Visitors will step into a much changed world Thursday at La Jolla’s Birch Aquarium, where a large and lively new exhibit called Living Seas will open and offer a fresh look at life in the Pacific, from its coastal reefs to deeper waters offshore.
The aquarium spent a record $18.7 million to renovate and reimagine its Hall of Fishes, which has been drawing crowds since the Birch opened on a cliff near the Scripps Pier in 1992.
At 64,000 square feet, the Birch is only a fraction of the size of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. But it attracted a record 565,000 visitors last year, and Living Seas is designed to push the number higher.
The overhaul involves many different animals, including a giant Pacific octopus whose habitat was tripled in size — the better to let visitors see a shy species that’s smart enough to open jars and to recognize caretakers.
The 60-pound animal had to be carefully moved into its new home — no small feat when you’re dealing with a wiggly creature whose eight arms are constantly moving.
The Birch also installed a tropical coral habitat that’s four times bigger than the one it replaced. The exhibit reflects UC San Diego’s efforts to better understand and explain marine communities, especially ones that are degraded by climate change.
The university’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography oversees the aquarium and frequently places its research on display, sometimes making a splash. In late April, the striking carcass of an 11-foot, 2-inch oarfish — something rarely seen in the wild — was put on display, becoming an instant hit among children.
The aquarium also introduced a tropical mangrove exhibit, and created a camera system that broadcasts live video of underwater life around Scripps Pier, which sometimes sparkles at night due to bioluminescent organisms.
Nearby, Birch’s long-standing giant kelp forest was fitted with hydrophones that capture and relay the sound made by a variety of animals, including notoriously noisy snapping shrimp.
It is situated a short distance from the newly-expanded open ocean habitat, which is providing schooling fish with more room to move in patterns that can appear choreographed but aren’t. They share the tank with a loggerhead sea turtle whose slow movement is mesmerizing in its own way.
In carrying out the makeover, the Birch is effectively doing away with the Hall of Fishes, an emotional touchstone for many aquarium-goers.
“This is about change,” said Megan Dickerson, the aquarium’s director of exhibits. “Hall of Fishes was more static. The stuff on the wall stayed the same way for 30 years.
“We’re living in a world that changes rapidly. So we need a space that can respond to that.”
For that reason, the Birch intentionally set aside open spaces for temporary displays when something interesting happens. Dickerson is especially interested in presenting velella — better known as by-the-wind sailors. The colorful and translucent hydrozoans often wash up on local beaches during the summer.
She’s also interested into steering visitors to digital tutorials that visitors can call up on a cell phone.
Dickerson’s ion, though, seems to be the sound of nature. On Tuesday, she leaned against the glass of the giant kelp forest and listened to sounds picked up by the hydrophones.
“The ocean is not a quiet place,” Dickerson said as small sharks darted behind her. “It’s really noisy. We want visitors to know that.”
