[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/25336_DCMseg.mp3|titles= Delaware Public Media's Karl Malgiero talks with Delaware Children's Museum's Nicole Kindbieter about their new Touch Tank Aquarium exhibit.]
The Delaware Children's Museum opened its new permanent exhibit this weekend - a Touch Tank Aquarium featuring a variety of marine wildlife in a 600 gallon tank.
Predators, bony fish and marine invertebrates make up the three categories of species in the tank and kids and their families will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with sharks, rays, starfish, sea urchins and horseshoe crabs.
The museum’s marketing and communications director Nicole Kindbieter says beyond showing how the different species interact - D-C-M’s educational staff is building additional programs around the Touch Tank.
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"We can also have educational programming that’s related back to it that's more focused," said Kindbieter. "We might have one week as a focus just on starfish or just on horseshoe crabs. So it's going to be interesting to see all the great things that we can add to the experience."
Kindbieter says the museum, now in its fifth year, is committed to bringing in new exhibits or spruce up the old ones.
“We always make it our mission to have something new going on, whether its new exhibits, new programming, or special events that come out throughout the year," said Kindbieter. "We want to keep things fresh, keep people on their toes and keep people wanting to come back, day after day, year after year.”
The Touch Tank Aquarium is now open to the public. For more information, visit the Delaware Children's Museum's website