The Florida Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, a publicly operated institution located in downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is a large-scale, 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m2) aquarium accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This means they are a leader in conservation and education, supporting programs for wildlife and having a strong educational component in the forms of summer camps, school trips, etc. The facility is home to more than 7,000 aquatic plants and animals from Florida and worldwide. The facility is located in the Channel District of Downtown Tampa. The Florida Aquarium opened in March 1995 as a privately funded entity and became a public-private partnership when the city of Tampa assumed responsibility for its debt in 1999. On April 18, 2012, the AIA’s Florida Chapter placed the Florida Aquarium on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.
On May 8, 2017, it was announced that the aquarium hired Roger Germann as its new president and CEO. Germann came from the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He was executive vice president for 16 years and served on the advisory board of the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office.
History
Before the Florida Aquarium was constructed on the Channelside of Downtown Tampa, it was formally known as the Clearwater Marine Science Center on Clearwater Beach. It wasn’t until 1992 that the Tampa City Council accepted the Florida Aquarium’s proposed plan to begin construction in its new downtown location. The Florida Aquarium was primarily constructed using borrowed money amid inflated projections that high attendance and ticket sales would pay off the incurred debt. However, after the aquarium opened in March 1995, the number of visitors and tourists fell below expectations.
The aquarium fell into financial debt. In response to the crisis, the city of Tampa took over The Florida Aquarium’s mortgage and debt in 1999. Managers at the institution were forced to lay off or demote roughly one-third of the aquarium’s total staff.
Though it struggled in its early years, The Florida Aquarium reinvented itself. It made entertainment a key aspect of its mission, incorporating fun and exciting ways to instill strong messages about Florida’s natural resources’ importance and educate 100,000 school children each year. A1 Bed Bug Exterminator Tampa
Exhibits
The Florida Aquarium’s exhibits are laid out to show the journey of a drop of water from one of Florida’s many fresh-water springs to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Exhibits include a large simulated wetlands exhibit located under a tall glass atrium, a simulated beach, and a coral reef community housed in a 500,000-US-gallon (1,900,000 l) tank.[12] The newest section is Waves of Wonder and Heart of the Seas gallery, which replaced the OceanCommotion section.
Address: 701 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL
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