The Massa Marittima Acquarium

In the past, aquariums were almost always seen as a form of escapism and a fun place to go, whereas they now have a more complicated role to play in the fields of research, education and environmental conservation. In particular, during the 2nd International Congress of Aquariology, which took place in Montecarlo in 1988, the increasingly decisive position was emphasised that these institutions were adopting in defending the marine environment. Indeed given their in-depth knowledge of the very real hazards that the sea and marine organisms are up against and their vast, specific experience in the sector, many aquariums promote initiatives for environmental protection and conservation.

In addition to the more immediate attention-grabbing programmes, such as the breeding of species at risk of extinction and their reintegration into nature, many aquariums promote an educational policy aimed at stimulating the general public’s interest in the problems of environmental damage. This is the reason why the majority of aquariums have now been turned into true cultural centres of the aquatic world. A visit to a modern aquarium is in fact increasingly synonymous with ‘virtual immersion’, or rather the chance to observe the accurate reproduction of a wide range of marine, lagoon, lake and river environments, with their typical aquarium in Massa Marittima, Aquarium – Mondo marino, is the detailed reproduction of Mediterranean marine environments.

Nevertheless it also reproduces environments of particular ecological environments such as the various tropical coastal areas, including the eastern coasts of South Africa.
It aims to educate about the environment and instil respect for the underwater world. That’s why all its aquariums have been set up in such a way as to allow its guest vegetation and animal species the best possible individual living conditions. The decision to create this structure, which is one of the first in Tuscany and in Italy in terms of its size and the number of species
introduced, is due to the profound love that made Dott. Primo Micarelli devote himself to studying the marine world ever since he was a child, an essential move in order to learn about and therefore respect the inhabitants of what is regarded as the world’s sixth continent.
The hope is to pass on to the general public the acquired knowledge and awareness of the role that we have in handing down intact what we inherited.


(Portions of this article first appeared in "Toscana & Chianti News")
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