Clearwater aquarium’s $32M expansion includes sea lion, penguin exhibits

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium announced a $32 million expansion Tuesday that will include building new exhibits, bringing new animals — among them sea lions and penguins — and starting work on a center in Central America.

The expansion is set to begin soon after the completion of the facility’s new Manatee Rehabilitation Center in the spring. To pay for the project, the aquarium also launched a fundraising campaign Tuesday that will include a gala in March.

Anthony Rivera, CMA’s chief operating officer, says the expansion both allows it to “extend our footprint in conservation to address species that need our help” and to update part of the 51-year-old aquarium’s original building that is in “dire need of repair.”