Aquariums in North America

[imaginarius]

There are dozens of robust, established, accredited zoos in North America with excellent reputations for their collections, work in conservation, and contributions to zoological science and medicine. Off the top of my head, I can name five (San Diego, Bronx, Omaha, Saint Louis, and Columbus) that easily rank high on any international list of best zoos.

But the same cannot be said for aquariums. The ones here that do exist haven't the longevity, history, collection size, or sterling reputations, for the most part, that the best aquaria in other parts of the world do (especially in Asia). Japan has more aquariums per capita than any other country in the world. Many of them are world-renowned, too. While this is logical, in the sense that Japan is an island country whose culture and cuisine has revolved around the sea for eons, it also begs a question: why do the United States and Canada fail to measure up? Most "best-of" lists tend to note three well-regarded aquariums in North America: Georgia Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Shedd Aquarium. All three, in various ways, are pioneers in their field, but the list tends to end there.

I made this thread to ask: why? Are aquariums that much more expensive to establish and maintain than zoos? Do they generate significantly less revenue? Why are there so few "excellent" aquariums in the West, compared to the plethora of excellent zoos? And lastly, what makes an aquarium "great" as opposed to just "satisfactory?" I encourage any and all thoughts on this matter, as long as posters are civil and respectful. It's genuinely a puzzle I have pondered over for many years now.

 

[snowleopard]

There's approximately 170 aquariums just in the United States, an astonishing total:

USA: Land of 170 Aquariums

Per capita, that is surely more than any other country in the world except for Japan. If the U.S. population is circa 330 million with 170+ aquariums, then Japan's population of 125 million with 90+ aquariums wins the day!

You are correct that the 'big 3' aquariums in the U.S. would be Shedd, Georgia and Monterey Bay, but Tennessee has an incredible freshwater collection and deserves special mention. There are many other very nice aquatic facilities, and in my zoo book (that I cowrote) we included exactly 20 American aquariums. That is a list that looks like this: Shedd, Georgia, Monterey Bay, Tennessee, Baltimore, Aquarium of the Pacific, Mystic, California Academy of Sciences, Oregon Coast, Adventure, New England, Seattle, New York, Moody Gardens, Dallas World, Florida, Texas State and the trio of huge SeaWorld parks. If one were to toss in Vancouver Aquarium then there's a Canadian representative and all of these facilities have many redeeming features in terms of exhibits and their conservation ethos.

There's even a whole bunch of decent aquariums that could be included in a list of the next tier establishments, such as Birch, Newport, Virginia, Loveland Living Aquarium, South Carolina, Aquarium of the Americas, etc.

Aquariums are enormously expensive to maintain, especially the establishments located far from a nearby ocean. High ticket prices help compensate for the running of the aquariums, along with the fact that quite often the facilities are found in tourist dense areas. Still, the water maintenance alone costs a fortune and my local Vancouver Aquarium has been in the press a lot lately (it's currently closed due to the pandemic) and it costs a million dollars per month just to break even.

On a side note, I found it very interesting when I went on a big European zoo trip in the summer of 2019 that aquariums were relatively common in zoos. In all my travels to Canadian and American zoos (I've been to more than 400 different zoos and aquariums in those two nations), I only visited a dozen zoos that contained an aquarium building inside the zoo grounds. Then, while in Europe, I visited 15 aquariums inside zoo grounds in just a few weeks! Without a doubt, it is far more common for European zoos to have a stand-alone aquarium as part of the zoo.

Here are the 15 zoos with Aquariums that I visited in the summer of 2019: Artis Royal Zoo (Amsterdam, NL), Diergaarde Blijdorp (Rotterdam, NL), Zoo Antwerp (Antwerp, BE), Pairi Daiza (Brugelette, BE), Frankfurt Zoo (Frankfurt, DE), Cologne Zoo (Cologne, DE), Wuppertal Zoo (Wuppertal, DE), Tierpark + Fossilium Bochum (Bochum, DE), Duisburg Zoo (Duisburg, DE), Ouwehands Dierenpark (Rhenen, NL), Burgers' Zoo (Arnhem, NL), Tierpark Hagenbeck (Hamburg, DE), Berlin Zoo (Berlin, DE), Osnabruck Zoo (Osnabruck, DE) and Allwetterzoo Munster (Munster, DE).

