Great Lakes Aquarium- volunteer divers

[javelindan]

Looks like the Great Lakes Aquarium needs all the help they can get...  Here's the 1st part of a March 14th StarTribune Metro/State story:

Aquarium in Duluth needs more money
Larry Oakes,  Star Tribune
March 14, 2005 AQUARIUM0314
 
DULUTH -- Like the leaky tank that delayed its grand opening in 2000, the Great Lakes Aquarium has needed ongoing plugging.

The nearly $33 million focal point of Duluth's downtown bayfront, heralded as the only fully freshwater aquarium in North America, was supposed to support itself on the gate receipts from the 400,000 visitors who consultants said would come each year.

But attendance quickly fell 30 percent short of that, declining to 117,000 last year. After repeated bailouts, the city in 2002 exercised its option to take over the facility, and a private company was hired to manage it.

Now the aquarium's board of directors says that unless the city gives an annual $300,000 subsidy and immediately puts up another $150,000 to help start a cycle of new exhibits -- including saltwater exhibits -- the visitor-drain will continue, and the aquarium will close.

Aquarium visitDavid BrewsterStar Tribune"While the Great Lakes Aquarium has become the child that no one wants to admit fathering, the harsh reality is that it does exist and requires parenting," said Jim Pattison Jr., executive vice president of the company operating the aquarium, in a letter to city councilors.

As unappealing as a subsidy sounds, city officials say it appears to be the only good option. Plus, some of those officials say they see promise in a new plan to make the aquarium more entertaining, to strengthen its role in education and to attract more visitors with traveling exhibits such as "The Abyss," with creatures from the deepest parts of the world's oceans.

"We may have to subsidize it for years to come, but in the end I think it will be worth it," said City Council member Jim Stauber. "It's been very helpful to our tourism industry, and it's a real tribute to freshwater. To close it just wouldn't be a good idea."

Here's a link to the full story: