On the coast of Sinaloa in Mexico, a brand new, state-of-the-art aquarium is under construction. Set to open in 2023, the New Mazatlán Aquarium will be the largest aquarium in Latin America. Covering an area of
The aquarium has three floors and 19 exhibition spaces. This will include an oceanic fish tank with 2.5 million litres of water, as well as a large coral tank.
MAT Filtration Technologies, a manufacturer of high-efficiency water filtration equipment and provider of engineering services, is providing the complete ALSS (Animal Life Support Systems) scope for the project.
To find out more about the ambitious project and its progress so far, blooloop spoke to Barış Mutkilioglu, MAT Filtration’s project manager on site in Mexico, along with operations director Aaron Sprowl and project director Carlos Eric Garcia Hernandez of construction company and operator Kingu Mexicana.
The aquarium of the world
There is already a smaller aquarium in the city of Mazatlán, points out Mutkilioglu, and it is the popularity of this existing aquarium that shows the demand for an updated facility:
“The aquarium here is more than 40 years old. When I first came here, I noticed there are always huge queues in front of it, be it on weekdays, weekends, or public holidays. So, I cannot imagine their reaction when these people, who clearly love aquariums, get to see inside the new attraction, with its huge exhibits.”
The New Mazatlán Aquarium, or Nuevo Acuario Mazatlán (NAM), will be the only aquarium in the world to focus on the Sea of Cortes, explains Sprowl:
“The Sea of Cortes is often referred to as the aquarium of the world. That is because of its abundance of species and diversity. There have been many habitats in aquariums throughout the world that highlight the wonders of the Sea of Cortes. But none have displayed it as magnificently as NAM will.
“If the Sea of Cortes is the ‘aquarium of the world’, then that would mean NAM will be the ‘aquarium of the aquarium of the world’!”
A journey of discovery at the New Mazatlán Aquarium
The New Mazatlán Aquarium will be home to two hundred animal species, all from the Sea of Cortez, as well as two hundred plant species found around the coast, from the deserts to the mangroves. In total, it will hold over five thousand plants and animals.
“Upon entering, guests will embark on a journey of discovery through unique habitats, from the coastal zones to the deep canyons and hydrothermal vents, as they explore the mysterious grounds and structure of the aquarium,” says Sprowl.
“Guests will also have the opportunity to interact with species, from simple touch and feeding to donning a wetsuit and entering the distinctive habitats of the aquarium with rays, sharks and large schools of jacks and snapper. The aquarium will offer exploration based on how adventurous the guest wants to discover.”
Connecting people and the planet
Speaking about the new aquarium’s goals, Sprowl says:
“The mission in Spanish is:
Hoy nos sumergimos en el océano…Conectamos a la sociedad con el Acuario del Mundo, en un espacio de reflexión que despierta la imaginación, provoca mociones, inspira y genera un cambio de actitudes y voluntades para sanar el planeta.
“This translates to:
“Today we plunge into the ocean…We connect society with the Aquarium of the World, in a space of reflection that awakens the imagination, provokes emotions, inspires, and generates a change of attitudes and wills to heal the planet.
“Our goal is “… and here we will emerge”. We will emerge as a society that loves and recognizes itself as part of the natural world. We are one world, one team and we want our guests to join our team to make a commitment that will make the world a better place for their children, their children’s children, and so on.”
Building a world-class aquarium
To create a world-class aquarium that can make this goal a reality, there are several factors to take into consideration.
Firstly, as Mutkilioglu explains, it is vital to provide a safe environment for the animals that will call the aquarium home.
“Building an aquarium is not like building any other attraction,” he says. “You have a responsibility for the animals. That calls for everyone to work as a team during the design and build stages, from the marine biologists to the engineers.”
This design stage is key:
“When we are working on the facility design, the equipment design, the system design, we need to focus on every tiny detail. It is important to choose the right equipment and to ensure that it is not going to harm the animals or cause them stress. You need to create a habitat as close to nature as possible.”
It is also important to build in safety procedures from the start as well:
“At the design phase, we can also optimise the software, building in safety measurements, precautions, and emergency scenarios. Everything should be well prepared to both minimise risk and to take action immediately in case anything does happen. For example, MAT Filtration’s software that we are using here will constantly measure and record all the vital data. This keeps the operator up to date on the aquarium’s status.”
ALSS expertise
There are other challenges too:
“The challenges for NAM are like the challenges for all other attractions, time, money, and expertise,” says Garcia.
“NAM consist of a construction team and an operations team, each with their goals that need to be met. It is a fine line to walk to meet the end goal of opening with the operational needs to be a great guest experience. Like the rest of the world, the pandemic has strained construction and delayed operations.”
“However, the teams are working closely to present to Mazatlán, Mexico, and the world an aquarium that can be found nowhere else.
