National Aquarium in Baltimore What should be done with the marine mammal pavilion?

Within the next few years, the aquarium's dolphins will move to a seaside sanctuary. This will leave a pretty sizeable space left to be repurposed. What should be done with this? Should the entire area be gutted and rebuilt or simply have the tank redone to suit new animals? What animals could go in that space?

 

I was thinking it could be a great Mekong exhibit, since it’s large enough to hold many of the severely endangered Mekong fishes. That would carry a strong conservation message that would more in line with today’s zoological institutions than show-performing dolphins would be.

 

National Aquarium Strategic Master Plan

The entire Pier 4 will turn into a Chesapeake Bay themed exhibit. The large tank will be broken up with a large demonstration deck to nail home the Aquarium's conservation mission. Obviously things will change, but the general idea is to turn it into something entirely different. The Aquarium will no longer house any sort of marine mammal - pinniped or otherwise, and will exclusively focus more on fishes exhibits based on conservation messaging. Overall, the Aquarium's goal is for guests to experience something they've never seen or, more importantly, learned about at any other institution. Preparing for the future.