday programs, an annual free marine discovery day and Summer Marine Adventures summer camp. Volunteers contribute more than 3,000 hours each year. 

The Pier Aquarium has announced a move to John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, Florida and expansion to a 13,000 sq. ft. facility called the Secrets of the Sea Marine Discovery Center and Aquarium. The opening is scheduled for Spring 2013.