Public aquariums display fish and invertebrate species whose welfare needs are complex and often inadequately met, raising questions about the ethics and educational value of aquarium exhibitions.
Aquarium welfare encompasses concerns ranging from tank size adequacy for large species through to the ethical justification for wild capture of marine animals for display. Large pelagic species including sharks and rays that naturally range over vast oceanic territories are particularly challenging to maintain with adequate welfare. The educational value of aquariums must be weighed honestly against welfare costs — and alternative educational technologies increasingly reduce the need to maintain living animals as educational tools. Aquariums that move toward captive-bred species, larger and more naturalistic environments, and honest public communication about welfare constraints demonstrate genuine welfare commitment.