Marlins' Stadium Fish Aquarium Is Animal Abuse, Activists Claim

By: Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Published: 03/15/2012 02:29 PM EDT on Lifes Little Mysteries

It's usually a bad idea to throw fastballs at a fish tank. Designers of the new Marlins baseball stadium in Miami have disregarded that maxim, and have installed two 20-foot-long tropical fish aquariums on the field directly behind home plate.

Marlins President David Samson says using aquariums as a backstop "screams Miami," but animal rights activists think it screams animal abuse. Experts on fish wellbeing are undecided on the matter.

First, despite their position in the line of fire, the stadium aquariums won't bust. According to Mat Roy, president of Living Color Aquariums, which manufactured the tanks, Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez helped test their extra-sturdy front panels by hurling baseballs at them. They didn't crack.

But even if the 100 fish inside the tanks are sure to stay wet, activists have another concern. "I can tell you even if the glass doesn't shatter, [stadium noise is] going to cause a tremendous vibration and disturb and upset the fish," Animal Rights Foundation of Florida spokesman Don Anthony told the local press.

To minimize vibrations from a stadium full of rowdy fans, the temperature-controlled aquariums are suspended on a flexible material called neoprene, but activists think that isn't sufficient. "No matter how many shock absorbers they build into the system, if there are thousands of fans screaming and jumping during a sporting event it's going to affect the fish in there," Anthony said.

So, will noise and stadium vibrations actually upset the fish?

Amrit Bart, professor of aquaculture and director of the Asian Institute of Technology in Vietnam, has studied the effects of vibrations and ambient noise on fish health and reproduction. "Our preliminary study showed that chronic exposure to low-frequency, high-amplitude sound may affect reproduction," Bart told Life's Little Mysteries.

He added that fish can hear and do respond to airborne noise, but that sound and vibrations are significantly attenuated when they enter fish tanks. The only feasible way to detect subtle declines in fish health due to noise and vibrations is to compare their rates of reproduction in acoustically quieted commercial fish farms with reproductive rates in noisy fish farms. Research shows that fish reproduction does suffer in the latter case, but in a small-scale setup like the Marlin stadium tanks, Bart said there is too little data to form a professional opinion about the fish's wellbeing.

The only solid information available is this: Marlins Executive VP for Ballpark Development Claude Delorme recently set up a pitching machine to launch baseballs at the tank with fish inside, and observed their response. "You would see a small reaction — they would move because they would sense something in that area," Delorme said.

One might ask: Besides dying, what other way do fish have of expressing their discontent?

Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter @nattyover. Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter @llmysteries, then join us on Facebook.

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Comments

[B Sprague]

06:50 PM on 09/04/2012

I think its funny how all these animal activist claim rights for animals. Most of them own animals and according to their own words it is no different than prison. Butyet here they are posing with fido or whatever in their profiles.

If you want to get liberal and politically correct lets do it right. Your animal you keep is a prisoner. It its on your schedule goes out on your schedule and has to accomodate to you beyond their needs. You can not speak or communicate properly with an animal there for you do not know what it wants. and play time is no different than getting a congical visit in jail since we decide when they play outside. we control pets. therefore prisoners.....So next time you claim animal rights look at the pet you currently have.

Now back to the topic I also laugh at the fact that people think there is no noise in the ocean. Low lying reefs, the shore inlets. i dont know about you but if you ever go to these places and get in the water. even if no one is around I still here alot of noise underwater from all the water turning and moving........need I say more?

[matanzero]

12:21 PM on 03/20/2012

ARE YOU KIDDING? The noise disturbs the fish? There is an anecdote about a nuclear scientist back in 1940's that was looking for a substance to use in the nuclear fission, called albumin ( not sure of spelling). Some one suggested that horse manure had albumin in it, so a couple of truck loads of manure was dumped by the professors lab window. Fall came and left and so did winter and spring and when summer arrived a potent odor emanated from a steamy pile of manure. When time came for the professor to make his report he concluded that; "...yes , there is some albumin in the manure but it is mostly horse sheet." That's how I feel about the people complaining about the fish...

[Craig Koebelin]

07:55 AM on 03/20/2012

Is this The Onion? I thought I clicked on HP.

[IsotelusMaximus]

02:21 AM on 03/20/2012

Shark? Noise? Barracuda? Noise? Give me little fish earplugs and I'll take my three square meals, thank you.

[Symphysodon]

12:25 AM on 03/20/2012

Is there anything in Miami that isn't over the top and tacky?

[rafael000]

11:26 AM on 03/30/2012

Yes you.

[Bob Connors]

11:39 PM on 03/19/2012

the good old animal lovers always bitching about stupid crap.HERS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN EVERY TIME A ANIMAL LOVER GOES THROUGH MCDONALDS OR BURGER KING OR WENDYS AND BUYS THEIR DOG FOOD THEY SHOULD BE ARRESTED FOR MISTREATING HUMANS CAUSE THERES ALWAYS HUNGER AMERICANS HANGING AROUND FAST FOOD STORES

[srynmichael2]

11:23 PM on 03/19/2012

Stupid liberals.

[Billk29]

11:11 PM on 03/19/2012

I've had a lot of saltwater aquariums and i doubt the fish will care about anything going on as long as they get fed,especially if they have a bunch of big turkeyfishes in there like the one in the picture.

[kelton Knutson]

11:08 PM on 03/19/2012

That is abuse!!! I say throw them back into their natural environment where barges can pass them overhead and sharks and other fish can eat them down below.

[fivehole84]

10:58 PM on 03/19/2012

Stadium noise is going to effect the fish? Have you ever seen a Marlins game? I don't think a dozen people sleeping will make enough noise to bother the fish.
This is just another example on how animal rights people are off the rails insane.

[justjoe23]

01:10 AM on 03/20/2012

lmao.. that was a good one.

[PoppaG]

10:45 PM on 03/19/2012

It sounds fishy to me

[lilypad1000]

10:45 PM on 03/19/2012

I don't understand why some people are so against a person having regard for life other than human life. Everything on this planet was put here for a reason and not for our own benefit and pleasure to do whatever we want to with as human beings. Some people feel so superior and entitled. It sickens me.

[Sammie55]

10:49 PM on 03/19/2012

They attempt to act superior because they KNOW they're inferior.

[moonwolfph]

01:55 PM on 03/20/2012

That's because the Himbo Parade never ends.

Thank goodness for people like YOU, who's not under the egotistical, himbo delusion that only your pain counts.

Non-human animals are not someTHINGS, they are someBODIES.

Only a half-person and dimly-lit bulb believes otherwise.
Keep carrying your knuckles ABOVE your ankles!
Evolve.

[bigtop1804]

10:23 PM on 03/19/2012

They're friggin' FISH for cryin' out loud!!

[moonwolfph]

01:56 PM on 03/20/2012

Right. So, they're not someTHINGS. They are someBODIES.
Their pain and distress COUNTS.
Good for you for carrying your knuckles ABOVE your ankles and recognizing that!
Way to EVOLVE.

[TBro61]

10:01 PM on 03/19/2012

Just curious if the San Jose Sharks are going to do something similar in their arena

[dolphins1068]

09:01 PM on 03/19/2012

Dear animal activists: Get a life.

[Sammie55]

10:50 PM on 03/19/2012

This from someone postting about fish on an aol board. LOL.

[lilypad1000]

10:53 PM on 03/19/2012

Dear dolphins 1068: Have some regard for other forms of life.

[moonwolfph]

01:57 PM on 03/20/2012

Fanned n' Faved!