 

[birdsandbats]

Among other things, it can be hard for an aquarium to operate away from an ocean without a source of water to pull from. Monterey Bay is of course on the Pacific coast, and Shedd is on Lake Michigan which might as well be an ocean.

Oddly, Georgia Aquarium is away from the ocean. Does anyone know how a large aquarium such as Georgia is able to operate away from a large water body? Especially when Atlanta is notorious for water shortages?

 

[TinoPup]

There's approximately 170 aquariums just in the United States, an astonishing total:

USA: Land of 170 Aquariums

Per capita, that is surely more than any other country in the world except for Japan. If the U.S. population is circa 330 million with 170+ aquariums, then Japan's population of 125 million with 90+ aquariums wins the day!

You are correct that the 'big 3' aquariums in the U.S. would be Shedd, Georgia and Monterey Bay, but Tennessee has an incredible freshwater collection and deserves special mention. There are many other very nice aquatic facilities, and in my zoo book (that I cowrote) we included exactly 20 American aquariums. That is a list that looks like this: Shedd, Georgia, Monterey Bay, Tennessee, Baltimore, Aquarium of the Pacific, Mystic, California Academy of Sciences, Oregon Coast, Adventure, New England, Seattle, New York, Moody Gardens, Dallas World, Florida, Texas State and the trio of huge SeaWorld parks. If one were to toss in Vancouver Aquarium then there's a Canadian representative and all of these facilities have many redeeming features in terms of exhibits and their conservation ethos.

There's even a whole bunch of decent aquariums that could be included in a list of the next tier establishments, such as Birch, Newport, Virginia, Loveland Living Aquarium, South Carolina, Aquarium of the Americas, etc.

Aquariums are enormously expensive to maintain, especially the establishments located far from a nearby ocean. High ticket prices help compensate for the running of the aquariums, along with the fact that quite often the facilities are found in tourist dense areas. Still, the water maintenance alone costs a fortune and my local Vancouver Aquarium has been in the press a lot lately (it's currently closed due to the pandemic) and it costs a million dollars per month just to break even.

Don't forget the Ripley's ones, too! Mississippi has their big new one, and there's the couple of Landry's. Long Island, the Maritime Aquarium in CT...

 

[Coelacanth18]

But the same cannot be said for aquariums. The ones here that do exist haven't the longevity, history, collection size, or sterling reputations, for the most part, that the best aquaria in other parts of the world do

why do the United States and Canada fail to measure up?

Why are there so few "excellent" aquariums in the West, compared to the plethora of excellent zoos?

I don't know how you arrived at your premise that North America and the West don't have their proper share of excellent, world-class, and trend-setting aquariums, but I'm suspicious that it's actually the case. It sounds rather subjective, and I'd have to see some compelling evidence and arguments to even accept the question... let alone explain why it may be so.

Most "best-of" lists tend to note three well-regarded aquariums in North America: Georgia Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Shedd Aquarium. All three, in various ways, are pioneers in their field, but the list tends to end there.

There is also a tendency to list Bronx, Omaha, and San Diego as the top three zoos in the US, regardless of the fact that they are countless other great ones and (IMO) without much thought about what words like "best", "top", or "well-regarded" even mean in these contexts. I'd also challenge your assertion that the list necessarily ends with those three aquariums you listed just because of how people subjectively rank places, or that other aquariums aren't pioneers in their own ways.

longevity, history

Aquariums have only starting become much more common in the past few decades. I suspect this is a product of improved technology and a boom in middle-class tourism. From a cursory search, most major aquariums in Asia are fairly new also (most are post-WWII, many only opened 1990's-2010's).

And lastly, what makes an aquarium "great" as opposed to just "satisfactory?"

The same thing as zoos: the degree to which they balance a robust collection; exhibit natural ecosystems; provide exemplary animal care; engage, entertain, and educate the public; make breakthroughs in animal husbandry and biological research; practice sustainable harvesting or captive breeding; support conservation efforts; and do all of these efficiently enough to stay both afloat and affordable. Too many factors to break down into a simple formula, and at the end of the day a lot of that will be subjective anyway.

