WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of the Interior Museum will open the exhibit Coral Reefs: Imperiled Habitats of the Sea on Jan. 18, 2008. This exhibit, which includes stunning photographs of coral reefs in U.S. waters and historical museum coral reef samples from the 1940s and 50s, is free and open to the public.
To bring the world’s the attention to these beautiful living habitats, 2008 is designated International Year of the Reef. Coral reefs are communities formed by millions of tiny coral animals over thousands of years. Although they provide habitat to one-third of all ocean species, almost two-thirds of all existing coral reefs are being destroyed or are threatened. The Department of the Interior, along with the Department of Commerce, co-chairs the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force that was established by Presidential Executive Order 13089 “to preserve and protect the biodiversity, health, heritage, and social and economic value of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and the marine environment” in the waters of the United States and internationally.
| WHAT: | Coral Reefs: Imperiled Habitats of the Sea Exhibit |
| WHEN: | Jan. 18, 2008 through Aug. 8, 2008 |
| WHERE: | The exhibit will run from Jan. 18, 2008 to Aug. 8, 2008. The Department of the Interior Museum is located on the first floor of the Main Interior Building at 1849 C Street, NW between 18th and 19th Streets. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm and from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm on the third Saturday of each month, except for all Federal holidays. For more information, please call 202-208-4743 or visit their website www.doi.gov/interiormuseum. |
Special Assistance – For those in need of special assistance or inquiries regarding the handicapped entrance, please call (202) 208-4743 in advance. Special needs will be accommodated whenever possible.