Meanwhile, relations between the management and the board of directors of the nonprofit organization that operates the 20,000-square-foot "temporary" aquarium, which has accepted public funding and hopes to receive more to build a much larger facility in Salt Lake City, are less than chummy. In fact, 10 of 12 board members have resigned, some in response to an apparent mutiny last month.

In early February, as the board met to decide how to proceed with an internal investigation following the firing, Aquarium Executive Director Brent Andersen, along with his mother and father and 18 employees, stormed into the room. They reportedly said, among other things, that "animals would die" unless certain board members resigned. It sounds as weird as, well, wanting to build an aquarium in the desert.

We understand why Andersen is frustrated. The marine biologist and Sandy native has been sailing in circles for years trying to bring the seven seas to Salt Lake City. His plan to build a 90,000-square-foot, $47 million aquarium first surfaced in 1999.

In the past eight years the proposed location for the permanent facility has changed three times, fundraising has lagged, and two attempts to make the public pay for the aquarium failed to make the ballot. And, unless Salt Lake City extends the lease, Living Planet has until June 2008 to begin construction on the 300 South block of 500 West or the land reverts to the city.

While the reasons behind the current dispute are murky - some say disagreements over where to build the permanent aquarium led to deep divisions; others say it was Andersen's failure to welcome the investigation - the end result of such dysfunction should be clear.

Salt Lake City shouldn't extend the lease on the land, and Salt Lake County shouldn't place a public-funding proposal on the ballot. This misbegotten project should sleep with the fishes.