The Florida Aquarium is counting on attendance to rebound this summer with the recent addition of sand tiger sharks to its Coral Reef exhibit and possible lower gas prices might increase visitors from beyond the local area.

Attendance from October through March was down 8 percent compared with the six-month period a year ago to 254,744, the most recent sales figures show.

With expenses running about a quarter of a million dollars less than budgeted, the aquarium realized a profit of $148,514 the first six months of the fiscal year.

Aquarium officials anticipated attendance the first half of the fiscal year would fall, so the decline in numbers was only 2 percent below budget.

They said earlier in the year the September opening of the Glazer Children’s Museum was adversely affecting aquarium attendance.

Now they are hoping that because neither attraction takes a full day to visit, patrons might take in both on a downtown visit, public relations manager Tom Wagner said.

The new shark exhibit should help as marketing efforts kick in.

“It is a signature animal for our signature exhibit,” Wagner said.

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