BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine — A filtration malfunction at the state aquarium in Boothbay Harbor shut down the facility Thursday, forcing an unplanned relocation of multiple marine life species.
The state Department of Marine Resources, which operates the aquarium on McKown Point Road, announced around 9:30 a.m. that the building would be closed until further notice due to an unforeseen maintenance issue.
DMR spokesperson Jeff Nichols told NEWS CENTER Maine that staff and volunteers at the Maine State Aquarium were in the process of relocating species in the tanks on display there, such as sharks and skates.
According to Nichols, brown water was discovered in the tanks, and was later linked to an apparent malfunction of a pump filtration system.
When asked if the species were in jeopardy, Nichols said he was, "Not sure if it has caused a problem for what's on display there."
He said this is the first time he has seen something like this happen.
The DMR sent out a tweet alerting potential visitors of the closure, and said it plans to notify everyone when the issue has been resolved.
