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 Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Famous Fish Swim Into Adopt-A-Fish Program at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Species portrayed as Nemo and Dory in 'Finding Nemo' seek foster parents Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego The species portrayed as Nemo and Dory in the popular Disney/Pixar film "Finding Nemo" are now seeking fish foster parents through the Adopt-A-Fish program at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.Participants can sponsor the clown anemonefish or the blue tang for $50 a year. Birch Aquarium at Scripps established this new lower adoption rate so that even more ocean enthusiasts could enjoy the fun and personal reward of supporting the well-being and care of their favorite marine species. Birch Aquarium at Scripps also welcomes another new arrival to the aquarium and its Adopt-A-Fish program. The elusive ribboned seadragon, rarely seen in the wild or aquariums, lives in the warm, tropical waters of northern Australia. Aboriginal art depicts this unique animal as the "rainbow serpent" - a long mythical creature with parts resembling different animals. Annual sponsorships for ribboned seadragons are $500.  Ribboned Seadragon Adoptions make great gifts for ocean lovers. They are also an excellent way to learn more about a favorite marine species by becoming connected with their care and habitat. Fish foster parents receive a personalized adoption certificate, digital photo and fact sheet of their animal species, annual recognition in the aquarium's member newsletter and complimentary passes to Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Additional benefits accompany higher sponsorship levels, which range up to $1,000, depending on the species' care and feeding needs. Individuals, families, school classes, community groups and organizations are welcome to adopt. For more information, or to adopt online, visit http://aquarium.ucsd.edu. Adoption Levels: $50 Clown Anemonefish Blue Tang $100 Moon Jelly Garibaldi Sardines $150 California Spiny Lobster Sea Star California Moray Eel $200 Stingray Stonefish Coral Reef $250 Lionfish Leopard Shark Black-tipped Reef Shark $500 Ribboned Seadragon Giant Sea Bass Scythe Butterflyfish $1,000 Sea Dragon Octopus Pacific Seahorse # # # Note to broadcast and cable producers: University of California, San Diego provides an on-campus satellite uplink facility for live or pre-recorded television interviews. Please phone or e-mail the media contact listed above to arrange an interview. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for global science research and education in the world. The National Research Council has ranked Scripps first in faculty quality among oceanography programs nationwide Now in its second century of discovery, the scientific scope of the institution has grown to include biological, physical, chemical, geological, geophysical and atmospheric studies of the earth as a system. Hundreds of research programs covering a wide range of scientific areas are under way today in 65 countries. The institution has a staff of about 1,300, and annual expenditures of approximately $155 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. |
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