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138-708: A $ 250 million donation from the foundation of local businessman and The Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus provided the bulk of the funding needed to build and stock the new facility. The aquarium's notable specimens include whale sharks , beluga whales , California sea lions , bottlenose dolphins , manta rays , sea otters , and tiger sharks . Its centerpiece is a 6.3 million US gallons (24,000 m) whale shark exhibit. In November 2001, Bernard Marcus announced his vision of presenting Atlanta with an aquarium that would encourage both education and economic growth. After visiting 56 aquariums in 13 countries with his wife, Billi Marcus, he donated $ 250 million toward what

276-826: A Compete.com survey. In the US HomeDepot.com has 5 Call centers located in Kennesaw, GA; Atlanta, GA; Marietta, GA; Ogden, Utah and Tempe, AZ. Home Depot online offers in-store pickup and online returns. In 2006, The Home Depot started testing fuel centers at some of its stores. The first two "Home Depot Fuel" convenience stores (C-Store) were located in Tennessee . Four additional prototype stores were built in Acworth, Georgia ; Smyrna, Tennessee ; Greensboro, Georgia ; and Winchester, Tennessee . In 2012, Home Depot VP of Corporate Communication Stephen Holmes stated that

414-899: A coral-bleaching disease in the Florida Keys , Georgia Aquarium is housing multiple species of coral at their facility. During the same year, the aquarium temporarily provided housing for the sea turtles of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center , which were evacuated ahead of Hurricane Dorian . The aquarium is involved in research initiatives that focus on whale sharks in the Yucatán Peninsula , beluga whales in Alaska , penguins in South Africa , manatees in Quintana Roo , Mexico, loggerhead sea turtles on

552-589: A marine mammal buried beneath the fields of rural Vermont. The remains were found to be preserved in the sediments of the Champlain Sea , an extension of the Atlantic Ocean within the continent resulting from the rise in sea level at the end of the ice ages some 12,000 years ago. Today, the Charlotte whale is the official Vermont State Fossil (making Vermont the only state whose official fossil

690-454: A 1.8 million U.S. gallons (6,800,000 L) exhibit. This exhibit also features shorebirds such as roseate spoonbills and scarlet ibis . Aquanaut Adventure: A Discovery Zone contains several smaller exhibits and multiple hands-on activities, including an augmented reality scavenger hunt using the aquarium's mobile app. Sharks! Predators of the Deep opened on October 23, 2020, and it has

828-533: A 100 ft (30 m) underwater acrylic tunnel and one of the world's largest viewing windows. Truist Pier 225 holds California sea lions . Among its six animals, individuals named Jupiter and Neptune were rescued in the 2015 mass sea lion stranding in California . This exhibit also offers scheduled presentations about the species. Dolphin Coast is home to the aquarium's pod of 13 common bottlenose dolphins in

966-485: A 75% share. All of the Aikenhead's Hardware stores were later converted to The Home Depot stores. By 1995, sales reached $ 10 billion while operating 350 stores. Former General Electric executive Robert Nardelli became CEO and president of The Home Depot in 2000. San Diego maintenance and repair supplies company Maintenance Warehouse was purchased by The Home Depot in 1997 for $ 245 million. Maintenance Warehouse

1104-417: A beluga to "talk" by using these sounds to identify three different objects, offering hope that humans may one day be able to communicate effectively with sea mammals. A similar observation has been made by Canadian researchers, where a beluga which died in 2007 "talked" when he was still a subadult. Another example is NOC , a beluga whale that could mimic the rhythm and tone of human language. Beluga whales in

1242-431: A beluga's life expectancy was rarely more than 30 years. The method used to calculate the age of a beluga is based on counting the layers of dentine and dental cement in a specimen's teeth, which were originally thought to be deposited once or twice a year. The layers can be readily identified as one layer consists of opaque dense material and the other is transparent and less dense. It is therefore possible to estimate

1380-421: A calf or if they are pregnant. After giving birth, dominant females will return the calf back to their mother. Additionally, male calves will temporarily leave their mothers to interact with an adult male who can serve as a role model for the calf, before they return to their mothers. Male calves are also frequently seen interacting with each other. Belugas are slower swimmers than the other toothed whales, such as

1518-401: A calf. Experts consider this interaction with the objects to be a substitute behavior . In captivity, mothering behavior among belugas depends on the individual. Some mothers are extremely attentive while other mothers are so blasé, that they have actually lost their calves. In aquaria, there have been cases where dominant females have stolen calves from mothers, particularly if they have lost

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1656-623: A catalog and online sales, but with five physical locations. The five physical locations were not included in the deal. In December 2020, Home Depot bought back HD Supply for $ 8 billion. In January 2022, The Home Depot announced Craig Menear would be stepping down as the CEO and president effective March 1, 2022, while continuing to serve as the chairman of the board. He was replaced by former executive vice president Ted Decker . In February 2023, Home Depot announced that it would spend $ 1 billion to raise hourly employee wages. As of 2020, Home Depot

1794-623: A discontinuous circumpolar distribution in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. During the summer, they can mainly be found in deep waters ranging from 76°N to 80°N , particularly along the coasts of Alaska , northern Canada, western Greenland and northern Russia. The southernmost extent of their range includes isolated populations in the St. Lawrence River in the Atlantic, and the Amur River delta,

1932-436: A dive, these animals will reduce their heart rate from 100 beats a minute to between 12 and 20. Blood flow is diverted away from certain tissues and organs and towards the brain , heart and lungs , which require a constant oxygen supply. The amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood is 5.5%, which is greater than that found in land-based mammals and is similar to that of Weddell seals (a diving marine mammal). One study found

2070-541: A female beluga had 16.5 L of oxygen dissolved in her blood. Lastly, the beluga's muscles contain high levels of the protein myoglobin , which stores oxygen in muscle. Myoglobin concentrations in belugas are several times greater than for terrestrial mammals, which help prevent oxygen deficiency during dives. Beluga whales often accompany bowhead whales , for curiosity and to secure polynya feasibility to breathe as bowheads are capable of breaking through ice from underwater by headbutting. Belugas play an important role in

2208-400: A few centimetres behind their eyes; each hole communicates with an external auditory conduit and an eardrum . It is not known if these organs are functional or simply vestigial . Belugas are able to see within and outside of water, but their vision is relatively poor when compared to dolphins. Their eyes are especially adapted to seeing under water, although when they come into contact with

2346-426: A few days be hundreds of miles away from that pod. Beluga whale pods can be grouped into three categories, nurseries (which consist of mother and calves), bachelors (which consist of all males) and mixed groups. Mixed groups contain animals of both sexes. Many hundreds and even thousands of individuals can be present when the pods join in river estuaries during the summer. This can represent a significant proportion of

