Remembering the Fishes Lost in Chemical Leak at Iowa Aquarium (2024)
Obituary
World Animal Protection remembers over 20 fishes who passed due to a contaminated tank at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa.
On October 9, 2024, a chemical leak occurred in a tank of the Gulf of Mexico exhibit. Propylene glycol leaked into the HVAC system above the tank, leading to a fast decline in oxygen and an increase in bacteria, which killed two-thirds of the animals. This tank held a variety of fishes, including eels and grouper.
In December 2023, another malfunction caused issues in a tank housing stingrays, leading to eight deaths and only one survivor (a Cownose Ray). The facility got a new set of rays just a month later to replace the exhibit and continue offering touch experiences. So-called “touch tanks,” which confine aquatic animals in a small pool to be handled by visitors, are frightening and dangerous for the animals who are trapped inside. Handling causes severe stress in aquatic animals who rarely have a way to retreat. Touch tanks can easily become contaminated with bacteria from human hands, and multiple children have been injured by bites and barbs. Instead of teaching children about marine ecosystems, “touch tanks” tell children that it’s okay to handle and disrupt wild animals in their habitat.
World Animal Protection urges everyone who loves marine animals to avoid aquariums and enjoy them in the wild or at Wildlife Heritage Areas.
