Construction has broken ground on a US$77 million aquarium project at Kansas City Zoo, Missouri. According to KC Zoo CEO Scott Putney, the aquarium will contain 34 displays. These will include fish and other animals from every maritime region on earth.
The designs were created by JE Dunn Construction and El Dorado Inc. architects from Kansas City and San Francisco, respectively. EHDD Architecture of San Francisco was chosen to create the blueprints.
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The enormous shark tank was just filled with water, and construction workers are now inspecting it for leaks. After the tank has been cleaned, salt water will be added before being drained again. Every tank in the aquarium will have a varying salt content to accommodate different marine species, and water pumps will continuously check the water’s condition.
By the end of this year, the zoo wants to have filled every tank, and by March 2023, it may start relocating marine animals. Prior to the anticipated grand opening on Labor Day 2023, the aquatic animals will require plenty of time to adjust to their artificial surroundings.
More on the Kansas City Zoo Aquarium project
Just before the elephant enclosure on the main zoo walk, the new aquarium is being constructed. Putney claims that a wave tank containing Caribbean species including sea urchins and reef fish will welcome visitors in the future.
Sharks from nine different species, including bonnetheads and whale sharks, will be kept at the zoo’s aquarium. Aside from octopi, eels, and five different species of jellyfish, visitors can also expect touch tanks where they can get up and personal with urchins, horseshoe crabs, starfish, miniature sharks, anemones, and other harmless marine creatures.
The aquarium show will also include toucans, cotton-top tamarins, many kinds of otters from throughout the world, and rehabilitated sea turtles.