2484-410: A few hours after birth; thereafter, they feed at intervals around an hour. Studies of captive females have indicated their milk composition varies between individuals and with the stage of lactation; it has an average content of 28% fat, 11% protein, 60.3% water, and less than 1% residual solids. The milk contains about 92 cal per ounce . The calves remain dependent on their mothers for nursing for

2622-716: A for-associate charity, is named after the mascot, who since its creation, has been a part of Home Depot culture ever since. This includes signage, advertising, awards, and even a life-size costume for stores to rent out. Homer has a wife, named Daisy. Home Depot stores average 105,000 ft (9,755 m ) in size and are organized warehouse-style, stocking a large range of supplies. Home Depot's two largest stores are located in Vauxhall, New Jersey , which encompasses 217,000 ft of space, and in Anaheim Hills, California , where it encompasses 204,000 ft . The company color

2760-450: A large frontal prominence. Another distinctive characteristic it possesses is the melon is malleable; its shape is changed during the emission of sounds. The beluga is able to change the shape of its head by blowing air around its sinuses to focus the emitted sounds. This organ contains fatty acids , mainly isovaleric acid (60.1%) and long-chain branched acids (16.9%), a very different composition from its body fat, and which could play

2898-490: A maximum frequency of 100 to 120 kHz when transferred to Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii . The difference in frequencies is thought to be a response to the difference in environmental noise in the two areas. In special circumstances, beluga whale sounds have been reported to resemble human speech. These animals communicate using sounds of high frequency; their calls can sound like bird songs, so belugas were nicknamed "canaries of

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3036-403: A mechanism for regulating body temperature , as the arteries feeding the fin's muscles are surrounded by veins that dilate or contract to gain or lose heat. The tailfin is flat with two oar-like lobes, it does not have any bones, and is made up of hard, dense, fibrous connective tissue. The tailfin has a distinctive curvature along the lower edge. The longitudinal muscles of the back provide

3174-768: A month. Maris died in October of the same year, reigniting the debate as to whether the captive beluga breeding program was humane or successful. On January 14, 2020, the Georgia Aquarium announced that 20-year-old Whisper was pregnant and due to deliver a calf in April. Whisper delivered the calf on May 17 that year. The aquarium's animals are displayed in seven galleries and exhibits: Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Explorers Cove, Cold Water Quest, Southern Company River Scout, Dolphin Coast, Truist Pier 225 and Aquanaut Adventure: A Discovery Zone. Each exhibit corresponds to

3312-532: A new 20 foot (6.1 m) deep tank that has great hammerhead sharks , sand tiger sharks , tiger sharks , silvertip sharks , silky sharks , zebra sharks , and round ribbontail rays . It features a dive cage, where visitors can be submersed in the tank. It has a wading pool where visitors can walk with rays and zebra sharks. Explorers Cove opened in August 2024, and features touch pools with cownose rays and lake sturgeons . According to founder Bernard Marcus,

3450-538: A period up to 475 days (15.8 months). During the mating season, the testes of belugas double in weight. Testosterone levels increase, but seems to be independent of copulation. Copulation typically takes place between 3 and 4 AM. Calves are born over a protracted period that varies by location. In the Canadian Arctic, calves are born between March and September, while in Hudson Bay , the peak calving period

3588-511: A reef near the village of Tagaqe, Fiji for eight months to allow seaweeds and reef invertebrates to establish colonies. As of 2016, the Georgia Aquarium stated that it would not be taking whales or dolphins that have been caught in the wild. In 2019, the Georgia Aquarium began participating in a coral project in conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other AZA-accredited facilities. In an effort to save coral from

3726-466: A role in its echolocation system. Unlike many dolphins and whales, the seven vertebrae in the neck are not fused together, allowing the animal to turn its head laterally without needing to rotate its body. This gives the head a lateral manoeuvrability that allows an improved field of view and movement and helps in catching prey and evading predators in deep water. The rostrum has about eight to ten small, blunt and slightly curved teeth on each side of

3864-489: A specific environment. Cold Water Quest features animals from the polar and temperate regions of the world and contains most of the mammal species in the Aquarium's collection. This exhibit includes beluga whales in an 800,000-US-gallon (3,000,000 L) habitat, southern sea otters , Japanese spider crabs , weedy sea dragons , two types of puffins , and African penguins . The largest exhibit, Ocean Voyager, built by

4002-672: A suburban Detroit store in Harper Woods, Michigan , rejected a bid to be represented by a labor union , voting 115 to 42 against joining the United Food and Commercial Workers . If the union had won, the Michigan store would have been the first Home Depot to have union representation. Your Other Warehouse, a large plumbing distributor with a focus on special order fulfillment, was acquired by The Home Depot in 2001. Your Other Warehouse also supplied two divisions of The Home Depot and

4140-506: A variety of fish species including saffron cod, rainbow smelt , walleye pollock, Pacific salmon , Pacific herring and several species of flounder and sculpin. The primary invertebrate consumed is shrimp. The primary prey item in regard to fish species for belugas in Bristol Bay appears to be the five species of salmon, with sockeye being the most prevalent. Smelt is also another common fish family eaten by belugas in this region. Shrimp

4278-487: A variety of shark species. A temporary entrance was constructed by the end of 2018 to facilitate construction of the new expansion. The official opening date for the exhibit was October 23, 2020. The Home Depot This is an accepted version of this page The Home Depot, Inc. is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools , construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot

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4416-405: A way of preserving heat. The crest is hard and, along with the head, can be used to open holes in ice up to 8 cm (3.1 in) thick. The beluga has a very specialised sense of hearing and its auditory cortex is highly developed. It can hear sounds within the range of 1.2 to 120  kHz , with the greatest sensitivity between 10 and 75 kHz, where the average hearing range for humans

4554-420: A wide range of movement while they are searching for food on the ocean floor. Some animals have been observed to suck up water and then forcefully expel it to uncover their prey hidden in the silt on the seabed. As their teeth are neither large nor sharp, belugas must use suction to bring their prey into their mouths; it also means their prey has to be consumed whole, which in turn means it cannot be too large or

4692-508: Is Coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ). In general, the diets of these cetaceans consist mainly of fish; apart from those previously mentioned, other fish they feed on include capelin ( Mallotus villosus ), smelt , sole , flounder , herring , sculpin and other types of salmon . They also consume a great quantity of invertebrates, such as shrimp , squid , crabs , clams , octopus , sea snails , bristle worms and other deep-sea species. Belugas feed mainly in winter as their blubber

