From Monterey to Chattanooga, aquariums are making a splash

February 18, 1997

Under the Sea: 31 sec./1.2M QT movie 31 sec./4M large QT movie (CNN) -- At first glance, it might seem odd that Chattanooga, Tennessee, would have an aquarium. After all, the nearest ocean is the Atlantic, which is about 400 miles away. But as Chattanooga and many other U.S. cities are discovering, there are riches to be had by bringing the ocean inland. The Tennessee Aquarium is actually the largest freshwater aquarium in the world. The exhibits creatively follow the course of the Tennessee River all the way from mountain streams down to the Gulf of Mexico. The vast expanse of Chattanooga's masterpiece is at once inspiring and overwhelming. Sydney Butler, the executive director of the American Zoo & Aquarium Association, says human intrigue with the deep is centuries old. "As long ago as 25OO B.C., people have been fascinated by animals in a marine and a land environment," Butler said. She said the first aquatic vivarium wasn't built in London until 1852 but it quickly perpetuated this fascination with the underwater, unseen world. Water boom Today's aquariums are both educators and entertainers, but first and foremost they're businesses. American aquariums make up a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to grow. They're popping up in the most unlikely places, like Minneapolis' Mall of the Americas, where weary shoppers can take a break and view the underwater creatures. The desert southwest is the setting for the country's newest waterworld, the Albuquerque Aquarium, which opened in December 1996. The entire exhibit is built around the route a water droplet traces as it runs down the Rio Grande, from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. The Albuquerque attraction also features a 285,000-gallon shark tank with floor to ceiling viewing that's home to as many as 30 large Gulf sharks, giant groupers, moray eels, rays and skates and schooling fish. There are currently 30 U.S. cities with aquariums in various stages of development. As many as 12 of these could open by the year 2000, in places like Denver, Colorado, Long Beach, California, and Charleston, South Carolina. "People are fascinated with nature," said Steve Schulkens with The Audubon Institute in New Orleans. "This great fascination stems from maybe the last 10 to 20 years when the environment became big news for everybody, in newspapers and on television." Coast to coast The boom also can be credited to the success of two aquariums on opposite coasts. On the Pacific side, the Monterey Bay Aquarium opened in California in 1984. Long considered the gem of U.S. aquariums, last year the Monterey facility became even more attractive when it unveiled a $57 million expansion. Its new creation, "The Outer Bay," is the main reason the aquarium pulled in nearly two and a half million visitors in 1996. On the Atlantic coast, the National Aquarium in Baltimore is making waves of its own. It opened in 1981 as part of a plan to revitalize the city's rundown inner harbor. The Baltimore attraction has been a splashing success, averaging one and half million visitors annually. Last year, it even broke its own attendance record as people flocked to see the aquarium's latest temporary exhibit called "Jellies: Phantoms of the Deep," which runs through fall 1997. Like theme parks and museums, aquariums use new exhibits to entice guests to return. Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, which is nearly 70 years old, still averages two million visitors a year, with 40 percent coming directly from the Chicago area. "Frogs!" is its star attraction for 1997 and is bound to leave both young and old nature lovers hopping with delight. Location, location, location Another critical component in an aquarium's recipe for success is location, location, location. In 1990, New Orleans opened the Aquarium of the Americas on the banks of the Mississippi River. The city's instantly successful attraction lies within easy walking distance of the popular French Quarter district. Unfortunately, the lure of the water and its inhabitants does not make every such project a prize catch. The Florida Aquarium in Tampa has been struggling with financial problems since it opened in 1994. Its attendance never met projections, though its poor performance can be blamed in part on being located in a rundown area. "There's no magic formula. When an aquarium is placed in a city -- an urban environment -- it has to be set in that part of the urban environment that's flourishing or is about to flourish," Butler said. The New Jersey Aquarium at Camden faced similar problems. It opened in 1992 across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. After a strong first year, its location and exhibits became a problem and attendance dropped. However, this aquarium's future looks brights thanks to a recent makeover. Drab Atlantic fish displays were replaced by exhibits showcasing crowd-pleasing tropical species, and more enhancements are promised for Camden's waterfront. Like other U.S. aquariums, New Jersey hopes to ride the current wave of industry optimism in the underwater world, and turn the tide of hope into a profitable future.

Weather: Chattanooga, Albuquerque, New Orleans, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Tampa
City Guides and Maps: Tennessee, New Mexico, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Florida, New Jersey

Related stories:

• Vancouver Aquarium: Behind the glass - December 30, 1996
• Aquarium's new exhibit offers rare glimpse into the ocean deep - January 28, 1996

Related sites:

• Tennessee Aquarium
• Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce
• Mall of the Americas
• Florida Aquarium
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• National Aquarium (Baltimore)
• Aquarium of the Americas (New Orleans)
• Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)
• Diverlink: Aquariums & Aquarium Societies