Aquarium Piers
The Aquariums are pleased to announce plans for adding three new ocean piers for the public to enjoy! The concept for Aquarium Piers dates back to 2002, when the nonprofit NC Aquarium Society purchased Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, the oldest pier along the Outer Banks. The pier and its 9,000-square foot pier house, along with five acres of oceanfront property, were slated to become a unique outreach site for the nearby Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Those plans were put on hold when Hurricane Isabel destroyed the aging wooden structure in September of 2003.
Since then, more ambitious plans have been conceived to build three hurricane-resistant concrete structures, one near each of the three NC Aquariums. The concept has been expanded to provide family-oriented educational sites from which Aquarium staff can conduct programs ranging from recreational fishing and field trips to research, at the same time preserving much-needed public beach access. The timing couldn’t be better, when North Carolina’s ocean piers are disappearing at an alarming rate, dropping from 36 piers in 1980 to 20 at the present time.