Cairns Aquarium is a
public aquarium in
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
, Australia, that opened in 2017. It is home to more than 15,000 animals displayed in 10
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
s.
The $54 million, , three-level facility in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
holds 71 tanks, including a ocean tank, Australia's largest freshwater tank with of water, a deep reef tank and the world's first true tidal motion tank.
[Falvo, Andrea (September 18, 2017). Going wild for city tourist attraction. The Cairns Post, page 4.][Till, Crispin (September 18, 2017)]
Ribbon-cutting marks opening of underwater world at Cairns Aquarium
Tropic Now magazine.
It is among the few aquariums to display endangered or rarely seen species such as the
emerald tree monitor
The emerald tree monitor (''Varanus prasinus'') or green tree monitor, is a small to medium-sized arboreal monitor lizard. It is known for its unusual coloration, which consists of shades from green to turquoise, topped with dark, transverse d ...
s,
Jardine River turtles,
ribboned pipefish,
freshwater sawfish
The largetooth sawfish (''Pristis pristis'', syn. ''P. microdon'' and ''P. perotteti'') is a species of sawfish, family Pristidae. It is found worldwide in tropical and subtropical coastal regions, but also enters freshwater. It has declined dra ...
and
scalloped hammerhead sharks.
The aquarium is also an interactive research and education centre and is home to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.
[The Urban Developer (September 26, 2017)]
New Cairns Aquarium Opens with High Returns for Investors
Awards
In 2018, the aquarium won the Master Builder Queensland award for Project of the Year and the award for Leisure Facilities over $10 million.
[Wivell, Danaella (October 15, 2018). Years of work pay off. The Cairns Post, page 2.]
References
External links
*{{official, www.cairnsaquarium.com.au
Tourist attractions in Cairns
Aquaria in Australia
Buildings and structures in Cairns
Cairns City, Queensland