New Orleans Aquarium Starts to Rebuild

Oct. 15, 2005 — -- New Orleans' Aquarium of the Americas used to boast an exhibit called the Caribbean Tunnel. But after Hurricane Katrina, the 350 marine animals that inhabited it all died.

When the power systems went out and the generators failed, the filtration system stopped working. There was nothing anyone could do, said Rich Toth, who is in charge of the animals' care.

"When the filtration system stops, oxygen levels drop pretty quickly," Toth said.

The only animals in the aquarium that survived were the ones who live on the surface or could come up for air -- for example, a giant anaconda and a rare white alligator. The aquarium's crown jewel, King Midas, a 300-pound, 75-year-old endangered green sea turtle, survived, too.

After the storm, King Midas was sent to an aquarium in Galveston, Texas, for safekeeping. He returned to the Aquarium of the Americas this past week.

Penguins and sea otters also pulled through, and currently are sunning themselves at the Monterrey Aquarium in California.

Repopulating the exhibits with 10,000 new animals is a massive job, but it keeps the staff from dwelling too much on the animals they lost.

"If you've ever had a pet, you understand," Toth said. "Some of them have grown up with us. Some of them were born here. And we've taken them out of the wild, so we're responsible.

"I feel fortunate that I'm still here to help bring it back," he added.