At L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, we are convinced that the best way to protect the sea and its inhabitants is by informing people and raising their awareness, showing them how beautiful and fragile it all is.
Under the slogan: “knowing to love, loving to protect and protecting to conserve”, L’Aquàrium de Barcelona aims to help people learn about the sea, to showcase, inform and raise awareness about how important conservation is.
Protecting the marine ecosystem and conserving its species are two of the most notable tasks carried out by our facility, which have led to L’Aquàrium being recognised as the Mediterranean Marine Conservation Centre.
Over the years, L’Aquàrium de Barcelona has become a leading centre for research into the Mediterranean’s marine environment. The centre has a first-class team of professionals. All the recreated ecosystems are carefully monitored to achieve the best possible adaptation of the animals that inhabit them, so that they can then reproduce naturally. In total, there are over 450 different species that require specific care and attention. L’Aquàrium de Barcelona’s Biology Department therefore has to deal with numerous situations that require expert knowledge, every day.
None of this would be possible without the laboratory and the quarantine room, which fulfil three main functions: receiving new specimens so they can adapt properly, a maternity room and the care of sick animals.
New arrivals at the centre pass through a prolonged process of disinfection and parasite control, in order to ensure that they cannot negatively affect the health of their future companions. The laboratory analyses the quality of the water in the tanks every day, to ensure the well-being of the species that inhabit L’Aquàrium de Barcelona and to control possible pathologies. The physical-chemical conditions and the microbiological quality of the water are assessed. In regard to technical characteristics, it is worth noting L’Aquàrium’s commitment to environmental sustainability, as the water from the aquariums is obtained directly from the sea, through wells located on the beach. The centre has technology that allows it to reuse the water; it is filtered and cleaned before it reaches the tanks and is renewed every 90 minutes. This system guarantees that the water which is returned to the sea has been totally purified and is therefore much cleaner than when it was extracted, ensuring a zero level of pollution to the exterior.
In the future, research and respect for the environment will be essential for preserving the health of the world’s population. The authorities have become aware of the importance of these two premises and of the need to invest in promoting them. In this regard, in 2019, L’Aquàrium de Barcelona obtained Biosphere’s international certification as a sustainable tourism company, one of the first 50 companies in Barcelona to obtain that seal.
We began with a dream and we continue to work towards achieving it, year after year, so we can always be a point of reference for the general public.