| Seattle Aquarium | |
|---|---|
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| 47°36′28″N122°20′35″W / 47.6076966°N 122.3431277°W | |
| Date opened | May 20, 1977 [1] |
| Location | Pier 59 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Volume of largest tank | 400,000 US gal (1,500,000 L) [2] |
| Annual visitors | 836,720 (2009) [3] |
| Memberships | AZA [4] |
| Website | www |
The Seattle Aquarium is a public aquarium in Seattle, Washington, United States, located on Pier 59 on the Elliott Bay waterfront. It opened in 1977 and has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Plans for a city aquarium, replacing an existing private aquarium, were approved by voters in a 1968 Forward Thrust ballot initiative. [5] The Seattle City Council approved a site near Golden Gardens Park in Ballard in April 1971, but reversed its decision months later following public outcry. [6] A site on the north side of Pier 59 was instead chosen the following year, [7] necessitating the demolition of additional piers, and was originally expected to begin construction in 1974 but was delayed by design revisions. [8] [9] The new aquarium was part of a large redevelopment program for the Alaskan Way promenade, which also included Waterfront Park and viewpoints. [10]
Construction began in early 1975 with the driving of piles into the seabed to support the future aquarium structure. [11] The aquarium opened on May 20, 1977, and attracted 1,524 visitors on its first day. [12] It cost $5.4 million to construct and was initially owned and operated by the City of Seattle's Department of Parks and Recreation. [13] The opening ceremonies included the release of salmon fingerlings into Elliott Bay and a three-day festival on the waterfront. [14] Bassetti/Norton/Metler/Rekevics were the architects for the building; [15] the exhibits were designed in consultation with local scientists, including Pacific Science Center director and later governor Dixy Lee Ray. [1] [16]
The aquarium's first expansion was announced in 1979 and was followed by a new exhibit in 1986. [1] A $25.4 million expansion was rejected by Seattle voters in 1988 after failing to reach a needed supermajority. [1] On July 1, 2010, the nonprofit Seattle Aquarium Society—the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for the aquarium—assumed management of the institution from the city. [17] The aquarium promotes marine conservation and educates over 800,000 visitors each year (including 50,000 students) on the impact of mankind on marine life. It also conducts research in these fields. In 2007, an 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) expansion added a 2,625-square-foot (243.9 m2) gift store and café to the aquarium, as well as two new exhibits: Window on Washington Waters and Crashing Waves.
In 2019, the Aquarium Society announced plans for a major expansion, named the Ocean Pavilion, that is set to open in 2024. The project includes a new waterfront promenade that ties in with redevelopment of Alaskan Way (which includes an overpass to Pike Place Market) as well as 325,000-US-gallon (1,230,000 L) tank for sharks and sting rays. [18] The project is expected to cost $160 million with the majority of funds coming from local taxes, private donations, and other sources. [19]
The city government initially approved $34 million in funding from a real estate excise tax but also contributed a $20 million loan in 2022 to fill an expected shortfall, stemming in part from an increase from the original $113 million estimate. [20] [21] An additional loan of $67 million from PNC Bank was requested by operator Seattle Aquarium Society in 2023 to complete the project. It would require city approval to extend the society's contract to 2040 and assume responsibility to pay a termination fee for the loan. [22]
The Seattle Aquarium has participated in conservation efforts of various marine species by collaborating with indigenous peoples, governments, institutions, and companies. In 2020, the Seattle Aquarium cofounded ReShark, an international conservation coalition, aiding in the recovery of zebra sharks in Indonesia. [31] In 2021, the aquarium began to rear larval and juvenile pinto abalones, planning to release them each spring after 2022 into designated sites around the San Juan Islands and Strait of Juan de Fuca. [32]
A fictionalized Seattle Aquarium is prominently featured in the 2020 action-adventure game The Last of Us Part II . [33]
| International | |
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| National | |
The National Aquarium – also known as National Aquarium in Baltimore and formerly known as Baltimore Aquarium – is a non-profit public aquarium located at 501 East Pratt Street on Pier 3 in the Inner Harbor area of downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. Constructed during a period of urban renewal in Baltimore, the aquarium opened on August 8, 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million visitors and is the largest tourism attraction in the State of Maryland. The aquarium holds more than 2,200,000 US gallons (8,300,000 L) of water, and has more than 17,000 specimens representing over 750 species. The National Aquarium's mission is to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures. The aquarium's stated vision is to confront pressing issues facing global aquatic habitats through pioneering science, conservation, and educational programming.
Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It exhibits hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, all of which reside in more than 11 million US gallons (42,000 m3) of water. It was the largest aquarium in the world from its opening in 2005 until 2012 when it was surpassed by the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore and the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China; the Georgia Aquarium remains the largest aquarium in the United States and the fourth largest in the world.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is an aquarium in Newport in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1992, the facility sits on 23 acres (9.3 ha) along Yaquina Bay near the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium was home to Keiko, the orca who starred in the movie Free Willy, from January 7, 1996 until September 9, 1998, when he was shipped to Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland. USA Today considers the Oregon Coast Aquarium world-class and Coastal Living magazine ranks it among the top ten aquariums in North America.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest, located in Tacoma, Washington, US, owned by Metro Parks Tacoma. Situated on 29 acres (12 ha) in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park, the zoo and aquarium are home to over 9,000 specimens representing 367 animal species. The zoo was founded in 1905; the aquarium was founded in 1935 near Commencement Bay and relocated within the zoo in 1963. Both are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In Pierce County, Washington, this is said to be one of the most popular tourist destinations. Bringing in over more than 600,000 visitors per year.
