Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the €28m (£23.4m, US$34.1m) development is being funded by public investment, Porto Antico di Genova (owner of the aquarium) and Costa Edutainment, which manages the site.

The new exhibit is scheduled to open in 2012 and is part of the aquarium’s strategy to raise awareness of the issues of conservation, management and responsible use of marine environments.

Built for the Expo ’92, the aquarium currently boasts 70 tanks that recreate marine, lake and land habitats and is home to around 600 species with more than 12,000 fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds and invertebrates.

With more than 1.3 million visitors a year, the aquarium is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Italy.

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