Atlantis Marine World Plans New Exhibit Featuring North American River Otters
  
Atlantis Marine World Aquarium proudly announces the upcoming exhibit, Otter Falls, opening Monday, June 30, and is inviting the public to help name its inhabitants, two North American river otters.
   
From now until 12:01am, June 27, members of the public can vote for their favorite names of four sets selected by the Aquarium’s Marine Mammal staff by logging on to the Aquarium’s Web site at www.atlantismarineworld.com.
   
The names voters can choose from are: Bonnie & Clyde, Sally & Linus, George & Gracie, and PB & J. At the contest’s conclusion, Atlantis Marine World will randomly select one voter and up to four family members to receive a behind-the-scenes peek at the otter exhibit, as well as an invitation to attend the exclusive after hours grand opening celebration event on Sunday, June 29.
   
The two North American river otters, one male and one female, were obtained from a facility in Ohio. They were wild collected and will be enrolled in the SSP (Species Survival Program) with zoos and aquariums across the USA as their gene pool is very valuable since they are not related to other otters in zoos and aquariums. Long-range goals are to get them breeding and to possibly reintroduce the young back into the wild, where they are no longer found.
   
The playful North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is equally at home in the water and on land. Once abundant in the United States and Canadian rivers, lakes, and coastal areas, the North American river otter can today be found in parts of Canada, the Northwest, upper Great Lakes area, New England, and Atlantic and Gulf Coast states. Members of the weasel family, river otters enjoy sliding down muddy and snowy hills, bouncing objects on their paws, playing tag, and wrestling.

###

About Atlantis Marine World Aquarium
Atlantis Marine World (AMW) opened in Riverhead, NY on June 15, 2000, as the first large-scale Aquarium to open in New York State in more than 35 years. Situated on 3.2 acres along the Peconic River, AMW is open 10:00am to 5:00pm daily (closed December 25). AMW is also the home of The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, New York’s only authorized marine mammal and sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation center. Additional information can be found at www.atlantismarineworld.com.