The Marine World Aquarium in Massa Marittima is more than just an aquarium: it is a science museum and environmental education center that takes visitors on a fascinating journey through marine biodiversity and the natural history of the oceans. Spread over about 3,000 square meters, the exhibition itinerary is divided into seven halls with 38 thematic tanks housing more than 150 species of aquatic flora and fauna, divided between the Mediterranean Sea, Tropical Seas and Tropical Abysses.
Among the most spectacular tanks is the panoramic one that reproduces a tropical lagoon, inhabited by Blacktip Sharks and Grey Bamboo Sharks. Visitors can also observe zebra and leopard moray eels, clownfish, batfish, dogfish, coral sharks and many other exotic creatures.
The museum also houses a permanent shark exhibit, with collections of extraordinary fossils such as megalodon teeth, mako shark mandibles, and benthic shark eggs. A window into the aquarium laboratory allows visitors to observe the behind-the-scenes work and maintenance of aquatic ecosystems.
The hub of scientific activity is the Shark Study Center-Scientific Institute, which is divided into three research units (white sharks, benthic sharks and teaching unit). The center actively participates in international projects and organizes expeditions to South Africa and Madagascar to study white, whale, gray and dogfish sharks. Since 2011 it has been part of the Shark Alliance, a global coalition for shark conservation.
The tour is further enriched with a section dedicated to marine prehistory, which reconstructs 400 million years of evolution through life-size models of dinosaurs and prehistoric fish, such as Dunkleosteus, Ammonite, and Megalodon, and large terrestrial reptiles such as Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, and the famous Tyrannosaurus.
The Marine World Aquarium is an immersive experience between nature, science, and history, perfect for families, marine biology enthusiasts, and lovers of the ocean’s great predators.
