National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.
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The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. is the oldest aquarium in the United States. Not to be confused with the National Aquarium in Baltimore, since 2003 it has been jointly managed by the Baltimore aquarium. Prior to this arrangement, the two had an ongoing rivalry, based largely on the fact that both claimed to be the National Aquarium in their titles. The Washington, D.C. National Aquarium is the oldest and original "National Aquarium", while the Baltimore National Aquarium is larger and enjoys better funding. Despite the official-sounding names, neither aquarium is managed or funded by the federal government, and neither is part of the Smithsonian Institution.
[edit] History
The National Aquarium was founded in 1873 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. In 1878 it moved to the site of the National Zoological Gardens in Washington, D.C. Soon after, it moved to the grounds of the new Washington Monument. Finally, in 1932 it moved to its current location in the basement of the Department of Commerce, which actually managed the aquarium at that time.
[edit] Specimens
The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. has over 50 tanks, which contain 1000 specimens from over 200 different species. Some of the more popular exhibits include many piranha, several sea turtles, numerous sharks, and three alligators (Gitcha, Getcha, and Gotcha).
[edit] External links
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Conservation biology | List of zoos | List of zoo associations | Zoological Garden | Menagerie | Tourist attraction | Wildlife Conservation | Endangered species |
