Aquarium Helps Clean Up Coney Island

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Sept. 15, 2015 – WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) New York Aquarium, in collaboration with the American Littoral Society, Partnerships for Parks, and other partners, will hold a beach cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 19 in Coney Island’s Kaiser Park to acknowledge International Coastal Cleanup Day.

Volunteers are needed to help collect debris that finds its way to the Coney Island shores. This debris includes plastics that pose significant threats to wildlife, fishing, human health, tourism, water quality, and marine ecosystems.

Last year’s beach cleanup resulted in more than 1,500 pounds of debris removed from Coney Island’s shores.

Participating in a beach cleanup is an activity that helps community members learn about marine environments, its value to people and animals, and the actions people can take to improve it. Participating in a cleanup also helps foster appreciation for the wildlife and habitats.

Those interested in volunteering for the cleanup event can find more information at www.nyaquarium.com.

For more information on the event or to speak with a WCS expert, contact Barbara Russo at 718-265-3428 or brusso@wcs.org.

Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is open every day of the year. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Tickets are $11.95 per person (ages 3 & up), and include Aquarium admission plus one admission to the new 4-D Theater; children age 2 and under are admitted free. Fridays after 4 p.m. in the summer and after 3 p.m. in the fall, Aquarium admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation. The aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. The New York Aquarium is located on property owned by the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. 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 WCS New York Aquarium, a beloved part of Brooklyn and all of the City of New York. Due to Hurricane Sandy we are partially opened. Check our website for more information. www.nyaquarium.com.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS; http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia Follow: @thewcs.