Aquatic Life Support Systems
Aquatic Life Support Systems (ALSS) are vital to any aquarium, as they maintain the delicate balance that sustains marine life. Key aspects include managing seawater and freshwater systems through conditioning processes, such as mixing, pre-treatment, and distribution, to ensure optimal water quality.
Advanced filtration systems remove impurities to maintain clear, healthy water, while temperature control ensures water temperatures are suitable for various aquatic species.
Biofiltration and ozonation, which involve biological and chemical processes, help maintain a stable, safe environment for marine life. Additionally, sophisticated instrumentation and monitoring systems are employed for real-time oversight and adjustments of ALSS parameters.
Exhibit engineering
Exhibits serve as the focal points of an aquarium, providing visitors with immersive experiences. Designing these exhibits involves crafting acrylic structures with large viewing windows, submerged tunnels, and unique viewing opportunities, all made from high-quality acrylic.
Hydraulic systems within the tanks are optimised to create realistic and dynamic aquatic environments. Lighting design is a collaborative effort with specialised lighting consultants to produce visually stunning displays that highlight the natural beauty of marine life.
Plus, structural engineering ensures that exhibit tanks are reinforced and waterproofed to withstand the pressures of large water volumes.
Quarantine and medical spaces
Ensuring the health and safety of aquatic life is of utmost importance. This involves designing quarantine tanks as dedicated spaces to isolate new or ill animals, thereby preventing the spread of disease.
Implementing specialised medical equipment, such as pool lift systems for large animals, is essential for effective treatment. Facilitating the safe and efficient transport of animals between exhibits and medical facilities completes the necessary measures to protect aquatic health.
Operations and maintenance
Operational efficiency is vital to the long-term sustainability of an aquarium.
Achieving this includes strategic equipment configuration, where devices are placed to reduce maintenance requirements and prolong their service life.
Collaborative design efforts are essential, requiring cooperation with architects, consultants, and other stakeholders to ensure that systems and processes are seamlessly integrated.
Water chemistry stability
Precise control of water chemistry is essential for aquatic life, requiring careful regulation of pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and trace elements.
The ALSS must also manage the conversion and removal of waste from the tank's inhabitants. Unlike other recreational water systems, which are more tolerant of fluctuations, maintaining optimal water quality in an aquarium requires constant monitoring and adjustments to ensure the animals' health and comfort.
Redundancy is vital for the reliability of the ALSS. This involves dual filtration systems, backup pumps, emergency power supplies, and other safeguards that help prevent catastrophic failure, ensuring continuous operation even in the event of mechanical issues.
In emergencies such as contamination or structural failure, aquariums need systems for rapid water evacuation and storage. This includes emergency drainage setups, quarantine tanks for temporary relocation of aquatic life, and procedures for swiftly and safely handling large volumes of water.
However, for larger tanks where such systems may not be practical, the ALSS must instead depend on integrated containment and isolation protocols.
These protocols involve partitioning parts of the aquarium with watertight barriers or isolation gates, enabling only the affected areas to be drained or treated. Specialised holding compartments or quarantine tanks can then be used to temporarily house affected species while the main system is repaired or decontaminated.
Simultaneously, the ALSS must be able to quickly detoxify or neutralise contaminants in situ—using chemical filtration media, activated carbon, protein skimmers, and ozone injection systems to stabilise the environment without a complete drain.
Moreover, automated control systems connected to the facility’s monitoring network should be programmed to detect sudden changes in turbidity, pH, or toxin levels and initiate immediate safety measures—such as partial isolation, enhanced filtration, or switching to a closed recirculation mode.
This layered approach ensures that even without fully evacuating the tank’s contents, the aquatic environment remains as stable and survivable as possible during emergencies.
Unlike most buildings, where temporary power outages are manageable, even brief disruptions to ALSS could be fatal for the animals. A resilient, redundant power system is essential, including automatic transfer switches and dedicated generators designed to support ALSS during prolonged outages.
Access and animal care
Engineers and architects must design back-of-house spaces with easy access to filtration systems, pumps, and life support equipment. Poor planning can result in cramped mechanical areas that are difficult to service, leading to operational inefficiencies and ongoing maintenance challenges.
Additionally, large aquariums require specially engineered systems for the safe handling of marine animals, including medical pools and transport mechanisms for large species.
The facility should also include dedicated spaces where staff can safely and efficiently conduct feeding, cleaning, and medical care for the animals.
Cloward H2O is a team of integrated designers and engineers with extensive experience in aquatic design.
Its portfolio includes the design of water parks, aquariums, zoos, marine parks, theme park attractions, large commercial pools, lagoons, lakes, marinas, fountains, and waterfalls. This diverse expertise ensures that every project benefits from a holistic and informed approach.
Cloward H2O provides comprehensive services from concept to construction, with a focus on operational efficiency. It designs equipment for minimal maintenance and longevity, enabling sustainable, cost-effective operations. Its user-friendly and reliable designs help clients focus on caring for aquatic life and visitors.
The company recognises each aquarium's uniqueness and challenges, and a personalised, client-focused approach ensures projects align with clients' visions and goals, maintaining top quality and sustainability.
Next, the team will discuss some of the few aquatic technical considerations they address in every aquarium they engineer, which ultimately determine the resilience, sustainability, and long-term operability of these highly specialised environments.
Last month, Cloward H2O shared details about the new Zion Shores project, an upscale surf-community development located just outside Zion National Park in southern Utah.
Photo by Raphael Nicolas on Unsplash 
© Association of Zoos and Aquariums
