Monterey Bay Aquarium's $19M renovation unveiled

MercuryNews.com: Monterey Bay Aquarium's $19M renovation unveiled

MONTEREY — When he was 12, future marine biologist Jon Hoech donned a scuba mask, stuck his face in the ocean, and got his first look at a school of fish, performing a majestic underwater choreography — something that only happens in the wild.

Until now.

“The other day, this school of sardines created a ring around the full exhibit,” Hoech said, pointing to the frantic army of 9,000 fish zipping around the 1 million-gallon tank that houses the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new Open Sea attraction. “We threw krill in the middle and the sardines all fanned toward the center to create this huge, flat pancake. Then they erupted into this big cone. I almost dropped to my knees when I saw that happen.

“It’s a spectacular thing to see in the wild, and it takes the right exhibit and a lot of resources to make it happen in a place like this,” he said. “But we’re going to do it, and it’s going to be very exciting for our guests to see.”

The Open Sea exhibit is the centerpiece of the aquarium’s $19 million renovation, which will debut to the public July 2 (with a sneak preview for members on July 1). The mammoth tank that houses the sardines is also home to many of the sea life that previously were part of the Outer Bay attraction — schools of tuna, mahi-mahi, and a pair of giant, green sea turtles, now believed to be at least 60 years old.

“Repeat visitors will recognize a lot of the old cast, but we’ll be integrating a lot of new animals, too,” said Hoech, director of husbandry for the aquarium. “This will be one of the largest schools of sardines we’ve ever displayed, which pleases me a lot because it’s a magnificent animal that we’ve never really done justice to, displaying them in all of their color and glory and numbers like we’re going to have.”

Inhabitants of The Open Sea will be enhanced by new technology that includes a fresh lighting regime to bring out the natural beauty of the animals, a bubble curtain that not only adds ambiance but helps the animals navigate without encountering the glass barrier and a water-motion device that will create waves that will cause the light waves to dance.

The designs of the new exhibits were the creation of Jaci Tomulonis and Raul Nava, who helped integrate artwork with the exhibits to help inform the public about issues related to ocean health. One piece uses renderings of 270,000 fossilized sharks teeth to convey the number of sharks that are killed each day for their fins. Another turns plastic water bottles retrieved from the ocean into sculptures of various types of kelp.

“It’s unfortunate that many of the animals we’re displaying are at risk because of human activity — overfishing and habitat destruction,” Hoech said. “This will afford our guests an opportunity to learn what they can do to help turn that situation around.”

Aquarium visitors now have the chance for up-close viewing of curious, juvenile, green sea turtles, colorful, playful diving birds (tufted puffins, horned puffins, a pigeon guillemot), and microscopic plankton — the base of all food in the sea — enhanced by a powerful microscope.

In addition, the renovation includes interactive galleries of computer-generated sea life that can be enlarged or rotated at the touch of a finger. The new “Jelly Swarm Alcove” gives visitors a three-dimensional experience that simulates what it might be like to swim with of a school of jellyfish.

IF YOU GO
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Open Sea exhibit

WHEN: Opens July 2

COST: Aquarium admission is $29.95 per adult, $27.95 for seniors and students, $19.95 for children (ages 3-12) and disabled. Children under 3 are free. Group rates are available with advanced booking.

INFORMATION: Visit www.montereybayaquarium.org or call 648-4800