Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Those responsible for seeing an aquarium come into existence—
developers, planners, financial backers, and city o‹cials—all have their
own reasons for seeing it built, whether it's to display nearby aquatic
animals, to renew a rundown section of town, to educate the local pop-
ulation, or what have you. However, an aquarium isn't likely to make
a worthwhile contribution if its sole purpose is to boost a lagging econ-
omy, or if it is an entertainment-only project that makes no attempt
to satisfy the visitor's curiosity. Likewise, one with too strong an em-
phasis on education will have a di‹cult time attracting visitors. An
aquarium must pique the visitor's interest before it can hope to get across
its messages.
Although I am talking primarily about aquariums, much of what I
say applies equally well to zoos, living museums, and giant wildlife parks
that feature entertainment along with their live animals.
The need for balance is perhaps the most important element on a
loose list of factors I've come up with that, in my opinion, any aquar-
ium should incorporate to be successful. I believe aquarium visitors
want, even crave, a connection with nature. Why else would they be
there? On the one hand they look forward to seeing something famil-
iar, but they also anticipate elements of surprise. The surprise may lie
in some fascinating piece of information, but it may also be an exhibit
so simple in design that it literally stops the visitor in his or her tracks—
a tall fish tank with a shimmering school of silvery lookdowns, for ex-
ample, or a stunning jelly exhibit.
After this balancing of the familiar and the surprising, education and
entertainment, information and aesthetics, it is imperative that high
standards in design and attention to detail be applied to each and every
exhibit—especially if an attempt is being made to re-create a natural
environment. Excellent examples in this regard can be seen at the
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. Another fine example is
the Kelp Forest exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Here people
stop and stare in awe, often with a look of rapture on their faces, in re-
sponse to the natural beauty of the creatures and the totality of the en-
vironment. The fact that they are looking into a man-made structure
is almost completely forgotten. Artificial exhibits can be e¤ective as
well, but then it is even more important that care be taken to provide
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