who with great regularity came to see the exhibits and always 

 commented on the condition or rarity of the specimens they 

 saw. Who knows how many of them became naturalists and 

 conservationists as a result of these first impressions of life 

 in the sea? 



The aquarium serves educational purposes by emphasizing 

 to the public the value and necessity of conservation of aquatic 

 resources. In designing the new aquarium the Bureau attempted 

 to carry on the tradition of Spencer F. Baird. It is housed in a 

 modern building and uses modern techniques for exhibiting fish 

 and telling the story of conservation of marine resources. There 

 are 16 tanks for display of local marine animals and plants, and 

 no attempt is made to entertain the visitors with trained animals 

 or to show exotic species. As in the past, the aquarium is open 

 only during the summer. Shortly after Labor Day its facilities 

 are used for experimental research. 



In spite of the very modest character of the aquarium 

 it attracted over 200,000 visitors in the summer of 1961. This 

 tremendous interest in marine science on the part of the American 

 public points up the need for more marine museums and aquaria 

 in accessible places to satisfy the desire to learn about the sea. 

 The Bureau's aquarium is designed to tell the story of marine 

 conservation and to give to the public an idea of the research 

 being conducted at Woods Hole. It cannot do more than this. 

 The usefulness of the public exhibits of the Fisheries Biological 

 Laboratory and their educational value cannot be denied. 



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