Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo has inaugurated the city's first aquarium, which displays hundreds of species of marine life from the Mediterranean and the Red seas. The 7,000 square-meter aquarium, which took eight years to build and cost 100 million shekels ($284 million), opened to the media on Monday and is due to open to the public soon. One of the aims of the aquarium, other than being a popular tourist attraction, is to help raise public awareness for the preservation of marine habitats. "I hope that by opening the aquarium we will promote awareness, we will promote education among the young generation, but not only the young generation, to do more to save the sea's inhabitants," said zoo director Shai Doron.
Credit: Reuters
The aquarium, built next to the zoo, contains 33 tanks housing diverse species such as stingrays, clownfish, sea urchins and sharks.
