The Acquario Aquarium, Brazil, has received a US$105m construction funding boost from a US bank.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorised the US$105m direct loan to the Brazilian state of Ceara to finance the export of American goods and services for the construction of the Acquario Aquarium in Fortaleza, Brazil.

At least 90 per cent of the export contract value will be provided by small US businesses. The Ex-Im Bank says the transaction will support hundreds of specialised small business jobs: "The aquarium, which attests to the craftsmanship of American workers, will be a major tourist attraction in Brazil that will help support jobs here at home."

International Concept Management Inc. (ICM), Colorado, will oversee the design and construction of the Acquario Aquarium. Its portfolio also includes the AquaDom in Berlin, the Burj-Al-Arab Hotel in Dubai, and the Macau City of Dreams in Macau.

"We are proud to be a partner with the state of Ceara in Brazil for this very prestigious and highly visible project," said ICM.

The aquarium will be spread over four floors, housing 25 large tanks showcasing 500 marine species and 35,000 individual specimens. The aquarium will also feature interactive exhibits, two 4D cinemas, one 3D cinema, and an educational platform dedicated to the research and preservation of aquatic life along the Brazilian coastal regions.

When completed, Acquario will rank as the largest aquarium in the southern hemisphere and the third largest in the world.