4830-429: Is debate as to whether cetacean vocalizations can constitute a language. A study conducted in 2015 determined that European beluga signals share physical features comparable to vowels. These sounds were found to be stable throughout time, but varied among different geographical locations. The further away the populations were from each other, the more varied the sounds were in relation to one another. The beluga inhabits

4968-404: Is 0.02 to 20 kHz. The majority of sounds are most probably received by the lower jaw and transmitted towards the middle ear . In the toothed whales, the lower jawbone is broad with a cavity at its base, which projects towards the place where it joins the cranium . A fatty deposit inside this small cavity connects to the middle ear. Toothed whales also possess a small external auditory hole

5106-456: Is a bright orange (PMS 165, CMYK 60M100Y, HEX FF6600), on signs, equipment and employee aprons. Contractors make up only five percent of Home Depot's customers but they account for 45 percent of the companies $ 132 billion in annual sales. To address these contractor customers the company is building new flatbed distribution centers designed specifically to cater to builders that roll up in a contractor flatbed trucks . The Home Depot announced

5244-469: Is a member of the family Monodontidae , which is in turn part of the parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). The Irrawaddy dolphin was once placed in the same family, though recent genetic evidence suggests these dolphins belong to the family Delphinidae . The narwhal is the only other species within the Monodontidae. A skull has been discovered with intermediate characteristics supporting

5382-511: Is a slight difference on the sexual maturation period between males and females. The male beluga whales take seven to nine years to become sexually mature, while the females take four to seven years. Female belugas typically give birth to one calf every three years. Most mating occurs from February to May, but some occurs at other times of year. The beluga may have delayed implantation . Gestation has been estimated to last 12.0 to 14.5 months, but information derived from captive females suggests

5520-533: Is also owned by The Home Depot, with 70 distribution centers across the United States. It is the sixth largest United States–based employer globally . The Home Depot was co-founded by Bernard Marcus , Arthur Blank , Ron Brill , Pat Farrah , and Ken Langone in 1978. The Home Depot's proposition was to build home-improvement superstores , larger than any of their competitors' facilities. Investment banker Ken Langone helped Marcus and Blank to secure

5658-404: Is also seen in other mammals, may be present in belugas in the wild. Hybrids have been documented between the beluga and the narwhal (specifically offspring conceived by a beluga father and a narwhal mother), as one, perhaps even as many as three, such hybrids were killed and harvested during a sustenance hunt. Whether or not these hybrids could breed remains unknown. The unusual dentition seen in

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5796-514: Is an industrial supply and distribution company. The company, formerly called The Maintenance Warehouse, provided infrastructure and construction support services for businesses throughout North America. Renamed as HD Supply, the business was re-acquired by THD in December 2020. The Home Depot exclusively carries several major brands, including: Additionally, the retailer sells the following house brands , though it does not manufacture any of

5934-482: Is between that of a dolphin and a true whale, with males growing up to 5.5 m (18 ft) long and weighing up to 1,600 kg (3,530 lb). This whale has a stocky body. Like many cetaceans, a large percentage of its weight is blubber (subcutaneous fat). Its sense of hearing is highly developed and its echolocation allows it to move about and find breathing holes under sheet ice. Belugas are gregarious and form groups of 10 animals on average, although during

6072-513: Is effective as of February 1, 2016. Ms. Campbell has been employed by Home Depot for over 30 years, beginning as a cashier in a branch in South Florida . Her most recent role was as president of Home Depot's Southern division. The Home Depot has over 90 distribution centers throughout the United States to serve over 2,000 The Home Depot stores. The domain homedepot.com attracted at least 120 million visitors annually by 2008 according to

6210-512: Is in late June, and in Cumberland Sound , most calves are born from late July to early August. Births usually take place in bays or estuaries where the water is between 10 and 15 °C. Newborns are about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) long, weigh about 80 kg (180 lb), and are grey in colour. They are able to swim alongside their mothers immediately after birth. The newborn calves nurse under water and initiate lactation

6348-588: Is ranked #26 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. In 2023, the company was ranked 67th in the Forbes Global 2000 . For the Q2 of 2020, the company reported sales of $ 38.1 billion, which represented a growth of 23.4% from the same period, the previous year. The net earnings for the period of three months (ending August 2) rose 27% up to $ 4.3 billion. The growth in

6486-399: Is rarely mistaken for any other species, because it is completely white or whitish-grey in colour. Calves are usually born grey, and by the time they are a month old, have turned dark grey or blue grey. They then start to progressively lose their pigmentation until they attain their distinctive white colouration, at the age of seven years in females and nine in males. The white colouration of

6624-608: Is stocky and fusiform (cone-shaped with the point facing backwards), and they frequently have folds of fat, particularly along the ventral surface. Between 40% and 50% of their body weight is fat, which is a higher proportion than for cetaceans that do not inhabit the Arctic, where fat only represents 30% of body weight. The fat forms a layer that covers all of the body except the head, and it can be up to 15 cm (5.9 in) thick. It acts as insulation in waters with temperatures between 0 and 18 °C, as well as being an important reserve during periods without food. The adult beluga

6762-432: Is that of a still extant animal). Its body is round, particularly when well fed, and tapers less smoothly to the head than the tail. The sudden tapering to the base of its neck gives it the appearance of shoulders, unique among cetaceans. The tail-fin grows and becomes increasingly and ornately curved as the animal ages. The flippers are broad and short—making them almost square-shaped. Preliminary investigations suggested

6900-690: Is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States. In 2021, the company had 490,600 employees and more than $ 151 billion in revenue. The company is headquartered in unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia , with an Atlanta mailing address. Home Depot operates many big-box format stores across the United States (including the District of Columbia , Guam , Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands ); all 10 provinces of Canada; and all 32 Mexican states and Mexico City . Maintenance, repair, and operations company Interline Brands ( The Home Depot Pro )

7038-623: Is the most prevalent invertebrate prey item. The most common prey items for belugas in Cook Inlet appear to be salmon, cod and smelt. Animals in captivity eat 2.5% to 3.0% of their body weight per day, which equates to 18.2 to 27.2 kg (40 to 60 lb). Like their wild counterparts, captive belugas were found to eat less in the fall. Foraging on the seabed typically takes place at depths between 20 and 40 m (66 and 131 ft), although they can dive to depths of 700 m (2,300 ft) in search of food. Their flexible necks provide

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7176-568: Is thickest in later winter and early spring, and thinnest in the fall. Inuit observation has led scientists to believe that belugas do not hunt during migration, at least in Hudson Bay. The diet of Alaskan belugas is quite diverse and varies depending on season and migratory behavior. Belugas in the Beaufort Sea mainly feed on staghorn and shorthorn sculpin, walleye pollock , Arctic cod , saffron cod and Pacific sand lance . Shrimp are

