Marine Aquarium

[Monica Okane]

Webelieve in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life; environmental education; research; and conservation.

We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

CMA announced a multi-year expansion plan, Rising Tides: Safeguarding Marine Life for the Future. CMA will welcome new wildlife, create habitats, and launch global conservation initiatives. Learn More

CMA volunteers are dedicated individuals interested in a hands-on approach to preserving the environment and marine life. They dedicate regular, significant time to our mission and the rewards are meaningful.

In early 2019, Clearwater Marine Aquarium introduced a new Research Institute division encompassing the staff and programs of the former Sea to Shore Alliance organization. The intent of Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute is to broaden the conservation and research scope of CMA, which will result in advancements toward the protection of species and habitats.

CMA biologists and ecologists combine passion for their work with technical expertise to conduct rigorous scientific research, share their knowledge with managers to ensure adequate protection for endangered species, educate the public and conserve our coastal environments for the benefit of both people and animals.

The aquarium offers rides on covered tour boats, including one where visitors can learn about the local environment through the creatures collected in a net from the grass beds and sand flats of Clearwater Bay. Another tour teaches visitors about the local wild dolphin population, and a sunset cruise is also available.

In order to better welcome visitors with sensory issues, Clearwater Marine Aquarium has partnered with KultureCity. Visitors can view a social story before their visit, and once they get to the aquarium, they can borrow a sensory bag and take advantage of quiet zones in the attraction.

VIP experiences are available for an extra charge. The VIP Bottlenose Dolphin experience costs $549 per group of 3 to 5 participants. The Shark Care Experience is $59.99 for one person, or $107.98 for two people. Other experiences start at $15.99 for a behind-the-scenes walking tour. The schedule of presentations and other information is available online.

A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only (FO), fish only with live rock (FOWLR), and reef aquaria. Fish only tanks often showcase large or aggressive marine fish species and generally rely on mechanical and chemical filtration. FOWLR and reef tanks use live rock, a material composed of coral skeletons harboring beneficial nitrogen waste metabolizing bacteria, as a means of more natural biological filtration.

Marine fishkeeping is different from its freshwater counterpart because of the fundamental differences in the constitution of saltwater and the resulting differences in the adaptation of its inhabitants. A stable marine aquarium requires more equipment than freshwater systems, and generally requires more stringent water quality monitoring.[1] The inhabitants of a marine aquarium are often difficult to acquire and are usually more expensive than freshwater aquarium inhabitants.

Personal saltwater fishkeeping began on a wider scale in the 1950s, starting with the basic rectangular glass aquariums (usually 20 gallon), still popular today. Bleached coral along with a substrate of coarse crushed coral were the norm. Algae, including beneficial types such as coralline algae, were viewed negatively and were generally removed. The clean, sterile tank was viewed as the healthiest.

During the early days of marine aquaria, saltwater was collected at local beaches. Natural saltwater contains many unwanted organisms and pollutants. Aquarium literature of the time suggests that the most commonly kept marine fish were the percula clownfish, sergeant major damselfish, small, brackish-water pufferfish and scats, jeweled blennies, and blue damsels. Aquariums were equipped with large air compressors, and were heavily aerated and filtered (primarily with undergravel filters, a norm for some time).

An ever-growing number of hobbyists experiencing the inconvenience of gathering natural sea water and the concurrent development of analytical chemistry techniques led to research into the chemical composition of sea water. Synthetic salt mixes were developed to replicate the chemical environment of the tropical ocean, including trace elements and salts. This advance made marine fishkeeping popular in areas without access to clean sea water.

Air driven, counter-current protein skimmers and reliable submersible electric heaters were invented in Germany. Various advances in filtration included trickle and hang-on filters, both allowing a more natural equilibrium in the aquarium environment. The advancement of fluorescent lighting technologies to provide higher output, along with metal halide lighting, enabled the first reef tanks, making it possible to keep corals and other invertebrates without natural sunlight.

More efficient chemical testing allowed aquarists to understand the chemical properties of aquariums. By the 1980s, a biologically-based understanding of how to maintain an artificial ocean environment brought more successful and widespread marine fishkeeping.

The major components are an aquarium, usually made from glass or acrylic, filtration equipment, lighting, and an aquarium heater. Marine aquariums can range in volume from less than 80 litres, (Marine aquarists typically divide saltwater aquariums into those housing fish only, those housing fish with live rock, and those primarily designed to house corals and other invertebrates (also known as reef aquariums). Many fish hobbyists also divide the types of saltwater tanks based on the water temperatures at which they are kept.[5]

The most common type of saltwater fish tank, the tropical marine tank, houses marine animals from tropical climates. Usually kept between 24 and 28 C (75 and 82 F), these tanks include tropical reef tanks, as well as fish-only tanks. These tanks tend to have a low concentration of microscopic plankton and other foods eaten by filter feeders. Most livestock for these aquariums are acquired through commercial means.

One of the more obscure types of fish tanks, the coldwater marine tank, holds fish of temperate climates, with temperatures ranging around 10 to 24 C (50 to 75 F). Colorful species such as the ornate cowfish, blennies, and sea anemones can be found. The anemones and invertebrates in temperate waters easily rival their tropical counterparts. Most colorful species are found in the western Pacific and west coast of North America. Maintenance of these tanks is similar to keeping a fish only tank with live rock, or a non-photosynthetic tropical aquarium.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

A significant diversity of species exists. Since coldwater coral reefs only occur at great depths, most hobbyists are largely confined to fish, sea anemones, crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks and Feather duster worms. A few corals can be found at low depths. Since there are very few commercially available coldwater fish and invertebrates, hobbyists usually have to physically acquire specimens, although recently more specimens have become commercially available from the west coast of the United States as well as Japan, Australia, and the UK.[17] The most common methods of acquisition are by trolling or seining, and experienced hobbyists use the movement of tides and searching methods to find certain species. Unlike commercially available tropical fish, whose behavior patterns and tank compatibilities have been well documented in the last five or six decades, coldwater fish have been kept in public and private aquaria for over two centuries and much ichthyological knowledge has been gathered in order to maintain them.

Many temperate fish have specific local diet requirements, while others, will eat just about any crustacean or frozen foods. Some fish should not be kept with fish small enough to fit into its mouth, crabs or mollusks. Similarly some crabs can not be kept with some mollusks, while other fish, crabs, mollusks and echinoderms may be compatible with each other. It takes experience before one can successfully gauge the compatibility of the fish and invertebrates in one's area. Due to it being such a localized hobby in the United States, not many people go the route of local tanks which are far more popular in Europe.

Live rock is rock that has been in the ocean, composed of limestone and decomposing coral skeleton, usually around a coral reef such as those around Fiji, and is usually covered with beneficial algae, coralline and tiny invertebrates and bacteria that are desirable in the aquarium. Some examples of the microfauna commonly found on live rock are crabs, snails, feather dusters, brittle stars, starfish, limpets, abalones, and an occasional sea urchin, sea anemone, coral, and sea sponge. Also, if the aquarist is unlucky, a mantis shrimp. Bristleworms are also common, most of which, while unattractive, are not harmful and are useful scavengers; some species can be pests, however. The addition of live rock is one of the best ways to ensure a healthy aquarium, as the rock provides a buffer to maintain high pH (8.0-8.3), alkalinity, and acid-neutralizing capacity. Alkalinity is often known by a rather confusing term, "carbonate hardness", or KH. This is usually measured in "degrees" (dKH) or meq/L.

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