 

[imaginarius]

It is entirely possible that you are right on the points outlined above and I am misinformed. Still, the proliferation of large, multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art aquaria in Japan and China over the past thirty years has not been replicated here, and I wonder if that is a trend specific to the East, or if there are other mitigating factors.

For instance, my town (St. Louis) just opened a new aquarium a year ago. Accustomed as we are to our world-class zoo, St. Louisans were largely disappointed and unimpressed by what opened: everything is viewable in under an hour, the largest tank only holds 250k gallons, the number of species is paltry and the entire outfit is plagued by upcharge “attractions” — a ferris wheel for $15, a rock-climbing wall, a mirror maze, a $20 ticket to walk over the Shark Canyon tank on a rope bridge. I understand that this specific business model is not necessarily ubiquitous, or unique to aquariums. But the initial presentation in 2016 made it seem like the next Georgia Aquarium. Sure, almost all zoo/aquarium attractions get pared down from their original plans, but the place is frankly a joke. And so I wondered if that was typical, and in my research found that as a rule, most American aquariums are small, with few tanks and a limited selection of taxa. Georgia, Monterey, Shedd, even the National Aquarium or Vancouver Aquarium are the exception, not the rule.

Anyway, the differences between maintaining a functioning zoo vs. a functioning aquarium, in particular with regards to cost, is interesting to me, and not often discussed enough on here, I think.

 

[Coelacanth18]

the proliferation of large, multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art aquaria in Japan and China over the past thirty years has not been replicated here, and I wonder if that is a trend specific to the East, or if there are other mitigating factors.

I guess it depends on your idea of "large, multi-million dollar, state of the art." Most major aquariums in the US opened in the 1990's, and some of them arguably fit that bill. If instead you're thinking about the massive mega-aquariums like Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, S.E.A., Churaumi, Cube, and Kaiyukan (of which only Georgia is comparable here) then it may just be a cultural idiosyncrasy.

Why is there an assumption that just because aquariums are massive and cost many millions of dollars to build that they have bigger collections, more sterling reputations, or are more of pioneers of their field than American aquariums?

Accustomed as we are to our world-class zoo, St. Louisans were largely disappointed and unimpressed by what opened

Out of curiosity, what did your survey pool look like to draw this conclusion?

But the initial presentation in 2016 made it seem like the next Georgia Aquarium.

I didn't see the initial presentation myself, but unless it had whale sharks and manta rays in a 6.3 million gallon tank I don't think it was ever going to be the next Georgia Aquarium

 

[birdsandbats]

(of which only Georgia is comparable here)

Not sure I would leave out Shedd and Monterey Bay here.

But the initial presentation in 2016 made it seem like the next Georgia Aquarium

I didn't see the initial presentation myself, but unless it had whale sharks and manta rays in a 6.3 million gallon tank I don't think it was ever going to be the next Georgia Aquarium

You really think so? Honestly it reminded me of a SEA LIFE.

 

[imaginarius]

Why is there an assumption that just because aquariums are massive and cost many millions of dollars to build that they have bigger collections, more sterling reputations, or are more of pioneers of their field than American aquariums?

Because only the most massive and expensive aquariums hold the whale sharks, the giant pacific manta rays, the tiger sharks, the massive, charismatic oceanic megafauna that I want to see in person more than anything else. And the public seems to agree with that assessment, given the number of visitors per year to Georgia as compared to, say, Kansas City Sea Life.

 

[imaginarius]

You really think so? Honestly it reminded me of a SEA LIFE.

They had both giant pacific manta rays AND whale sharks in their initial renderings. That's what I was expecting, and what everyone else I know was hoping for: a $500-million-dollar massive overhauling of the historic Union Station train shed that would put the very best Japanese aquariums to shame.

St. Louis doesn't have a great reputation nationally, or internationally (if it has one at all in the latter regard). Our crime rates, dismal population growth, and recent exodus of Fortune 500 corporations have all painted the city in a terrible light, much of it deserved. But what we do have is world-class cultural institutions: the zoo, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, our St. Louis Symphony. All go toe-to-toe with the very best in the world. And that's about all we have going for us, really, so the people here expect the creme de la creme when it comes to those sorts of things.

