We are incredibly passionate about conserving the world’s waters to ensure the future of the species that depend upon them.
As a centre for education and conservation, we support conservation charities, host our own conservation activities onsite and most importantly, raise awareness of key issues. Bristol Aquarium aims to inspire the next generation to care about conservation and ensure we continue working together to preserve the world’s waters.
Conservation is at the heart of Bristol Aquarium
We support conservation efforts by working with several charities and regularly hosting events covering many aspects of marine and ocean conservation.
Conservational charities
Here at Bristol Aquarium, we work to raise both awareness and valuable funds on behalf of many conservation charities that eco our ethos. We utilise our platform, where we welcome thousands of visitors every year, to educate our visitors on their campaigns to help grow their supporter base. You can learn more about these charities and how to support or donate from signage around the aquarium.
Shark Trust
Many sharks are listed as threatened species, and conserving these incredible animals is becoming increasingly important to protect their future. From signing petitions to banning shark finning and hosting your own shark egg case hunt, there are so many ways to get involved with Shark Trust.
The Seahorse Trust
The Seahorse Trust works to conserve the natural coastlines that seahorses call home, understand this wonderful marine creature better and ensure they survive for generations to come. Coastal areas are subject to damage as a result of human activity, including ocean pollution, so this charity aims to preserve these areas for seahorses and other species that rely upon them for survival.
More supported charities at Bristol Aquarium
Bristol Aquarium promotes several other conservation charities throughout the year, educating visitors and supporting their conservation journey. Recent charities we’ve supported include:
We encourage visitors to join us at Bristol Aquarium to learn more about our conservation charity work and help us support them in any way you can.
Captive breeding and behind the scenes research
Captive breeding and research play an important role in our conservation efforts at Bristol Aquarium. Not only is it an excellent indicator of the health of our marine creatures, but it also helps us understand their behaviours and enhance marine education for visitors. By following ethical practices in breeding and research, we’re helping ease pressure on wild populations and protect species for future generations.
Our captive breeding programme has been a success for many marine animals, including jellyfish, sharks, rays and seahorses.
How you can help
What can you do to help us work towards the conservation of marine life and the oceans? You can start small – even the tiniest of changes can make a huge difference!
Here are some ideas:
- Switch off the lights when you leave a room
- Get involved in beach cleans or clean up Bristol Harbour
- Swap single-use plastics for reusable items
- Donate or raise money for conservation charities
For more inspiration on how you can help protect the planet and get involved in conservation, check out our What You Can Do page.
Visit Bristol Aquarium and learn all about conservation
Teaching everybody – including kids and adults – about the importance of conservation is one of our top priorities. Whether it’s reducing your carbon footprint or saving water at home, our blog is a great place to find helpful resources that can support you on your journey to helping the planet. But the best way to discover more about why conservation is important and what we can do about it is to visit Bristol Aquarium.