Public aquariums can serve conservation and education functions but vary enormously in the welfare standards they provide for marine animals.
Aquarium welfare quality varies from genuinely educational institutions with strong welfare standards to tourist attractions where animal welfare is secondary to visitor entertainment. The welfare of large, cognitively complex species like belugas, dolphins, and large sharks in aquarium settings is difficult to reconcile with their natural ranging behavior and social complexity. Smaller species in well-designed exhibits may have adequate welfare in well-managed facilities. Touching pools that allow visitors to handle starfish, crabs, and other invertebrates require strict protocols to prevent welfare harm - unmanaged touching pools cause demonstrable mortality in handled animals.