Florida Aquarium

. 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.

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 out to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Exhibits include a large simulated swamp / river area located under a tall glass atrium, a simulated beach, and a coral reef community housed in a 500,000 gallon tank. Its mission is to "entertain, education and inspire stewardship of the natural environment." The aquarium hosted a record number of visitors (675,000) in 2007 and also had its best year financially. In response, the aquarium plans expansions over several phases for the future. [ [http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/10/29/daily59.html?jst=s_cn_hl Florida Aquarium turns record attendance into expansion plans - Tampa Bay Business Journal: ] ]

External links

* [http://www.flaquarium.org Official website]
* [http://www.TampaBayAquarium.com Florida Aquarium photos]

References