 

[birdsandbats]

They had renderings of both giant pacific manta rays AND whale sharks in their renderings. That's what I was expecting, and what everyone else I know was hoping for: a $500-million-dollar massive overhauling of the historic Union Station train shed that would put the very best Japanese aquariums to shame.

St. Louis doesn't have a great reputation nationally, or internationally (if it has one at all in the latter regard). Our crime rates, dismal population growth, and recent exodus of Fortune 500 corporations have all painted the city in a terrible light, much of it deserved. But what we do have is world-class cultural institutions: the zoo, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, our St. Louis Symphony. All go toe-to-toe with the very best in the world. And that's about all we have going for us, really, so the people here expect the creme de la creme when it comes to those sorts of things.

I must not have seen the same renderings you did. All I saw in the ones I looked at were some generic-looking unidentifiable fish, some otters, and some sort of largeish shark.

 

[imaginarius]

I must not have seen the same renderings you did. All I saw in the ones I looked at were some generic-looking unidentifiable fish, some otters, and some sort of largeish shark.

I went to an invitation-only event at Union Station about 4-5 years ago, where both tentative plans/future aspirations for the project were announced and feedback was solicited about what, in general, people wanted to see. They promised big, bold, and beautiful. They specifically cited the Georgia Aquarium as their template. Clearly something changed between then and the facility's opening in December 2019.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Not sure I would leave out Shedd and Monterey Bay here.

I was talking about scale, not quality... in which case Monterey Bay with its ~1.3 million gallons doesn't remotely compare. You may have a point about Shedd, which has a total volume of 5 million gallons (more than a couple of the examples I named), with 60% of that in the Oceanarium. I guess I didn't include it initially because it's much older than the rest, has a markedly different style, and doesn't have a giant ocean fish tank on the same scale, but I concede that the comparison is more apt than I gave credit for.

The fact that some of the examples I was thinking of (like Kaiyukan) are smaller than I initially thought suggests that, even more so than before, I don't understand the point @imaginarius is making.

You really think so? Honestly it reminded me of a SEA LIFE.

Again, I was talking about scale.

Because only the most massive and expensive aquariums hold the whale sharks, the giant pacific manta rays, the tiger sharks, the massive, charismatic oceanic megafauna that I want to see in person more than anything else. And the public seems to agree with that assessment, given the number of visitors per year to Georgia as compared to, say, Kansas City Sea Life.

I don't understand what criteria you are using for this thread and argument. Are we talking about scale? Are we talking about innovative exhibits or practices? Are we talking about attendance numbers or public popularity? Are we talking about collection sizes? Are we talking about what you personally want to see the most? These are all separate qualities that are not interchangeable with each other.

They had both giant pacific manta rays AND whale sharks in their initial renderings. That's what I was expecting, and what everyone else I know was hoping for: a $500-million-dollar massive overhauling of the historic Union Station train shed that would put the very best Japanese aquariums to shame.

I went to an invitation-only event at Union Station about 4-5 years ago, where both tentative plans/future aspirations for the project were announced and feedback was solicited about what, in general, people wanted to see. They promised big, bold, and beautiful. They specifically cited the Georgia Aquarium as their template. Clearly something changed between then and the facility's opening in December 2019.

That's interesting to hear. Not being privy to the original renderings or decision-making processes of the design team, I can't explain the discrepancy. What I will say is that I would have been skeptical of claims that bold had I heard them, and having seen the same advertising material @birdsandbats presumably saw I had no such expectations of it being that grandiose.

Did the tentative plans/presentation specifically mention whale sharks and manta rays, or was it just seen in some generic art renderings? It's possible that it was never truly part of the plan and was just included in the artwork to look cool and garner enthusiasm.

 

[imaginarius]

I was talking about scale, not quality... in which case Monterey Bay with its ~1.3 million gallons doesn't remotely compare. You may have a point about Shedd, which has a total volume of 5 million gallons (more than a couple of the examples I named), with 60% of that in the Oceanarium. I guess I didn't include it initially because it's much older than the rest, has a markedly different style, and doesn't have a giant ocean fish tank on the same scale, but I concede that the comparison is more apt than I gave credit for.

