Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, US, has announced plans for a US$50m (€36.7m, £29.2m) expansion to be known as the “Caribbean Journey”.

The 65,000sq ft (6,000sq m) new building and exhibit, styled around a tropical rainforest, will have free-flying birds overhead and include recreated coastal environments plus a 400,000 gallon (1.5m litre) shark habitat. The only 4D cinema to be built in South Teas is also included in the ambitious plans.

The aquarium will break ground in November and officials expect to open in early 2017, with aquarium CEO Tom Schmid calling the development “the most significant development in our (24-year) history.”

“This is the biggest thing we’ve done since we opened. We’re essentially building another aquarium,” Schmid added.

The building will showcase tropical Caribbean fishes, birds, reptiles and sharks.

Texas State Aquarium boasts an economic impact of US$43m (€31.6m, £25m) annually and officials say the expansion will increase that by 60 per cent, elevating the aquarium to “one of the premier aquariums in the nation.”