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Go fish! Kansas City Zoo's brand new aquarium will house over 200 aquatic species

By Brian Ellison,
Elizabeth Ruiz
Published August 17, 2023 at 3:49 PM CDT
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A group of four children with their back to the camera look at aquarium animals
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Kansas City is now home to more than 8000 new aquatic animals. Friday, Sept. 1, Sobela Ocean Aquarium opens inside the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium.

Kansas City is nearly 1000 miles away from an ocean but the Sobela Ocean Aquarium, a new addition to the city's zoo, will allow visitors to view more than 8000 aquatic animals and learn about conservation efforts. The aquarium opens to the public in September.

After 10 years of planning, Kansas City has added a new 650,000 gallon attraction to its zoo.

Sobela Ocean Aquarium, which will house 200 different species of sea creatures —including sharks, sea otters, sea turtles and octopus — opens to the public on Sept. 1, with a reservation.

"I think the animals that we have are going to be eye opening to our guests," said Sean Putney, executive director and CEO of the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium.

"We have some great stories with our sea turtles and the otters that just came in last week. They're wonderful to be able to be ambassadors for their species and we can talk about conservation messages," Putney said.

  • Sean Putney, executive director and CEO, Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
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Brian Ellison
As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
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Elizabeth Ruiz
As a producer for Up To Date, my goal is to inform our audience by curating interesting and important conversations with reliable sources and individuals directly affected by a topic or issue. I strive for our program to be a place that hosts impactful conversations, providing our audience with greater knowledge, intrigue, compassion and entertainment. Contact me at elizabeth@kcur.org or on Twitter at @er_bentley_ruiz.
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