The fact that some of the examples I was thinking of (like Kaiyukan) are smaller than I initially thought suggests that, even more so than before, I don't understand the point @imaginarius is making.



Again, I was talking about scale.



I don't understand what criteria you are using for this thread and argument. Are we talking about scale? Are we talking about innovative exhibits or practices? Are we talking about attendance numbers or public popularity? Are we talking about collection sizes? Are we talking about what you personally want to see the most? These are all separate qualities that are not interchangeable with each other.




That's interesting to hear. Not being privy to the original renderings or decision-making processes of the design team, I can't explain the discrepancy. What I will say is that I would have been skeptical of claims that bold had I heard them, and having seen the same advertising material @birdsandbats presumably saw I had no such expectations of it being that grandiose.

Did the tentative plans/presentation specifically mention whale sharks and manta rays, or was it just seen in some generic art renderings? It's possible that it was never truly part of the plan and was just included in the artwork to look cool and garner enthusiasm.

I asked specifically about those two species, because they are awesome, some of my favorites, and only one aquarium outside of Asia holds them, which is a ridiculous monopoly. I was told that they intended to have a giant tank just like Georgia’s Ocean Voyager and, if they could get them/safely transport them, they had plans to exhibit both species, sharing my enthusiasm. I don’t know how difficult it is to procure endangered oceanic megafauna, let alone transport it. But I do know that a 6-million-gallon tank is.... pricey. My best guess is that their business plan/finances changed and they had to scale back their plans accordingly.

But this thread isn’t just about my grievances with my local aquarium. It’s mostly about exploring how running a zoo is different than running an aquarium, logistically and financially, and why the mega-aquaplexes seen in China and Japan haven’t sprung up like weeds here in a similar trend. Are huge, expensive facilities automatically better than smaller, more niche ones? No, I don’t think so at all. Tennessee Aquarium (itself not a small facility) mostly focuses on freshwater ecosystems, and they do an excellent job of it. I’m just curious about discussing the state of aquariums in America and perhaps where in the future things will trend.

 

[Coelacanth18]

@imaginarius very intriguing; my guess is the same as yours, that they decided it was not practically or financially feasible. I am sorry to hear that the expectations were set so high, though.

As an aside, no media for the aquarium have been posted in the gallery... so if you have any photos feel free to post them, or if you go again maybe you can take some so that people on here can see how it turned out

 

[imaginarius]

@imaginarius very intriguing; my guess is the same as yours, that they decided it was not practically or financially feasible. I am sorry to hear that the expectations were set so high, though.

As an aside, no media for the aquarium have been posted in the gallery... so if you have any photos feel free to post them, or if you go again maybe you can take some so that people on here can see how it turned out

I’ve been thinking about going again to see their new green sea turtles. But in all honesty, the cost of admission is very high for the experience in return, the staff are not knowledgeable about the exhibits or marine biology in general, and the upcharge attractions are ubiquitous and aggravating. A part of me wants to support the local economy and marine conservation by contributing to their bottom line, but another part of me would rather just drive down to Atlanta for a weekend and see a decent aquarium instead.

They have a sizable selection of photos and videos on their Facebook page, though.

 

[Zooplantman]

Are aquariums that much more expensive to establish and maintain than zoos?

Yes

 

[Zooplantman]

I’m just curious about discussing the state of aquariums in America and perhaps where in the future things will trend.

The pandemic has been especially hard on aquariums and any future planning will be taking such matters as social distancing into account. That will mean less content in aquariums in favor if greater visitor space.

 

[Zooplantman]

Japan has more aquariums per capita than any other country in the world. Many of them are world-renowned, too. While this is logical, in the sense that Japan is an island country whose culture and cuisine has revolved around the sea for eons, it also begs a question: why do the United States and Canada fail to measure up?

Do not discount the impact of culture and of land use. Why not ask why doesn't Japan have world renowned safari parks?

 

[imaginarius]

Do not discount the impact of culture and of land use. Why not ask why doesn't Japan have world renowned safari parks?

Well, as a small island nation, for one thing Japan just doesn’t have the space for them. Aquariums are more compact, obviously. I suppose that just reinforces your point.