Ocean pH Falling Faster Than Previously Predicted

Jacques Cousteau said, “People protect what they love.” His son, Jean-Michel added, “However, people can only love what they understand.” I would add that they need to experience something to understand it.  Diving, snorkeling, surfing and boating put people in the sea.  These activities create a connection. 

Unfortunately for most of the planet’s 6.67 billion inhabitants, they are not connected with the ocean.  Their world is a burgeoning city, possibly farmland, or mountains.  Even to those living on the coast, the ocean seems like an infinite blue tableau—and increasingly it is no longer blue. If we are to generate appreciation and support for the role of the ocean to our terrestrial based society, public aquaria have a major role to play.

The Georgia Aquarium housed whale sharks, the largest fish on the planet, and is the
only aquarium outside of Asia to do so. Photo credit: Zac Wolf

Books, television shows, and movies are great, but there is no substitute for seeing the intricate world below the surface.  Decades ago, aquaria were usually dull, dingy, small scale exhibits.  What a difference today.  SeaKeeper Award recipient Bernie Marcus funded the new Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta with $250 million and it shows, including extraordinary exhibits such as a tank for whale sharks, the largest fish in the world.  They can grow up to 40 feet (12 m) long and weigh up to 15 tons, and their tank in the Georgia Aquarium is almost the size of a football field.  I was skeptical about holding whale sharks in captivity.  On a recent visit, there were times when the four whale sharks were not even visible – they effectively disappeared in the enormous expanse of this artificial ocean.

I would love to have more people visit the ocean as snorkelers or scuba divers.  But even these activities can stress ecosystems, especially if done in concentrations.  Thus we must rely on aquaria to give tens of millions of people a way to understand the sea.  Worldwide, zoos and aquariums draw more than 600 million visitors each year. State of the art aquaria like the Georgia Aquarium provide multiple viewpoints from touch pools, enormous tanks, and clear acrylic tunnels where you walk “beneath the sea” and are surrounded by it.

Those who know the sea love the sea.  We believe that these wonderful public aquaria become a force to aid marine conservation by enlightening populations around the world.  In addition, with increasingly endangered habitats and species, large public aquaria will play an even more direct role in conservation.  From the monk seal to the polar bear, many marine species are under threat.  Modern aquaria can get directly involved through the global network they create by providing international breeding programs to ensure genetic fitness and proper habitat for species whose territory is under siege. 

Aquariums operate across the whole spectrum of conservation activities, including breeding of threatened species, research, public education, training and advocacy.

The Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest, is an important research tool for marine science. It totals over 550,000 square feet, holds 8 million gallons of water, and is home to more than 125,000 animals. The Georgia Aquarium houses more marine life than any aquarium in the world.

Like the rest of the world aquaria community, the Georgia Aquarium has a strong focus on education and has made major strides in teaching the public about marine life. Over 6 million visitors have visited the Aquarium since its opening in 2005; more than 120,000 schoolchildren have visited for free through its Sponsored Admissions program. We encourage you to visit and support these public aquaria.  And let us recognize the leaders like SeaKeeper Award recipient Bernie Marcus and his wife Billie who are making them possible.

[Pictured to the right: As part of its 4R Program (Rehabilitation, Relocation, Rescue, Research), Georgia Aquarium rescued this beluga whale, Nico, from substandard living conditions at a privately operated amusement park in Mexico City. He now lives in an 800,000 gallon exhibit specifically designed to stimulate the whale’s natural habitat. Nico is currently being maintained with two female belugas, which are on breeding loan from New York Aquarium. Photo credit: Georgia Aquarium.]

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