Public aquarium

A public aquarium (pl. aquaria; or public water zoo) is like the water version of a zoo. It holds living aquatic animal and plant specimens for people to see. You can watch fish, sharks, dolphins, and many other sea creatures in big tanks filled with water. Most public aquariums have larger tanks than the ones people keep at home, and they also have smaller tanks.

Public aquariums started in the mid-19th century and have become popular all over the world. Today, many of these aquariums teach people about protecting our oceans and wildlife. They show why it is important to keep water animals safe and healthy and help everyone learn about the amazing lives of creatures that live under the waves.

History

The first public aquarium opened in London Zoo in May 1853. It was called the Fish House and looked like a greenhouse. In 1856, P.T. Barnum made the first American aquarium at his Barnum's American Museum in New York City. Many more aquariums opened in Europe and the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Famous aquariums like the Berlin Zoo's aquarium, Amsterdam Zoo's Artis aquarium, and the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. were built during this time. The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago was the largest in the United States for many years. Then the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta opened in 2005. Japan's first public aquarium opened at the Ueno Zoo in 1882.

Public aquariums today

Modern public aquariums have big tanks that hold lots of water. They can show large animals like dolphins, sharks, and beluga whales. These tanks use thick, clear acrylic glass so visitors can see the animals well. Aquariums also care for otters and seals, and some have special areas for birds called aviaries.

Aquariums create special exhibits to attract visitors. For example, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland has a tropical rain forest and a coral reef. The Monterey Bay Aquarium lets guests touch rays in a shallow tank, and the South Carolina Aquarium lets visitors feed rays. The biggest public aquarium is the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Hengqin, Zhuhai, holding around 48 million litres of water. The second largest is Marine Life Park in Singapore, with about 45 million litres of water.

Logistics

Most public aquariums are near the ocean so they can get natural seawater easily. Some, like Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, get seawater shipped by rail. Others, such as the Georgia Aquarium, use city water and add salt to make seawater for their exhibits.

In 1985, Kelly Tarlton started building the first aquarium with a big clear acrylic tunnel, Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in Auckland, New Zealand. This tunnel let visitors walk underwater with sharks and rays above them. It cost a lot and took ten months to build.

Activities

Public aquariums work with ocean research groups to study local water ecosystems. For example, the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia helps protect marine life and care for sick sea animals from the Pacific Northwest. It was also the second aquarium to keep an orca named Moby Doll for research.

Other famous aquariums have special exhibits. The Monterey Bay Aquarium was the first to show a great white shark to the public. The Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey displays hippos, and the Aquarium du Québec has polar bears.