7314-496: Is thought to number around 200,000. They are migratory and the majority of groups spend the winter around the Arctic ice cap ; when the sea ice melts in summer, they move to warmer river estuaries and coastal areas. Some populations are sedentary and do not migrate over great distances during the year. The native peoples of North America and Russia have hunted belugas for many centuries. They were also hunted by non-natives during

7452-456: Is unclear as to whether belugas receive a different number of layers per year depending on the age of the animal (for example young belugas may only receive an additional one layer per year), or simply just one layer per year or every other year. The species presents a moderate degree of sexual dimorphism , as the males are 25% longer than the females and are sturdier. Adult male belugas can range from 3.5 to 5.5 m (11 to 18 ft), while

7590-401: Is very heavily dependent upon the success of the company. Although a longtime deputy to Nardelli at GE and Home Depot, Blake was said to lack Nardelli's hard edge and instead preferred to make decisions by consensus. Indeed, Blake repudiated many of his predecessor's strategies, and it has been reported that the two men have not spoken since Nardelli departed Home Depot. In 2008 and 2009, with

7728-725: The NASDAQ , raising $ 4.093 million. The Home Depot joined the New York Stock Exchange on April 19, 1984. The Home Depot began to branch out of Georgia to Florida in 1981 with stores opening in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale . By 1984, The Home Depot was operating 19 stores with sales of over $ 256 million. To enter the Dallas market The Home Depot acquired Bowater Home Center from Bowater Inc. on October 31, 1984, for $ 40 million. The increased expansion of The Home Depot in

7866-642: The New York Aquarium : Marina, Natasha and Natasha's daughter, Maris. After Gasper and Marina died in 2007, the belugas were transferred to SeaWorld San Antonio , where Nico died in 2009. In 2010, Maris and a new male, Beethoven, were returned to the Georgia Aquarium while Natasha remained with a potential mate in San Antonio. Two young belugas, Grayson (male) and Qinu (female), also from San Antonio, were added in November 2010. Before transferring to

8004-468: The Shedd Aquarium in 2014, Beethoven fathered calves with Maris in 2012 and 2015, neither of which survived. Maris died of a heart defect in 2015. In 2016, Grayson was sent to Shedd Aquarium while SeaWorld Orlando's Aurek and Maple and Shedd Aquarium's Nunavik arrived on loan at Georgia Aquarium. In June 2017, Georgia Aquarium announced that Qinu was pregnant with her first calf, sired by Aurek, and

8142-964: The 19th century and part of the 20th century. Hunting of belugas is not controlled by the International Whaling Commission , and each country has developed its own regulations in different years. Currently, some Inuit in Canada and Greenland, Alaska Native groups and Russians are allowed to hunt belugas for consumption as well as for sale, as aboriginal whaling is excluded from the International Whaling Commission 1986 moratorium on hunting. The numbers have dropped substantially in Russia and Greenland, but not in Alaska and Canada. Other threats include natural predators ( polar bears and killer whales ), contamination of rivers (as with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) which bioaccumulate up

8280-417: The Arctic, with anatomical and physiological characteristics that differentiate it from other cetaceans. Amongst these are its all-white colour and the absence of a dorsal fin , which allows it to swim under ice with ease. It possesses a distinctive protuberance at the front of its head which houses an echolocation organ called the melon , which in this species is large and deformable. The beluga's body size

8418-850: The EXPO Design Centers. The "EXPO Design Center" division was reorganized in 2001 with three divisions based in the Northeast at South Plainfield, New Jersey , the West at Orange, California , and the Southeast at Atlanta, Georgia . The Home Depot entered the Mexican market in 2002 with the acquisition of the home improvement chain Del Norte. In addition, The Home Depot had begun construction of stores in Mexicali and Tijuana . In

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8556-474: The Georgia Aquarium board of directors, who bought the park in 2004 and re-developed it. In 2019, another company acquired Marineland of Florida. In 2018, the aquarium announced its largest expansion to date, a $ 100 million, 45,000-square-foot endeavor featuring a new 1-million-US-gallon (3,800,000 L) saltwater shark gallery, Sharks: Predators of the Deep, and a redesigned main entrance, planned to be completed in late Fall 2020. This new exhibit would include

8694-413: The Georgia Aquarium. After the show ended following a two-season, twenty-episode run, Discovery+ began streaming the series, and the Georgia Aquarium subsequently partnered with the service to produce more content about animal experiences and conservation. The aquarium was designed around a 6.3 million US gallon (24,000 m3) whale shark exhibit, making it the first institution outside of Asia that houses

8832-681: The Georgia coast and spotted eagle rays in Sarasota, Florida . Its newest research project centers on bottle-nose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon . As permanent residents at the top of the lagoon's food chain , they are indicators of its environmental health. The aquarium is partnering with Florida Atlantic University and the federal government to monitor the health of these animals, and to identify potential threats such as pollution and emerging infectious diseases. In May 2008,

8970-589: The Home Depot, contains 6.3 million U.S. gallons (24,000,000 L) of water and several thousand fish. It measures 284 ft × 126 ft (87 m × 38 m) and the depth ranges between 20 and 30 ft (6.1 and 9.1 m), making it the largest indoor aquatic habitat in the world. This exhibit is designed to feature the life of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System and showcases the Aquarium's whale sharks and manta rays as well as

9108-535: The Southwest Division. He subsequently served as senior vice president of merchandising from August 2003 to April 2007. He then served as an executive vice president of merchandising from April 2007 to February 2014. Until becoming CEO, Menear served as president of U.S. Retail from February 2014 to November 1, 2014. The company had a data breach in September 2014. One major reason for the data breach

9246-544: The St. Lawrence River are listed as endangered. Belugas are one of the most commonly kept cetaceans in captivity and are housed in aquariums, dolphinariums and wildlife parks in North America, Europe and Asia. They are considered charismatic because of their docile demeanour and characteristic smile, communicative nature, and supple, graceful movement. The beluga was first described in 1776 by Peter Simon Pallas . It

9384-406: The U.S. Military community with a 10% military discount. Since 1993, the "Team Depot" program has provided grants to veteran-based organizations and has workers from a local store do volunteer work that would benefit veterans. Beluga whales The beluga whale ( / b ɪ ˈ l uː ɡ ə / ; Delphinapterus leucas ) is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean . It is one of two members of

