Save the Bay, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help protect and preserve Narragansett Bay, is located in the coastal town of Newport. The
Exploration Center & Aquarium is a hands-on marine science learning center, which houses some 50 different species of local Narragansett Bay creatures. Not only did Sandy's twelve foot waves severely damage the Aquarium, they also left behind piles of sand, rocks and debris.
Save the Bay issued an
alert on Oct. 31st announcing that the Exploration Center and Aquarium had received substantial damage. Thanks to the dedicated staff, "every crab, dogfish, ray, flounder, seahorse and jellyfish survived" the storm.
Mystic Aquarium, located in Mystic, CT, Aquidneck Lobster Company, also located in Newport R.I., and the Save the Bay’s Bay Center in Providence, all agreed to take in the displaced animals while repairs are made to the Newport facility.
Jonathan Stone, an employee with Save the Bay Aquarium, told
WPRI the staff knew there would be flooding in the building. What they did not anticipate was the amount of damaged caused by sand and rocks.
According to the aquarium's
Facebook page, the facility is closed and staff are uncertain when it will be able to re-open.
