Connecticut, US's Mystic Aquarium is about to break ground on a new US$5m (€4.6m, £3.4m) research and care centre as part of its US$20m (€18.5m, £13.4m), 12-year masterplan.

Providing a larger laboratory and a state-of-the-art veterinary care space, the 8,000sq ft (745sq m) addition will also offer visitors an education on daily conservation work and research carried out at the aquarium. In addition, the expansion will offer a student laboratory, offices, meeting rooms and public exhibition space. The aquarium’s existing animal care and operating room will be renovated and connected to the new building.

“As we have grown to have a worldwide impact on ocean and marine animal conservation, our efforts will be enhanced by bringing together our scientific and veterinary functions under one roof to support each other and share and advance their mutual goals of studying and protecting aquatic wildlife,” said aquarium president and CEO Stephen Coan.

The renovated space is scheduled to be complete by late 2016, with the new research centre coming in late 2017. Funding for the animal care centre has already been secured, while around 70 per cent has been collected for the research facility.

In addition to the new expansion, the aquarium is also working on construction of its US$11m (€10.2m, £7.4m) Thompson Exhibition Building, while its Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center is close to completing the renovation of its two main buildings and parking facility in a US$4m (€3.7m, £2.7m) redevelopment. In 1995 the aquarium – which first opened in 1973 – underwent a US$52m (€48m, £35m) expansion and renovation by Pelli Clarke Architects.