“We have expertise from all around the world helping to deliver this objective. We have MAT designing, building, and installing the LSS [Life Support System], Nippura acrylics providing optimal viewing, and Pangea constructing visually pleasing habitats that meet the requirements of the animals. There are also many other companies in Mexico and other parts of the world that are providing the structure and equipment needed to support the aquarium.
“We all work as a team to ensure that we achieve peak performance, so we can provide optimal welfare for all guests of the aquarium, both temporary and permanent.”
Providing a balance
For MAT Filtration Technologies, this is the company’s fourth project in Latin America. The firm has also worked on public aquariums in Michin Puebla and Michin Guadalajara, both in Mexico, as well as a project in Panama, called Biomuseo.
“MAT Filtration was able to provide a competitive cost solution to LSS without the compromise of water quality, clarity, and animal health,” says Sprowl, on why the company was chosen for this project.
“This solution includes state-of-the-art equipment that crosses the barriers between aquaculture and commercial aquariums, optimizing the use of limited or reoccurring resources. We chose MAT in an attempt to lower construction costs with regards to LSS, in order to provide more funding to other areas of the experience. MAT was able to design, build, and is installing the LSS that should achieve those goals.”
The technology powering New Mazatlán Aquarium
Explaining the technology and services that the firm is providing in more detail, Mutkilioglu says:
“We are providing the complete ALSS scope. This means that we have designed an efficient solution that fits all the requirements of our client, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing. And we are also installing the systems too.
“This includes a product that the company is well known for, the MAT Skid Compact Filtration System. This a complete solution featuring protein skimmers, MBBR filters, carbon filters, UV filters, heat exchangers and bag filters. The compact filter can easily combine with the ozone generators also that you can make ozonized.
“This is a real advantage for the client. Instead of them having to buy all these components separately, they can have this one piece of equipment that can do everything. This gives them savings in terms of both space and operations.”
The other product that MAT Filtration has included in the design is its PMF pressurised filter. By installing this alongside the Skid Compact Filtration System, the venue benefits from optimum tank circulation through its filtration, providing energy savings and less maintenance.
An easy-to-use solution
“We are providing an automated system for easy operation,” adds Mutkilioglu. “The mechanical rooms are on three floors, so we will give the client three tablets. This means that instead of going up and down to operate the equipment, they can do every single operation through a tablet. They don’t need to go to the control board.”
“Finally, all this equipment is connected to our SCADA system. The operational team don’t need to report on everything one by one. Our SCADA system is reporting for them. So, they can just get the data on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. We’re giving them this flexibility and ease of operation, it’s a user-friendly solution.”
Progress is good at the New Mazatlán Aquarium
Sprowl says:
“My observations are positive that the performance of the equipment will exceed my expectations, based on visual inspections, MAT staff interactions, and MAT LSS from other facilities around the world.
“I am looking forward to the habitats having water in them soon and seeing the MAT equipment exceed my expectations.”
“We are working on the installation now,” says Mutkilioglu. “Then we are planning to start the testing and commissioning work very soon.”
When it comes to the next steps for MAT Filtration, he adds:
“We’re focusing a lot on the Saudi Arabia market. The Kingdom is rapidly transforming and developing lots of new attractions, like public aquariums, zoos, and water parks. We are also investing in our US branch, so we can better support our projects in North and South America.”
Overcoming challenges
While there have been some challenges so far, mostly because of the global pandemic, the New Mazatlán Aquarium project is now progressing well. Locals are looking forward to the doors of their new aquarium opening for the first time.
“The project continues to progress with occasional hurdles,” says Garcia. “Challenges continue to be met as opportunities for improvement, in terms of both animal welfare and guest experience.”
“The team is working to achieve the final 20% of the construction and at times we experience the “devil in the details”. Everyone wants to hear that projects are going perfectly and there are never any issues. But we all know that rarely happens.
“The important thing is the team and contractors work together to overcome issues, including the one large issue of the pandemic, to achieve the end goal of delivering the “aquarium of the aquarium of the world” that will open in the coming months.”
Conservation and research at New Mazatlán Aquarium
“Besides being one of the greatest aquariums in the world and the only aquarium focused on the Sea of Cortes, we also have our own research organization, Centro de Investigaciones Oceanicas (CIO) del Mar de Cortes,” says Sprowl.
CIO is a research centre that will be located within the aquarium. It will be dedicated to identifying scientific solutions to address the objectives of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and those of the international Sustainable Development Goals related to marine issues.
“In collaboration with NAM, CIO will conduct high-level research, centred on the connections between society and the natural environment in the Sea of Cortez. In 2005, UNESCO declared the Sea of Cortez a World Heritage Site. The pillars of the CIO are The Inspiring and Fascinating Ocean, Ocean Health & The Blue Economy, Animal Welfare, and Resilience & Climate Change.
“NAM and the CIO will work in partnership to deliver exceptional discoveries, facilitate change, optimize ecological economics, with the goal of transformation of ideals and actions.”
