Long Island Aquarium, Suffolk County, NY

Long Island Aquarium (formerly Atlantis Marine World) is an aquarium that opened in 2000 on Long Island in Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York. One of its biggest attractions is a 20,000-US-gallon coral reef display tank, which is one of the largest all-living coral displays in the Western Hemisphere. Construction on the aquarium began in 1999, and it opened on June 15, 2000. The Town of Riverhead bought the land in 1995 with the hopes the Okeanos Foundation of Hampton Bays, New York would operate it as part of a rehabilitation project of the Peconic waterfront. However, Okeanos was unable to raise funds. Space has been given in the aquarium to the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.

The aquarium’s original cost of $15 million was provided by developers James J. Bissett and Joseph M. Petrocelli. The Bissett’s family owns the Bissett Nursery in Holtsville, New York. Petrocelli’s family owns Petrocelli Construction based in Ronkonkoma, New York, as well as Raphael Vineyard.On July 1, 2011, it changed its name to Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center after undergoing a $24 million expansion including a brand-new Exhibition Center, a 28,000 sq. ft. Sea Star Grand Ballroom. The aquarium also owns and operates a 120-slip marina called Treasure Cove Resort Marina. The aquarium was featured in the 5th season of The Apprentice.

Indoor exhibits include Amazon Rainforest, American Alligators, Archer Fish, Best Buddies (clownfish & anemone), Birds, Bugs and Butterflies Exhibit, Coral Reef, Cuttlefish, Discus Fish, Electric Eel, Flounder Find, Form & Function, Giant Pacific Octopus, Jellyfish, Local Rocky Shores, Lost City of Atlantis Shark Exhibit, Marmosets, Megalodon Display, Moray Eels, Ocean Creatures of the World/Crab Villa (Japanese spider crab), Piranha, Poseidon’s Treasure Room, Puffer Fish, Ray Bay, Sand Shark Lagoon, Schooling Fish (common Pacific silver moonfish), Seahorses, Shipwreck/Artificial Reef (Lion Fish), Tidal Marsh, an interactive touch tank and Turtle Bay which features the Australian snake-necked turtle, the red-eared sliders and east African black mud turtles .

The Aquarium’s outdoor exhibits include Ancient Reptile Ruins, i.e. the green tree python and mangrove monitor, Creatures of the Night (Brazilian prehensile-tailed porcupine and Pallas’s long tailed bats), Gator Invasion, Koi Pond, Interactive Salt Marsh, Lost Temple of Atlantis (Japanese snow monkeys), Otter Falls (North American river otters), Penguin Pavilion (African penguin), Ray Bay, Sea Lion Coliseum, Seals and Critter Corner. The interactive displays include Interactive Salt Marsh, Arcade, Ray Bay, Sea Lion Kiss, Submarine Simulator, hands on touch tank, as well as an Interactive Creature Feature.

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