What aquariums really do for the animals behind the glass

Beyond the Glass is a student-built guide to aquarium conservation, animal welfare and the rescue work most visitors never see. Every fact on it comes from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, federal and state wildlife agencies, or the aquariums themselves.

Read the aquarium myths See the rescue work
Two young girls in pink sweaters watching a sea lion swim right up to the aquarium glass

Aquariums are hard to judge from the visitor side of the glass

Families, teens and animal lovers walk through aquariums with questions the exhibits rarely answer.

About 10%

Animal care standards vary from place to place

An open door says nothing about accreditation. Only about one in ten USDA-licensed animal exhibitors is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

of USDA-licensed animal exhibitors are AZA-accredited

Conflicting stories leave animal lovers uneasy

Headlines, posts and documentaries disagree about aquariums. People who care about sea life end up unsure what to believe, and some feel uneasy about visiting at all.

$230M+

Conservation work this large deserves to be seen

Accredited zoos and aquariums fund field conservation for more than 800 species in 130 countries. Work on that scale belongs in the conversation about aquariums.

spent on field conservation every year

Nobody should have to guess whether the animals behind the glass are well cared for.

A high school senior's guide to aquarium research

I'm Abby McGowan, and sea life has fascinated me for as long as I can remember.

I have always been curious about the world beyond what we can see. Over the years I have spent many hours watching documentaries, researching marine animals, and learning about marine life and conservation.

That curiosity led me past the common misconceptions about aquariums and into the research behind them. I built Beyond the Glass to share what I have learned and to help people see aquariums and marine conservation from a different perspective.

A sea turtle gliding through clear blue water
  • 5aquarium myths checked against AZA research
  • 5 yearsbetween full AZA accreditation reviews
  • 1+welfare assessment a year for animals at accredited institutions

How to separate aquarium myths from facts in three steps

Your next aquarium visit can teach you a lot more than the names of the fish.

  1. Check the common myths

    Read five things people often believe about aquariums, each set beside what the research shows.

  2. Learn what happens off exhibit

    See how responsible aquariums contribute to rescue, rehabilitation, research, education and conservation.

  3. Support the work that protects sea life

    Find simple ways to support marine conservation and make informed choices about where you spend a day.

Start with the aquarium myths
Close view of a sea turtle swimming near the surface in bright blue water

Sea turtle and manatee rescue starts at accredited aquariums

Some animals in aquariums arrived because they were rescued and needed professional care. Accredited institutions work with government agencies to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife, including sea turtles and manatees. Depending on an animal's condition, rehabilitation can eventually lead to release.

The same institutions put more than $230 million a year into field conservation and study animal biology, health, behavior and habitats to help protect species in the wild.

See the rescue and conservation work

What changes when visitors know the facts about aquariums

When myths keep spreading

  • Misconceptions about aquariums travel further with every share.
  • People overlook the rescue, rehabilitation, research and education work done by responsible aquariums.
  • Visitors have no way to tell an accredited aquarium from one that has never been inspected.

When visitors leave informed

  • You understand what aquariums contribute to marine life and conservation.
  • You make educated decisions about which aquariums to visit and support.
  • You become more involved in protecting sea life.

See aquariums from the other side of the glass

Five common aquarium myths, each checked against the research. It takes about five minutes to read.

Read the aquarium myths

Sources

  1. Association of Zoos & Aquariums. About Us. aza.org.
  2. Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Conservation. aza.org.
  3. Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Accountability Within the AZA Accreditation Process. aza.org.
  4. Association of Zoos & Aquariums. What Is Accreditation? aza.org.
  5. Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Becoming Accredited. aza.org.