Public Aquarium is an aquatic zoo where fishes, animals and plants living in water are displayed. Most of these institutions are individual establishments and not part of the zoo. They are usually large indoor or outdoor exhibits. Aquariums are also known as aquaria because of its attraction for displaying large marine mammals like dolphins, seals and whales. Thousands of people visit these public aquariums for fun, curiosity, knowledge and learning. The government and private organizations also promote these institutions primarily because it creates a sanctuary for many endangered species, a home for those mammals which need to be nurtured before being released back into the sea and also for bringing better quality of life by increasing awareness of the people about them.
There are many types of aquariums which are on display. Currently there are over 683 reef tanks, 758 planted tanks, 289 saltwater fish tank, 1814 freshwater fish tank, 571 saltwater fish, 2340 freshwater fish and 853 corals and inverts.
The first public aquarium was opened in London Zoo in May 1853. The first American public aquarium was built in 1856 as part of the Barnum's American Museum which was located on Broadway in New York. Then it was followed by many others across the world with the list growing continuously. Modern technology allows man to build huge aquariums which are strong enough to hold millions of gallons of water so that there is enough space to house dolphins, sharks and whales. The viewing window of the aquarium is made from clear acrylic glass. Most public aquariums offers special exhibits apart from the permanent collection to generate more interest. For example the Monterey Bay Aquarium has many common types of rays in the aquarium and visitors can actually experience touch and feel their smooth skin as they pass by. Public Aquariums also have specialized research staff who study the habits and biology of their specimens.| Most of these public aquariums are situated near the sea so that a steady supply of natural sea water can be obtained. For inlanders, sea water can be obtained either by salt and mineral treatment to freshwater or actually transport natural sea water like Philadelphia Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium. The public aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand was the first to construct a 110 meter transparent acrylic tunnel. It was made from one ton slabs of German sheet plastic and shaped locally in an oven. There is also a fascinating moving sidewalk to transport the visitors through the tunnel. Most of the top aquaria are affiliated with important oceanographic research institutions or have their own source of funding for research programs and are usually specialize in species and ecosystems of that particular locality.
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Some of the most well known names are Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Marine Aquarium Temple in Hamburg, National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, BC, Aquarial Gardens in Boston and many more. Currently the newly built Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the world with more than 8 million gallons of marine and fresh water. It has more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species on display including whale sharks and beluga whales.
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