The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit organization located in Boston, Massachusetts. The species exhibited include harbor and northern fur seals, California sea lions, African and southern rockhopper penguins, giant Pacific octopuses, weedy seadragons, and thousands of saltwater and freshwater fishes. In addition to the main aquarium building, attractions at Central Wharf include the Simons Theatre and the New England Aquarium Whale Watch. More than 1.3 million guests visited the aquarium each year prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is a public aquarium on a 5-acre (20,000 m2) site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction.
The Tennessee Aquarium is a non-profit public aquarium located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It opened in 1992 on the banks of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, with a major expansion added in 2005. The aquarium, which has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1993, is home to more than 12,000 animals representing almost 800 species.
The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, located on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. It was founded at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan, in 1896, and moved to Coney Island in 1957. The aquarium is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as part of its integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium, most notably the Bronx Zoo. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). As part of WCS, the aquarium's mission is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.
The ABQ BioPark Aquarium, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States is a facility of the Albuquerque Biological Park and is located next door to the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden. The ABQ BioPark Aquarium exhibits Gulf of Mexico and South Pacific saltwater species from a variety of habitats, including surf zone, shallow waters, coral reefs, open ocean and deep ocean. The highlight of the aquarium is a 285,000 U.S. gal (1,080,000 L) shark tank with a 38-foot (12 m)-wide, 9-foot (2.7 m)-high, 8-inch (200 mm)-thick acrylic viewing window. The South Pacific Gallery features seahorses, pipefishes, and colorfully patterned reef fish. The Rio Grande at Central Bridge exhibit in the aquarium lobby offers visitors an opportunity to compare the kinds of fish that lived in the Albuquerque reach of the Rio Grande 100 years ago and those found today. The Shark/Ray Encounter allows guests to have a guided, up-close experience with bamboo sharks and stingrays.
Birch Aquarium is an aquarium and the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Birch Aquarium has an annual attendance of more than 439,000, including more than 40,000 school children, and features more than 3,000 animals representing 380 species. The hilltop site provides views of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus and the Pacific Ocean. The mission of the aquarium reads: "As the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, Birch Aquarium features the groundbreaking work of Scripps Oceanography and UC San Diego scientists through innovative exhibits and events. More than just an aquarium, Birch Aquarium offers hands-on learning opportunities and climate-based programming to 40,000-plus K-12 students each year on site, in schools and in the field.".
A public aquarium 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.
The Dallas World Aquarium is a for-profit aquarium and zoo located in the West End Historic District of Dallas, Texas, USA. It aids conservation and education by housing many animals that are threatened or endangered as part of a cooperative breeding program with other zoos around the world. It has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1997 and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Shark Reef Aquarium is a public aquarium on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is located at and owned by the Mandalay Bay resort. The attraction opened on June 20, 2000. Its main tank is 1,300,000 US gallons (4,900,000 L), one of the largest in North America. The facility is 105,000 sq ft (9,800 m2), and displays numerous species of sharks, rays, fish, reptiles, and marine invertebrates. It also features a shark tunnel. The reef was developed in consultation with the Vancouver Aquarium.
Aquarium of the Bay is a public aquarium located at The Embarcadero and Beach Street, at the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco, California. The aquarium is focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighboring rivers and watersheds as far as the Sierra Mountains. Since 2005 the Aquarium has focused its mission on enabling ocean conservation and climate action both locally and globally. It is one of seven institutions under parent company Bay Ecotarium, the largest watershed conservation organization in the Bay Area
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, formerly known as the Virginia Marine Science Museum, is an aquarium and marine science museum located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, just south of Rudee Inlet. The exhibits at the museum are contained in over 800,000 US gallons (3,028,000 L) of fresh and saltwater displays.
North Carolina Aquariums is a system of three public aquariums located in Kure Beach, Roanoke Island and Pine Knoll Shores. All are operated by the Aquariums Division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources since 1976 and were accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. All three aquariums feature dive shows, live animal encounters, and feeding programs.
The Greensboro Science Center is a science museum and zoological park established in 1957 and located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 2008, and is a member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Downtown Aquarium is a public aquarium and restaurant located in Houston, Texas, United States that was developed from two Houston landmarks: Fire Station No. 1 and the Central Waterworks Building. The aquarium is located on a 6-acre (2.4 ha) site at 410 Bagby Street in downtown Houston. It houses over 200 species of aquatic animals in 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L) of aquariums. The complex includes two restaurants, a bar, and banquet facilities. It offers programs such as Marine Biologist for a Day, Zoologist for a Day, Sea Safari Camp, overnight stays and more. The education department works with school groups and conducts outreach programs.
The Seattle Marine Aquarium was a privately owned aquarium that was opened in 1962 and closed in 1977, and was located on Pier 56 on the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, USA.
The Adventure Aquarium, formerly the Thomas H. Kean New Jersey State Aquarium, is a for-profit educational entertainment attraction operated in Camden, New Jersey on the Delaware River Camden Waterfront by Herschend Family Entertainment. Originally opened in 1992, it re-opened in its current form on May 25, 2005 featuring about 8,000 animals living in varied forms of semi-aquatic, freshwater, and marine habitats. The facility has a total tank volume of over 2 million US gallons (7,600,000 L), and public floor space of 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2).
