Sept. 15, 2005 — Aquariums in Louisiana and Mississippi were among the hardest hit victims of Hurricane Katrina, but thanks to staff — many of whom put their own lives in danger — several of the animals survived, according to recent reports.

New Orleans' Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, one of the top aquariums in the United States and Louisiana's most visited attraction, withstood the initial onslaught of Hurricane Katrina but lost most of its 6,000 fish when emergency generators failed in the storm's aftermath.

The Marine Life Oceanarium, a sister organization of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, was destroyed when Hurricane Katrina slammed head-on into Gulfport, Miss., and surrounding areas.

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

At the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, staff stayed until the last possible moment to keep emergency generators running and to stockpile food for the animals, according to an update on the organization's Web site.

Ron Forman, president of the Audubon Nature Institute, was on hand to personally feed the sea otters and refill the tanks fueling the generators that powered the life support system.

Because of flood devastation in New Orleans, staff members were eventually forced to evacuate. Shortly thereafter, the generators failed.

The aquarium's prized sharks, some of which measured nine feet in length, were among the casualties, according to a report in The Boston Globe.

But there were survivors. Sea otters, penguins, leafy sea dragons, weedy sea dragons, some fish and Midas — a 250-pound green sea turtle — made it through the ordeal alive thanks to aquarium staff, said the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on their Web site.

The survivors were transferred to three colleague institutions on Friday, Sept. 9.

Two sea otters and 19 penguins were sent to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, Calif.; leafy and weedy sea dragons were transported to the Dallas World Aquarium in Dallas, Texas; and Midas the sea turtle was given a temporary home at the Rainforest at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas.

The surviving fish, including eight large tarpon, will remain at the aquarium's Gulf of Mexico exhibit.

Marine Life Oceanarium

Unlike the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, which remained structurally intact after Hurricane Katrina, the Marine Life Oceanarium was "completely destroyed," according to the organization's Web site.

The oceanarium, a landmark institution in Gulfport, Miss., had been home to 14 dolphins, 27 sea lions and 25 exotic birds.

The oceanarium had only 12 hours to find shelter for its animals after learning that Hurricane Katrina had shifted and was going to make a direct hit on their facility, according to the Web site.

While many Gulf Coast residents were busy fleeing the oncoming storm, animal trainers and oceanarium staff carefully transported six dolphins in low-lying tanks to hotel swimming pools further inland.

The remaining eight dolphins were left in a 30-foot-high tank that survived all previous storms, including Hurricane Camille, a Category 5 hurricane that devastated the Gulf Coast in 1969.

Eight of the 27 sea lions were taken by trailer to a staff member's home, according to the Marine Life Oceanarium. Others were secured in what was believed to be a safe area.

The dolphin tank survived, but the animals themselves were swept away, according to the oceanarium's Web site. It's believed they either swam or were pushed out as giant storm surges washed over the tank.

Missing for a week and a half, they were discovered Saturday, Sept. 10, at the mouth of the Port of Gulfport near the ruins of the Marine Life Oceanarium, according to the organization's Web site.

"These animals found us, they came back after Katrina ... they came home," Moby Solangi, director of the Marine Life Oceanarium, told The Boston Globe. "All eight are together. It's the most wonderful news."

Shelly, Kelly, Jill, Noah, Tamara, Toni, Jackie and Elijah are being fed by trainers and have been placed on antibiotics and vitamins.

When they're strong enough, they will be transferred to a temporary pool, and then — if it's clear they won't spread disease — on to Florida's Gulfarium or Sea World Orlando, according to The Boston Globe.

The 19 sea lions were also swept away by Katrina's storm surges, according to the Marine Life Oceanarium.

Many of the missing sea lions were recovered in the weeks following the storm. Several were found in unusual spots, including beneath houses, on back porches, amid debris piles and swimming in neighboring bays and swimming pools.

Five sea lions died, and two are still missing, said the Marine Life Oceanarium's Web site.