(Ft. Myers, Florida) The AquaThought Foundation, a private research organization
which studies the neurological impact of dolphin interaction, has become part of
a new alliance which has dedicated itself to the exploration of dolphin assisted
therapy and the application of resultant neurotechnology. Spearheaded by Jim
Jacoby, of Jacoby Development, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, this effort in forward
thinking, ecologically conscious development will yield EcoPlex, the first
dolphin interaction center in the world to focus exclusively on dolphin-human
interaction. In conjunction with Jacoby Development, the AquaThought Foundation
has created Aquathought Labs, L.L.C. Aquathought Labs will assimilate the
products and technologies of the AquaThought Foundation - and - will
commercialize the neurotechnological developments of the dolphin interaction
center.
The EcoPlex Center, to be located in Ft. Myers, Florida, will facilitate dolphin
assisted therapy programs, dolphin interaction research, adjunct therapeutic
modalities, and research and development in related neurotechnology and virtual
reality enterprises. The pre-preeminent doctor in the field of dolphin assisted
therapy, Dr. Dave Nathanson, will relocate his highly successful Dolphin Human
Therapy organization to the center. Dr. Hillburn Hillestad, who has recently
joined Jacoby Development, has brought his expertise in environmental
preservation to the project, providing for a development which is a benefit to
the humans who will visit the center, the dolphins and other marine mammals which
will be cared for there, and the environment surrounding the center.
AquaThought's chairman, David Cole, will chair the Dolphin Center's research
committee. A high-bandwidth Internet connection and a variety of tele-presence
imaging and acoustic transduction devices will tie the Center to academic
organizations, other dolphin therapy and research programs, and
location-based-entertainment facilities.
Aquathought Labs will produce and market the AquaThought Foundation's commercial
projects- MindSet, a low-cost neuromapping EEG system, and CyberFin, an
immersive dolphin encounter simulator. Aquathought Labs will act as the research
and development arm of EcoPlex and will resale any resultant products, as well
as all above mentioned products, under the Aquathought Labs brand.
