How are oceanariums different from formal public aquariums?

While the term aquarium broadly refers to any facility or receptacle for maintaining or displaying aquatic organisms, oceanariums are a specialized type of large-scale marine aquarium. The primary differences between oceanariums and formal public aquariums lie in their design, display philosophy, and programming.123

• Tank Scale and Organization: Oceanariums emphasize massive tanks—sometimes holding up to 1,000,000 gallons—where a great variety of species are housed together in a single community environment without separation. In contrast, formal public aquariums, such as the Shedd Aquarium, typically organize their exhibits by separating different types and species of fish into individual tanks.3
• Species and Entertainment: Oceanariums are specifically designed to hold large, impressive marine life, including sharks, rays, sea turtles, and marine mammals like whales and dolphins. Many oceanariums leverage the trainability of these mammals to provide acrobatic public shows, a feature less common in traditional, exhibit-focused aquariums.13
• Environment: Because they focus on pelagic (oceanic) life, oceanariums are almost exclusively saltwater environments, which require complex, constant maintenance to balance salinity, temperature, and oxygen levels.1