Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium
The aquarium's logo depicts giant kelp
Main entrance in 2016, featuring the remodeled façade and fiberglass smokestacks of the Hovden Cannery[a]
36°37′05″N 121°54′07″W / 36.6181°N 121.9019°W / 36.6181; -121.9019
Slogan	To inspire conservation of the ocean
Date opened	October 20, 1984; 40 years ago (1984-10-20)
Location	Cannery Row, Monterey, California, U.S.
Floor space	322,000 square feet (29,900 square meters)[b]
No. of animals	~35,000
No. of species	550+
Volume of largest tank	1.2 million U.S. gallons (4.5 million liters)
Total volume of tanks	2.3 million U.S. gallons (8.7 million liters)
Annual visitors	2 million
Memberships	Association of Zoos and Aquariums[1]
Major exhibits	Kelp Forest, Sea Otters, Jellies, Open Sea
Public transit access	Monterey–Salinas Transit
Website	montereybayaquarium.org

Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biologists have pioneered the animal husbandry of jellyfish and it was the first to successfully care for and display a great white shark. The organization's research and conservation efforts also focus on sea otters, various birds, and tunas. Seafood Watch, a sustainable seafood advisory list published by the aquarium beginning in 1999, has influenced the discussion surrounding sustainable seafood. The aquarium was home to Otter 841 prior to her release into the wild as well as Rosa, the oldest living sea otter at the time of her death.

Early proposals to build a public aquarium in Monterey County were not successful until a group of four marine biologists affiliated with Stanford University revisited the concept in the late 1970s. Monterey Bay Aquarium was built at the site of a defunct sardine cannery and has been recognized for its architectural achievements by the American Institute of Architects. Along with its architecture, the aquarium has won numerous awards for its exhibition of marine life, ocean conservation efforts, and educational programs.

Monterey Bay Aquarium receives around two million visitors each year. It led to the revitalization of Cannery Row, and produces hundreds of millions of dollars for the economy of Monterey County. In addition to being featured in two PBS Nature documentaries, the aquarium has appeared in film and television productions.

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