9522-417: The United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico that serve customer needs for MRO supplies. The brands of Interline Brands include: Online seller of textile and textile goods for the home decor market. Originally founded in 1911 as a purveyor of home furnishings, its online division—only—was acquired by THD in 2017. Online contractor referral service founded in 2009; now called THD Pro Referral. HD Supply

9660-423: The age of the individual by extrapolating the number of layers identified and the estimated frequency with which the deposits are laid down. A 2006 study using radiocarbon dating of the dentin layers showed the deposit of this material occurs with a lesser frequency (once per year) than was previously thought. The study therefore estimated belugas can live for 70 or 80 years. However, recent studies suggest that it

9798-440: The air, the crystalline lens and the cornea adjust to overcome the associated myopia (the range of vision under water is short). A beluga's retina has cones and rods , which also suggests they can see in low light. The presence of cone cells indicates they can see colours, although this suggestion has not been confirmed. Glands located in the medial corner of their eyes secrete an oily, gelatinous substance that lubricates

9936-424: The aquarium announced plans to build a $ 110 million expansion for a new dolphin exhibit. The expansion covers 84,000 square feet (7,800 m) and contains 1.8 million US gallons (6,800,000 L) of water. Located on the west side of the facility, the exhibit features space for live presentations, observation windows, and opportunities for visitors to interact with animals. Construction began later in 2008 and

10074-418: The aquarium received two new sharks ("Taroko", commemorating Taroko Gorge National Park , and "Yushan" after Taiwan's Jade Mountain ) just before a ban on capture of that species took effect. Trixie died after her health declined in 2020. Alice died in 2021. The aquarium is only one of four sites in the world displaying a manta ray . Nandi, the aquarium's first manta ray, and the first manta ray on display in

10212-598: The aquarium's conservation and environmental mission are equal in importance to its role as an attraction. Before opening, the aquarium was already working with Georgia Tech and Georgia State University in Atlanta and the University of Georgia in Athens to help save endangered species through education and research programs. The acquisition of the male beluga whales, previously suffering in an inadequate environment,

10350-490: The ascending and descending movement of the tailfin, which has a similar thermoregulation mechanism to the pectoral fins. Belugas have a dorsal ridge, rather than a dorsal fin . The absence of the dorsal fin is reflected in the genus name of the species— apterus the Greek word for "wingless". The evolutionary preference for a dorsal ridge rather than a fin is believed to be an adaptation to under-ice conditions, or possibly as

10488-501: The beam of sound. They use this ability when moving around thick Arctic ice sheets, to find areas of unfrozen water for breathing, or air pockets trapped under the ice. Some evidence indicates that belugas are highly sensitive to noise produced by humans. In one study, the maximum frequencies produced by an individual located in San Diego Bay , California , were between 40 and 60 kHz. The same individual produced sounds with

10626-416: The beluga's mammalian ancestors, and are firmly bound together by connective tissue . The fins are small in relation to the size of the body, rounded and oar-shaped and slightly curled at the tips. These versatile extremities are mainly used as a rudder to control direction, to work in synchrony with the tailfin and for agile movement in shallow waters up to 3 m (9.8 ft) deep. The fins also contain

10764-550: The beluga's range varied with that of the polar ice packs expanding during ice ages and contracting when the ice retreated. Counter-evidence to this theory comes from the finding in 1849 of fossilised beluga bones in Vermont in the United States, 240 km (150 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean. The bones were discovered during construction of the first railroad between Rutland and Burlington in Vermont, when workers unearthed

10902-440: The belugas run the risk of it getting stuck in their throats. They also join into coordinated groups of five or more to feed on shoals of fish by steering the fish into shallow water, where the belugas then attack them. For example, in the estuary of the Amur River , where they mainly feed on salmon, groups of six or eight individuals join to surround a shoal of fish and prevent their escape. Individuals then take turns feeding on

11040-406: The bones of a mysterious animal in Charlotte . Buried nearly 10 ft (3.0 m) below the surface in a thick blue clay , these bones were unlike those of any animal previously discovered in Vermont. Experts identified the bones as those of a beluga. Because Charlotte is over 150 mi (240 km) from the nearest ocean, early naturalists were at a loss to explain the presence of the bones of

11178-438: The collection and redesigns of some habitats have increased the total water held to 11 million US gallons (42,000,000 L). 20,000 pounds (9,100 kilograms) of frozen food for the animals on exhibit is kept hidden from visitors in a stainless steel commissary at −20 °F (−29 °C). After 27 months of construction, the aquarium opened with 60 animal habitats. Though the non-profit aquarium's admission charges are among

11316-498: The company had no plans for additional fuel centers or growth in that area. The Home Depot offers rental vans and trucks at most of its locations. Blinds.com is an e-commerce retailer of window blinds and window coverings . Blinds.com was founded by Jay Steinfeld in 1993. By 2006, the company was named #186 on the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, as well as the 10th fastest-growing e-commerce company on

11454-399: The company's patent-pending Instafit shade product. In January 2014, Blinds.com was acquired by The Home Depot. Power equipment rental company that prior to 2017 provided equipment to rental departments in over 1,000 Home Depots in North America. Acquired by The Home Depot on July 6, 2017. Interline Brands (renamed in 2018 as The Home Depot Pro) has over 90 distribution centers throughout

11592-607: The country, was accidentally caught in nets protecting the South African coast from sharks. She joined the Ocean Voyager exhibit in 2008. A second, Tallulah, was added in September 2009. A third, Raven, was added in 2010. The aquarium has been home to as many as five 11-foot (3 m) beluga whales at once. Males Nico and Gasper, acquired from an amusement park in Mexico, were joined by three females on breeding loan from

11730-420: The downturn in the housing market, The Home Depot announced the layoff of several thousand associates, as well as the closing of 54 stores nationwide, including the entire EXPO Design Center chain. Associates at EXPO were allowed to re-apply for Home Depot jobs after the layoffs , and did not lose any tenure if hired back. In the year of February 2009, sales totaled $ 71.288 billion, more than $ 20 billion down from

11868-477: The early Pliocene (3–5 million years ago). Fossil evidence from Baja California and Virginia indicate the family once inhabited warmer waters. A fossil of the monodontid Casatia thermophila , from five million years ago, provides the strongest evidence that monodontids once inhabited warmer waters, as the fossil was found alongside fossils of tropical species such as bull and tiger sharks. The fossil record also indicates that, in comparatively recent times,

12006-511: The exhibits. The aquarium is in Downtown Atlanta on land donated by The Coca-Cola Company , just north of Centennial Olympic Park . It has a blue metal-and-glass exterior. The world's largest when it opened in November 2005, the aquarium originally encompassed 550,000 square feet (5.1 ha; 13 acres) of covered space, and its exhibits held 8 million US gallons (30,000,000 L) of fresh and saltwater. Subsequent additions to

