Public aquarium

A public aquarium (pl. aquaria) or public water zoo is the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, which houses living aquatic animal and plant specimens for public viewing. Most public aquariums feature tanks larger than those kept by home aquarists, as well as smaller tanks.
Since the first public aquariums were built in the mid-19th century, they have become popular and their numbers have increased. Most modern accredited aquariums stress conservation issues and educating the public.[1]
History


The first public
The old Berlin Aquarium opened in 1869. The building site was to be Unter den Linden (along a major avenue), in the centre of town, not at the
The Artis aquarium at
Before its closing on 30 September 2013, the oldest American aquarium was the
The first Japanese public aquarium, a small freshwater aquarium called "Uonozoki" (now Tokyo Sea Life Park), was opened at the Ueno Zoo in 1882.[7]
Public aquariums today
Modern aquarium tanks can hold millions of litres of water and can house large species, including
For marketing purposes, many aquariums promote special exhibits, in addition to their permanent collections. Some have aquatic versions of a
The largest public aquarium is the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park, opened in 2014 in Hengqin, Zhuhai, with a total of 48.75 million litres (12.87 million US gal) of water. The second largest is the Marine Life Park in southern Singapore with a total of 45 million litres (12 million US gal) of water for more than 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species.
Logistics

Most public aquariums are located close to the ocean, for a steady supply of natural seawater. An inland pioneer was Chicago's Shedd Aquarium[15] that received seawater shipped by rail in special tank cars. The early (1911) Philadelphia Aquarium, built in the city's disused water works, had to switch to treated city water when the nearby river became too contaminated.[16] Similarly, the recently opened Georgia Aquarium filled its tanks with fresh water from the city water system and salinated its saltwater exhibits using the same commercial salt and mineral additives available to home aquarists. The South Carolina Aquarium pulls the salt water for their exhibits right out of the Charleston harbour.
In January 1985,
According to Samantha Muka, creating new public aquariums is an expensive process, that can become so expensive as to render the project economically unsustainable, due to the logistical demands of creating environments in which aquatic animals can survive.[18]
Activities

Public aquariums are often affiliated with oceanographic research institutions or conduct their research programs, and sometimes specialise in species and ecosystems that can be found in local waters. For example, the
Gallery
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A great white shark in temporary captivity at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, USA.
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Al Mahara restaurant at Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Dubai Aquarium, Dubai, UAE
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Exhibit tunnel at Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, USA
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The Baltic Sea Aquarium at the Maretarium in Kotka, Finland
See also
References
- ^ "Visitor Impact". aza.org. Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Archived from the original on 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
- ^ ISBN 1-56898-502-9.
- ISBN 0-8018-5110-6
- ISBN 0-8018-5110-6
- ^ Van Bruggen, A.C. (September 2002). "Notes on the Buildings of Amsterdam Zoo". International Zoo News. Vol. 49/6, no. 319. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008.
- ^ David Lin, former Director of Operations, National Aquarium, Washington, DC
- ISBN 0-8493-2100-X
- ^ Sea Otters, Oregon Coast Aquarium's official website, accessed 3 February 2007.
- ^ "Pinnipeds". Oregon Coast Aquarium.
- ^ Birds, Oregon Coast Aquarium's official website, accessed 3 February 2007.
- ^ Sandy Shores Archived 12 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Monterey Bay Aquarium's official website Archived 14 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 3 February 2007.
- ISBN 0-671-85019-9
- ^ Sharks and Rays, Monterey Bay Aquarium's official website Archived 14 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 3 February 2007.
- ^ "Saltmarsh Aviary". scaquarium.org. South Carolina Aquarium. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ Shedd History Archived 15 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Shedd Aquarium's official website, accessed 3 February 2007.
- ^ Ung, Elisa (10 January 2010). "Rebuilt Water Works' Debut is on the Horizon: The Site, Long Decaying, is to Reopen to the Public in June". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 12 June 2005 – via National Park Service.
- ^ Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, Auckland Archived 3 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Muka, Samantha (25 April 2019). "Bursting the Aquarium Bubble". The Atlantic. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ Research, Vancouver Aquarium's official website, accessed 3 February 2007.
- ISBN 9780190673116.
- ^ Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) Archived 26 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
External links

- Norfolk, Howard. My Visit to the Freshwater Public Aquarium in Havana, Cuba, Aquarticles.com, January 2004, retrieved on: 22 June 2007
- Case Studies in Aquarium History
- Sao Paulo's Aquarium (Aquário de São Paulo) - Brazil
- Public aquariums in the United States
- A map of public aquaria around the world