From the News: Historic Toledo Zoo aquarium reopening after major overhaul

Historic Toledo Zoo aquarium reopening after major overhaul

Last month, I shared a bit of news about the new aquarium opening up in Jacksonville, Florida.  New aquariums seem to be the rage these days, with new ones popping up left and right.  This, on the other hand, concerns the reopening of a rather old aquarium (older than many well known public aquariums), this one on the grounds of the city zoo.

There's a lot to be said about building brand new aquariums elsewhere in cities - for one thing, zoos tend to be located on the edges of town, where there is more space, whereas aquariums are often found downtown, especially along waterfronts.  That being said, I feel that there is a major benefit to having aquariums located within zoos.

Zoos are, by definition, parks for animals.  They tend to focus on large mammals, however, with some birds and reptiles thrown in for good measure.  This results in the overlooking of the enormous variety of fish and invertebrates in the world, the later making up the vast majority of animals on the planet.  Many fish and invertebrates are highly endangered and could benefit from more conservation attention; some are now found only in captivity.  By focusing more on these groups of animals, zoos could help educate the public about the overlooked majority of the animal kingdom.

Congratulations to the Toledo Zoo, and best of luck!