12144-465: The eye and helps flush out foreign bodies. This substance forms a film that protects the cornea and the conjunctiva from pathogenic organisms. Studies on captive animals show they seek frequent physical contact with other belugas. Areas in the mouth have been found that could act as chemoreceptors for different tastes, and they can detect the presence of blood in water, which causes them to react immediately by displaying typical alarm behaviour. Like

12282-408: The family Monodontidae , along with the narwhal , and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus . It is also known as the white whale , as it is the only cetacean to regularly occur with this colour; the sea canary , due to its high-pitched calls; and the melonhead , though that more commonly refers to the melon-headed whale , which is an oceanic dolphin . The beluga is adapted to life in

12420-429: The females measure 3 to 4.1 m (9.8 to 13.5 ft). Males weigh between 1,100 and 1,600 kg (2,430 and 3,530 lb), and occasionally up to 1,900 kg (4,190 lb) while females weigh between 700 and 1,200 kg (1,540 and 2,650 lb). They rank as mid-sized species among toothed whales. Individuals of both sexes reach their maximum size by the time they are 10 years old. The beluga's body shape

12558-494: The first year, when their teeth appear. After this, they start to supplement their diets with shrimp and small fish. The majority of the calves continue nursing until they are 20 months old, although occasionally lactation can continue for more than two years, and lactational anoestrus may not occur. Alloparenting (care by females different from the mother) has been observed in captive belugas, including spontaneous and long-term milk production. This suggests this behaviour, which

12696-510: The fish. Estimations of the age of sexual maturity for beluga whales vary considerably; the majority of authors estimate males reach sexual maturity when they are between nine and fifteen years old, and females reach maturity between eight and fourteen years old. The average age at which females first give birth is 8.5 years and fertility begins to decrease when they are 25, eventually undergoing menopause, and ceasing reproductive potential with no births recorded for females older than 41. There

12834-585: The food chain), climate change and infectious diseases . The beluga was placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature 's Red List in 2008 as being "near threatened"; the subpopulation from the Cook Inlet in Alaska is considered critically endangered and is under the protection of the United States' Endangered Species Act . Of all seven extant Canadian beluga populations, those inhabiting eastern Hudson Bay , Ungava Bay , and

12972-565: The former is now more popular. The English name comes from the Russian белу́га, which derives from the word белый ( bélyj ), meaning "white". Nowadays the word белу́га in Russian refers to the beluga sturgeon , while the whale is called almost similarly - белу́ха ("belúha"). The whale is also colloquially known as the "sea canary" on account of its high-pitched squeaks, squeals, clucks, and whistles. A Japanese researcher claimed that he taught

13110-451: The genome of a beluga whale was sequenced, comprising 2.327 Gbp of assembled genomic sequence that encoded 29,581 predicted genes. The authors estimated that the genome-wide sequence similarity between beluga whales and killer whales is 97.87%. The beluga's earliest known distinctive ancestors include the prehistoric Denebola brachycephala from the late Miocene epoch (9–10 million years ago), and Bohaskaia monodontoides , from

13248-473: The giant species. The whale sharks' importation from Taiwan (by air, truck, and boat) had never been attempted previously. They were taken from Taiwan's annual fishing kill quota , under which they would have been eaten had they not been purchased by the aquarium. The aquarium's most famous specimens were four young sharks named Ralph, Norton, Alice, and Trixie, after the primary characters from The Honeymooners . Ralph and Norton died in 2007. Also in 2007,

13386-496: The goods itself: Home Depot is mainly owned by institutional investors, who own around 70% of shares. The largest shareholders in December 2023 were: The Home Depot Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the company created in 2002. It has contributed over $ 200 million in time, labor, money, and supplies to a number of causes, including Habitat for Humanity , California-based City of Hope National Medical Center , and playground construction organization KaBOOM! Home Depot supports

13524-500: The highest in the United States, attendance has far exceeded expectations, with 1 million visitors in the first 100 days, 3 million by August 2006, 5 million by May 2007, and 10 million by June 2009. The Aquarium is part of the Smithsonian Affiliations program and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums . In 2019, the show The Aquarium premiered on Animal Planet , documenting animal care and conservation work at

13662-467: The hypothesis that hybridisation is possible between these two species. The name of the genus , Delphinapterus , means "dolphin without fin" (from the Greek δελφίν ( delphin ), dolphin and απτερος ( apteros ), without fin) and the species name leucas means "white" (from the Greek λευκας ( leukas ), white). The Red List of Threatened Species gives both beluga and white whale as common names, though

13800-412: The jaw and a total of 36 to 40 teeth. Belugas do not use their teeth to chew, but for catching hold of their prey; they then tear them up and swallow them nearly whole. Belugas only have a single spiracle , which is located on the top of the head behind the melon, and has a muscular covering, allowing it to be completely sealed. Under normal conditions, the spiracle is closed and an animal must contract

13938-410: The killer whale and the common bottlenose dolphin , because they are less hydrodynamic and have limited movement of their tail-fins, which produce the greatest thrust. They frequently swim at speeds between 3 and 9 km/h (1.9 and 5.6 mph), although they are able to maintain a speed of 22 km/h for up to 15 min. Unlike most cetaceans, they are capable of swimming backwards. Belugas swim on

14076-489: The largest home improvement store in the United States, surpassing Lowe's . In the 1990s The Home Depot searched for ways to redefine its marketplace. The EXPO Design Center subsidiary was launched in 1991 to provide high-end products and design services. A 480-page book Home Improvement 1-2-3 was published in 1995. The Canadian hardware chain Aikenhead's Hardware was acquired by The Home Depot in 1994 for $ 150 million with

14214-521: The late 1990s and "The Home Depot: First In Home Improvement!" from 1999 to 2003. Long-time employee Marc Powers became the head of Home Depot's US stores division in 2014. He took the place of Marvin Ellison, who left to become the chief executive of J.C. Penney . In January 2016, Home Depot announced the departure of Powers as division head, to be replaced by another veteran employee, Ann-Marie Campbell , one of Powers' deputies. The change in leadership

14352-468: The launch of "Paces Trading Company," its online lighting store. In mid-2006, the Home Depot acquired Home Decorators Collection, which was placed as an additional brand under its Home Depot Direct division. In 2006, the Home Depot acquired Hughes Supply the largest home retailer in the United States for $ 3.2 billion. Hughes Supply was integrated into The Home Depot Supply to better serve business-to-business customers. The Home Depot Supply rebranded under

