Today, U.S. Consul General James Moore welcomed to Roosevelt House the Governor of Curaçao, Lucille George-Wout; Adrian “Dutch” Schrier, Director of Substation Curaçao; Franklin Sluis, General Managing Director of Cpost International; and Dr. Carole Baldwin, research zoologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for the official presentation of a series of new postage stamps dedicated to the unique fishes discovered in the deep reefs of Curaçao.
“The release of these ten magnificent postage stamps depicting new species of fishes discovered in the waters of Curaçao is a fitting tribute to the outstanding collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and local partners. These results of the joint activity by Substation Curaçao and the Smithsonian heighten awareness of our profound responsibility to protect the planet’s oceans and exemplify the benefits of the people-to-people ties that intertwine Curaçao and the United States.” (James Moore, U.S. Consul General)
Deep reefs, such as those surrounding Curaçao, have largely been missed by science because they are too deep to access using traditional scuba gear, and deep-diving submersibles that are capable of descending thousands of meters rarely stop at depths above 300 meters. To address these needs, the Smithsonian Institution established the Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP) to investigate deep reefs off Curaçao. The Smithsonian Institution, located in Washington, DC, is the world’s largest complex of museums and research centers, and includes the National Zoo.
In a unique collaboration with Substation Curaçao, the Smithsonian scientists used the Curasub to observe, collect specimens and tissue samples, and monitor biodiversity in Curaçao’s deep reefs. The results are remarkable: at least 30 new species of fish and invertebrates have been discovered in waters close to the Curaçao Sea Aquarium. The new Cpost stamps feature ten of the most striking varieties of fishes that were discovered in the deep reefs of Curaçao: the Rough-tongue Bass, Dragonette, Saber Goby, Longfin Scorpionfish, Deep Sea Toad, Banded Basslet, Bladefin Bass, Yellir Basslet, Spanish Flag, and the Spottail Golden Bass.For more information, please visit
www.substation-curacao.com , www.sea-aquarium-park.com
and http://ocean.si.edu/slideshow/collections-cura%C3%A7ao
