Biodiversity aquarium opens in Halifax with more than 30 exhibits

The Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity is opening in Halifax this December.

A long-awaited biodiversity aquarium is opening its doors in Halifax with more than 30 exhibits and aquaria.

The Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity, which was first announced in May 2023, has launched at the Steel Ocean Sciences Building on Edzell Castle Circle. It will be open to the public in December.

The project was created through a partnership between Discovery Centre International and Dalhousie University, according to a news release.

“Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity highlights the beauty and importance of marine biodiversity and showcases Dalhousie’s world-class ocean science expertise, brought to the public through Discovery Centre International’s experience in creating dynamic learning environments,” the release reads.

Dov Bercovici, president and CEO of the Discovery Centre, previously told CTV News Atlantic that they raised more $10 million in capital investment for the project – $8.2 million of which came from conservationist Ross Beaty.

“He loved the pitch of what we’re doing with this facility,” Bercovici said.

Beaty, who’s from Vancouver, had previously invested in the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University of British Columbia. Given its success, he says he saw value in investing in something similar on the East Coast.

“A marine biodiversity centre here just made a lot of sense to me,” said Beaty.

Marine conservation professor Boris Worm says their mission is to build ocean literacy.

““It’s a public facing centre for engagement and education about the ocean. We have live animals here. We have this amazing blue whale skeleton. We have interactive exhibits. It’s geared primarily towards school classes, but also visitors to the city and the community at large. I really hope everybody in Nova Scotia gets to see it,” he said.

“We take people on a journey from the tide pool, from the shoreline all the way to the deep sea to see the different habitats and species that live there sequentially like you are diving down and experiencing it for yourself.”

The Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity will give visitors the chance to see regional species such as lobsters, mackerel, and eels up close.  

“It’s an important area to inspire youth to study to become scientists and innovators themselves. So, we see this enabled by our partnership with Dal, getting more kids involved in ocean science,” said Bercovici.

Charles Macdonald, Dalhousie University’s dean of Science, adds the building is a way to showcase their research and conservation efforts.

“To show the importance of what we do and to show people what they can do. So kids coming in and seeing themselves as being scientists, as being people who can actually make a difference and this gives them an opportunity to see and get ideas as to exactly what they can do to help in the future,” said MacDonald.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Emma Convey.

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