A US$24m (18.3m euro, £15.5m) Living Planet Aquarium is on track to open to the public in Utah, US in December this year.

The new 136,000-sq ft (12,635 sq m) facility, which broke ground last October, will take visitors from the Utah deserts and mountains, to rain forest habitats, to the planet's vast oceans.

The new Aquarium, officially named the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, will be located in Draper City at Lone Peak Parkway. It will serve to showcase ecosystems from around the world and how they work together to form one global ecosystem, The Living Planet.

The first floor will feature marine, freshwater, and rainforest exhibit galleries, a 400-seat banquet hall, café and gift shop. The Discover Utah Gallery will exhibit freshwater aquatic species, amphibians and mammals indigenous to Utah.

The premier attraction will be the North American River Otter Exhibit showcasing these animals in both an indoor and outdoor environment.

Another hightlight is found at The Ocean Explorer Gallery, which will feature a 300,000 gallon shark tank with a 40ft walk-through tunnel.

A Journey To South America Gallery will showcase rainforest species, while the Penguin Encounter will feature up to 50 birds.

The second floor of the aquarium will include a changing exhibits gallery, café, interactive play area, and a 4D theater experience.

Meanwhile, the Education Centre will feature classrooms equipped with scientific equipment to support onsite education programs for school and university students.