It is a bad idea to create an aquarium in Albany, NY. We all can learn from marine life by not disturbing it. It is not necessary to rip forms of life away from their own natural habitat and force them to live in a tank or, any other enclosure on display for peoples own personal gain or, entertainment. In this day and age there are plenty of outlets to learn about marine life, such as; National Geographic, Discovery, the internet, books, etc.

Most marine life kept in aquariums have little federal protection, and the few laws that do exist are often ignored. It has been reported that the federal government has allowed violators to continue operating for years even after documenting contaminated water, starvation or deaths and does little to enforce rules and rarely impose fines or closes facilities. As a result, aquariums have little incentive to fix problems, improve conditions, or comply with reporting requirements. Additionally, researchers have discovered that fish have the same ability to, not only feel pain & stress, but also be conscious of the pain they are feeling (like us) and, therefore, should be considered “sentient” beings like other mammals and birds. Animal cognition is a very big deal since even cognition in the human brain is still not totally understood.

Please stop promoting an aquarium for the purpose of money and entertainment under the guise of "education and conservation". It's unacceptable!