14490-605: The list. In 2009, Blinds.com was given the Marketer of the Year Award by the American Marketing Association , in recognition of its innovative marketing strategy. In response to demand for window coverings that could be installed quickly and easily, CMO Daniel Cotlar led a partnership with a manufacturing vendor to design a window shade that could be installed without tools or adhesive. This led to

14628-499: The management of Interline Brands for $ 1.6 billion. Interline Brands became fully integrated with The Home Depot in August 2016 with the Interline Brands website merging with The Home Depot website. The subsidiaries of Interline Brands are now companies of The Home Depot. In 2017, Home Depot acquired the online presence of The Company Store from Hanover Direct . The Company Store was founded in 1911, operating primarily as

14766-404: The mid-1980s created financial difficulties with earnings falling by 42% and debt rising to $ 200 million. The financial difficulties of The Home Depot also caused the stock price to fall. To curb The Home Depot difficulties it opened only 10 stores in 1986 with a stock offering 2.99 million shares at $ 17 per share which helped The Home Depot to restructure its debts. In 1989, The Home Depot became

14904-544: The most common invertebrate eaten, with octopus, amphipods and echiurids being other sources of invertebrate prey. The most common prey species for belugas in the Eastern Chukchi Sea appears to be shrimp, echiurid worms, cephalopods and polychaetes . The largest prey item consumed by beluga whales in the Eastern Chukchi Sea seems to be saffron cod. Beluga whales in the Eastern Bering Sea feed on

15042-416: The muscular covering to open the spiracle. A beluga's thyroid gland is larger than that of terrestrial mammals —weighing three times more than that of a horse—which helps it to maintain a greater metabolism during the summer when it lives in river estuaries. It is the marine cetacean that most frequently develops hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the thyroid. The fins retain the bony vestiges of

15180-727: The necessary capital . Bernie and I founded The Home Depot with a special vision – to create a company that would keep alive the values that were important to us. Values like respect among all people, excellent customer service and giving back to communities and society On June 22, 1979, the first two stores, built in spaces leased from J. C. Penney that were originally Treasure Island " hypermarket " ( discount department and grocery ) stores, opened in metro Atlanta (in Doraville and on Memorial Drive in Decatur , both near I-285 ). On September 22, 1981, The Home Depot went public on

15318-668: The new name HD Supply in January 2007. Five months later The Home Depot sold HD Supply to a consortium of three private equity firms, The Carlyle Group , Bain Capital and Clayton, Dubilier and Rice (with each agreeing to buy a one-third stake in the division). On January 2, 2007, the Home Depot and Robert Nardelli mutually agreed on Nardelli's resignation as CEO after a six-year tenure. Nardelli resigned amid complaints about his heavy-handed management and whether his pay package of $ 123.7 million (excluding stock option grants) over

15456-482: The new slogan "How Doers Get More Done" on December 5, 2019, replacing the previous slogan "More saving. More doing." which was introduced in the March 18, 2009, circular, replacing "You can do it. We can help." which had been used since 2003. Other slogans used in the past 25 years include "The Home Depot, Low prices are just the beginning" in the early 1990s and "When you're at the Home Depot, You'll feel right at home" in

15594-425: The other one popped them. There have also been reports of beluga whales copying and imitating one another, similar to a game of Simon-says. There have also been reports of them displaying physical affection, via mouth to mouth contact. They also show a great deal of curiosity towards humans and frequently approach the windows in the tanks to observe them. Belugas also show a great degree of curiosity towards humans in

15732-450: The other toothed whales, their brains lack olfactory bulbs and olfactory nerves, which suggests they do not have a sense of smell. These cetaceans are highly sociable and they regularly form small groups, or pods, that may contain between two and 25 individuals, with an average of 10 members. Pods tend to be unstable, meaning individuals tend to move from pod to pod. Radio tracking has even shown belugas can start out in one pod and within

15870-575: The peak of two years earlier due to the sale of HD Supply and falling revenue at the retained business. In 2012, they proceeded to close the big-box style stores that they had in China, however, smaller stores that specialized in custom products and that focused on more intimate interactions between customers and associates remain open there. In 2013, The Home Depot established two large distribution centers in Atlanta and Los Angeles . In August 2014, it

16008-426: The previous five years was excessive, considering the stock's poor performance versus its competitor Lowe's . His severance package of $ 210 million was criticized because when the stock went down, his pay went up. His successor, Frank Blake , previously served as the company's vice chairman of the board and executive vice president. Blake agreed to a much more conservative compensation package than Nardelli, which

16146-556: The sales was a result of Americans staying at home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . In the Q3 for 2020, ending November 1, Home Depot reported a revenue of $ 33.5 billion; it represents a year-on-year increase of 24 per cent. The Home Depot's mascot has been Homer D. Poe since 1981 when he was first used in advertising. Gwyn Raker, the illustrator, says, "I designed him to be a funny guy next door who wasn't intimidating." The Homer Fund,

16284-562: The same year the Home Depot Landscape Supply was launched to integrate professional landscapers and upscale plants into a plant nursery retail chain. Home Depot Landscape Supply lasted only five years with only a few stores each in metro Atlanta and Dallas/Fort Worth . The Home Depot decided to close all Home Depot Landscape Supply stores in late 2007. In September 2005, Home Depot Direct launched its online home-furnishings store, 10 Crescent Lane, shortly followed by

16422-551: The sea". Like the other toothed whales, belugas do not possess vocal cords and the sounds are probably produced by the movement of air between the nasal sacks, which are located near to the blowhole. Belugas are among the most vocal cetaceans. They use their vocalisations for echolocation, during mating and for communication. They possess a large repertoire, emitting up to 11 different sounds, such as cackles, whistles, trills and squawks. They make sounds by grinding their teeth or splashing, but they rarely use body language. There

16560-418: The single remaining skull indicates the hybrid hunted on the seabed, much as walruses do, indicating feeding habits different from those of either parent species. Belugas use sounds and echolocation for movement, communication, to find breathing holes in the ice, and to hunt in dark or turbid waters. They produce a rapid sequence of clicks that pass through the melon, which acts as an acoustic lens to focus

16698-411: The skin is an adaptation to life in the Arctic that allows belugas to camouflage themselves in the polar ice caps as protection against their main predators, polar bears and killer whales . Unlike other cetaceans, the belugas seasonally shed their skin. During the winter, the epidermis thickens and the skin can become yellowish, mainly on the back and fins. When they migrate to the estuaries during

16836-430: The sounds into a beam that is projected forward through the surrounding water. These sounds spread through the water at a speed of nearly 1.6 km per second, some four times faster than the speed of sound in air. The sound waves reflect from objects and return as echoes that are heard and interpreted by the animal. This enables them to determine the distance, speed, size, shape and the object's internal structure within

16974-685: The structure and function of marine resources in the Arctic Ocean , as they are the most abundant toothed whales in the region. They are opportunistic feeders; their feeding habits depend on their locations and the season. For example, when they are in the Beaufort Sea , they mainly eat Arctic cod ( Boreogadus saida ) and the stomachs of belugas caught near Greenland were found to contain rose fish ( Sebastes marinus ), Greenland halibut ( Reinhardtius hippoglossoides ) and northern shrimp ( Pandalus borealis ), while in Alaska their staple diet

17112-435: The summer, they can gather in the hundreds or even thousands in estuaries and shallow coastal areas. They are slow swimmers, but can dive to 700 m (2,300 ft) below the surface. They are opportunistic feeders and their diets vary according to their locations and the season. The majority of belugas live in the Arctic Ocean and the seas and coasts around North America, Russia, and Greenland; their worldwide population

17250-410: The summer, they rub themselves on the gravel of the riverbeds to remove the cutaneous covering. Like most toothed whales , the beluga has a compartment found at the centre of the forehead that contains an organ used for echolocation called a melon , which contains fatty tissue. The shape of the beluga's head is unlike that of any other cetacean, as the melon is extremely bulbous, lobed and visible as

17388-449: The surface between 5% and 10% of the time, while for the rest of the time they swim at a depth sufficient enough to cover their bodies. They do not jump out of the water like dolphins or killer whales. These animals usually only dive to depths to 20 m (66 ft), although they are capable of diving to greater depths. Individual captive animals have been recorded at depths between 400 and 647 m below sea level, while animals in

17526-545: The total population and is when they are most vulnerable to being hunted. They are cooperative animals and frequently hunt in coordinated groups. The animals in a pod are very sociable and often chase each other as if they are playing or fighting, and they often rub against each other. Often individuals will surface and dive together in a synchronized manner, in a behavior known as milling. In captivity, they can be seen to be constantly playing, vocalising and swimming around each other. In one case, one whale blew bubbles, while

17664-600: The wild have been recorded as diving to a depth of more than 700 m, with the greatest recorded depth being over 900 m. A dive normally lasts 3 to 5 minutes, but can last up to over 20 minutes. In the shallower water of the estuaries, a diving session may last around two minutes; the sequence consists of five or six rapid, shallow dives followed by a deeper dive lasting up to one minute. The average number of dives per day varies between 31 and 51. All cetaceans, including belugas, have physiological adaptations designed to conserve oxygen while they are under water. During

17802-492: The wild have been reported to imitate human voices. Mitochondrial DNA studies have shown modern cetaceans last shared a common ancestor between 25 and 34 million years ago The superfamily Delphinoidea (which contains monodontids, dolphins and porpoises) split from other toothed whales, odontoceti, between 11 and 15 million years ago. Monodontids then split from dolphins (Delphinidae) and later from porpoises (Phocoenidae), their closest relatives in evolutionary terms. In 2017

17940-477: The wild, and frequently swim alongside boats. They also play with objects they find in the water; in the wild, they do this with wood, plants, dead fish and bubbles they have created. During the breeding season, adults have been observed carrying objects such as plants, nets, and even the skeleton of a dead reindeer on their heads and backs. Captive females have also been observed displaying this behavior, carrying items such as floats and buoys, after they have lost

18078-430: Was a leading direct-mail marketer of maintenance, repair and operations supplies that could reach customers out of reach by The Home Depot. Atlanta-based company Apex Supply was acquired by The Home Depot in 1999. Apex Supply is a wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC, industrial pipe and fittings. Apex Supply and Maintenance Warehouse were rebranded in 2004 as "The Home Depot Supply." In 2004, Home Depot employees at

18216-454: Was announced that Frank Blake would step down as CEO and would be replaced by 57-year-old Craig Menear . The change occurred on November 1, 2014. Blake continued with the company as chairman. Menear joined The Home Depot in 1997 and served in various management and vice-presidential positions, until 2003, including merchandising vice president of hardware, merchandising vice president of the Southwest Division, and divisional merchandise manager of

18354-435: Was completed in late 2010. During part of the construction, the aquarium's three beluga whales were temporarily relocated to SeaWorld San Antonio . Beluga whales are very sensitive to sound, and while officials had not noted any excessive amounts of stress, it was decided to remove them anyway and eliminate the possibility. Unexpectedly, one of the three belugas, Nico, died at SeaWorld on October 31, 2009. A preliminary necropsy

18492-520: Was due in the fall of 2017. In September 2017, Aurek was transferred to Shedd Aquarium on a breeding loan. On November 8, 2017, the Aquarium announced that Qinu's calf had died from complications during birth. In 2012, the beluga whale Maris gave birth to a female calf. After less than a week, the calf, who was born underweight, died. Although mortality rates of calves born to first-time mothers are extremely high, even in wild populations, Maris's second calf—born on Mother's Day in 2015—would survive less than

18630-486: Was hailed by Marcus as a prime example of the type of conservation activities the aquarium should be involved with. Roughly 100 tarpons stranded in a tidal pool at Skidaway Island , off the Georgia coast, were rescued for the collection. Coral used in exhibits at the Aquarium is grown in a collaboration between Georgia Tech and the University of the South Pacific , produced by suspending blocks of pumice over

18768-624: Was the practice of entering credit card numbers directly into computers at the service-desk and pro-desk, and in specialty departments including flooring, kitchen cabinets, appliances, and millwork , rather than using POS credit card terminals directly. The practice was stopped, and Home Depot offered a year of free credit monitoring through AllClearID for any customers who requested it. There were also reports of credit card numbers being stolen when used to make purchases on Homedepot.com. On July 22, 2015, Home Depot acquired Interline Brands from P2 Capital Partners, Goldman Sachs' private equity arm, and

18906-412: Was to become Georgia Aquarium. Corporate contributions totaling an additional $ 40 million allowed the aquarium to open debt-free. Founding president and executive director of the aquarium, Jeff Swanagan , was brought in as the aquarium's first employee in 2002 and served until 2008. He is largely credited with the creation of the aquarium, from the design of the structure to the procurement of animals for

19044-495: Was unable to determine if Nico's death was caused by the move or by something else. The Dolphin Celebration show opened to the public on April 2, 2011, and has been controversial. In 2016, the aquarium changed the format of the show to make it more educational. On January 1, 2011, the aquarium purchased Marineland of Florida for a reported $ 9.1 million. The seller was Jim Jacoby , a metro Atlanta developer and member of

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