ATLANTIS MARINE WORLD AQUARIUM EXPANDS, CHANGES NAME

Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, NY, has changed its name to the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center and will expand this summer and fall to include an exhibition center, hotel, and conference center.

RIVERHEAD, NY (June 15, 2011) - Atlantis Marine World Aquarium, one of this nation's Top 10 Aquariums, is celebrating its 11th anniversary in a big way. On Wednesday, June 15, the Aquarium celebrated the anniversary of its opening, and on July 1, it adds to the family with the openings of the brand-new Long Island Exhibition Center and Hyatt Place East End hotel, the additions of the Sea Star Grand Ballroom (opening late summer 2011) and Treasure Cove Resort Marina, and a name change - Atlantis Marine World will now be known as Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center.

Since opening its doors and tanks in 2000, the Aquarium has hosted nearly five million visitors and has been thrilling visitors with a wide range of indoor and outdoor exhibits that bring undersea wonders to life. This new $24 million, three-prong expansion includes a  28,000-square-foot Sea Star Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 450 guests; a 70,000-square-foot, 100-room-and-suite Hyatt Place hotel; and the highly anticipated Long Island Exhibition Center.

Upon opening, the Exhibition Center will feature an indoor exotic butterfly and bird exhibit. This exhibit will change every few years, says co-owner Joe Petrocelli.
 
These new attractions, along with the Aquarium's original exhibits (including its 120,000-gallon Lost City of Atlantis Shark Exhibit, the Atlantis Explorer Tour Boat, the Penguin Encounter, and the daily Sea Lion Show), provide guests with one adventure after another.
 
For more information, visit the Aquarium's Web site: www.LongIslandAquarium.com.