Public aquariums attract millions of visitors annually and play educational and conservation roles, but the welfare of the animals they house is a significant and often overlooked consideration for both institutions and visitors.
Public aquarium welfare requires species-specific evaluation. A well-designed marine invertebrate exhibit with appropriate water quality and hiding spaces can provide excellent welfare; a small circular shark tank provides poor welfare for a species that needs to swim continuously in straight lines. Modern aquarium accreditation standards increasingly require welfare outcome assessment alongside physical provision standards. For visitors, asking about welfare monitoring, enrichment programmes and sourcing of animals provides useful information about institutional commitment to animal welfare.