More than 7,000 aquatic plants and animals fill the Florida Aquarium in Tampa's Channel District. This publicly operated, 501(c)(3) non-profit institution fills a large 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m2) space, home to more than 7,000 aquatic plants and animals from Florida and around the world. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the aquarium is a recognized leader in conservation and education, offering summer camps, school trips, and a strong educational component that reaches the community.
It first opened in March 1995 as a privately funded entity and became a public-private partnership when the city of Tampa assumed responsibility for its debt in 1999. You can also note its recognition in the field of architecture: on April 18, 2012, the Florida Chapter of the AIA placed the aquarium on its list Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.
More recently, on May 8, 2017, the aquarium announced Roger Germann as its president and CEO; he came from the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where he was executive vice president for 16 years and served on the advisory board of the EPA Great Lakes. The building and the Channel District stretch outward, home to thousands of aquatic plants and animals waiting for you.