Monterey Bay Aquarium
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Window to the Ocean - Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a learning resource. In addition to offering resources for those who can make it to the Aquarium they also offer online information and educational newsletters for teachers who may not be able to easily travel with their classes to Monterey.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium also happens to be one of my daughters' favorite places to visit on vacation, so I decided to create a lens after our last visit this summer.
Location of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Shore Guide on Amazon
The Monterey Bay Shoreline Guide (University of California Press/Monterey Bay Aquarium Series)
Amazon Price: $15.38 (as of 02/14/2012)![]()
A comprehensive guide to one of the world's most beautiful and diverse landscapes is a great resource for West Coast naturalists.
Each segment has its own detailed map, sections on wildlife, local history, coastline characteristics, and geography as well as lists of contacts for additional information.

Walk from Fisherman's Wharf to the Aquarium
Monterey Map from MapMyRun.com
- MapMyRun.com
- MapMyRun.com is a community web site for runners, joggers and walkers who want to stay healthy, lose weight or train more effectively. MapMyRun.com provides easy-to-use, comprehensive web-based running tools and running maps to measure distance and count calories from running.
- Fisherman's Warf to Monterey Bay Aquarium in MONTEREY, California
- Map of a 1.47 mi. run in MONTEREY, California. Find other good running and jogging routes in MONTEREY, California.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Featured Sections
Your Favorite Exihibit at the Aquarium
The Penguins
Penguins are birds that can't fly. Built to swim and dive, penguins have strong wings, streamlined bodies and waterproof feathers.They use their wings like powerful flippers. These small, stiff wings help them turn gracefully under water, swim fast and dive down deep.
People seem to really enjoy watching the antics of these tuxedoed birds.
Image Source: Josh Berglund. Penguins looking at you. Creative Commons License. Some Rights Reserved.
The Penguins - The Splash Zone Exhibit
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Exhibits - Splash Zone
- Information, photos, video, live web cam, and activities related to the Splash Zone exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. This family and kid oriented exhibit features penguins and animals from coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Splash Zone - Live Penguin Cam
- Live camera stream of the blackfooted penguins in the Splash Zone exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
Happy Feet in the Amazon Spotlight
Happy Feet (Widescreen Edition)
Amazon Price: $3.51 (as of 02/14/2012)![]()
One of the best-known family films about penguins, Happy Feet. It is featured in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Gift Shops.
Happy Feet is also known for it's strong conservation message.
Books about Penguins Available on Amazon
The Sea Otters
The lively sea otters on exhibit at the Aquarium came to them as rescued animals and are no longer able to survive in the wild.They seem quite at home in their exhibit, where they romp, tumble, wrestle and interact like otters in the wild.
Image Source: David Goehring. Frisbee Surprise. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Wild About Otters - The Exhibit
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Wild About Otters Exhibit
- Information, photos, videos, live web cam, and activities related to the Wild About Otters freshwater otter exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California. This exhibit features African spotted-necked otters and Asian small-claw otters along with the strange creatures that share their habitats, from vine snakes and killifish to exotic frogs and archerfish.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Live Sea Otter Cam
- Live images from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otters exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Wild About Otters - Freshwater Otter Cam
- Live images from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Freshwater Otters exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
Books About Sea Otters Available on Amazon
What's Killing the California Otters?
More on What's Killing the California Sea Otters
- Cat parasite 'is killing otters'
- A cat parasite is killing off US sea otters, a leading researcher says, and the remedy is to keep cats inside from the BBC NEWS, Science/Nature.
- California Sea Otter Research - What's Killing California Sea Otters?
- Facts about Toxo and Cat Poop from the California Sea Otter Research.
- PDF File Facts about Toxo and Cat Poop
- Facts about Toxo and Cat Poop from the California Sea Otter Research.
- Parasite in Cats Killing Sea Otters
- Offering a partial explanation to a mysterious decline in the federally protected southern sea otter population, scientists funded by the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program have established a strong body of circumstantial evidence linking cats to a lethal otter disease.
- Sea otters benefit from medical school research
- Sea otters benefit from medical school research Marine mammal's population is dropping because of infectious disease from Stanford Report.
The Great Sharks
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is the only aquarium ever to successfully keep a great white in captivity.The Aquarium has exhibited at least three young great whites as part of their Outer Bay exhibit for a time. They have been able to successfully re-introduced the sharks in the wild after several months.
Image Source: Brandon Fick. Great White. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
The Sharks - Exhibits
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Outer Bay Exhibit
- Photos, videos, live web cam, activities and conservation information related to the one million gallon Outer Bay Exhibit featuring turtles, sharks and tuna at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Outer Bay Exhibit - Outer Bay Cam
- Live images from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Aquarium Exhibits - Kelp Forest Exhibit
- The animals and plants of the kelp forest in the Monterey Bay displayed in our three-story kelp forest exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Aquarium Exhibits - Sharks: Myth and Mystery
- Sharks: Myth and Mystery exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California, features sharks and rays from around the world and the ways people celebrate these animals through art, dance and stories.
Books about The Great Sharks on Amazon
The Fish
Fish abound at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They can be found scattered among many of the exhibits in the Aquarium.The Aquarium plays host to small tropical fish as well as large ocean fish. They also host a variety of unusual fish like the Jellies and the Sunfish.
Image Source: Josh Berglund. Tropical Menagerie. Creative Commons License. Some Rights Reserved.
The Fish Exhibits
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Outer Bay Exhibit
- Photos, videos, live web cam, activities and conservation information related to the one million gallon Outer Bay Exhibit featuring turtles, sharks and tuna at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Exhibits - Splash Zone
- Information, photos, video, live web cam, and activities related to the Splash Zone exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. This family and kid oriented exhibit features penguins and animals from coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Aquarium Exhibits - Kelp Forest Exhibit
- The animals and plants of the kelp forest in the Monterey Bay displayed in our three-story kelp forest exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
Finding Nemo in the Amazon Spotlight
Finding Nemo (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Amazon Price: $14.85 (as of 02/14/2012)![]()
Finding Nemo introduced us all to a world of Tropical Fish, the Clownfish, the Blue Tangs and the Bannerfish.
Finding Nemo is another of the films available in the Giftshop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
A Fascination for Fish in the Amazon Spotlight
A Fascination for Fish: Adventures of an Underwater Pioneer (Uc Press/Monterey Bay Aquarium Series in Marine Conservation)
Amazon Price: $25.72 (as of 02/14/2012)![]()
David Powell was one of the diving pioneers, pioneering "do-it-yourself" days of scuba diving.
A Fascination for Fish follows career at several of the best aquariums in California, ending with his distinguished tenure as director of Live Exhibit Development at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The Sunfish (Mola Mola)
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is the only aquarium in North America to exhibit the world's heaviest bony fish, the ocean sunfish.Ocean sunfish are the world's heaviest bony fish, weighing up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg). They have shortened disc-shaped bodies that appear to be mostly head-with a tail that's narrow and ineffective for propulsion.
A sunfish doesn't need to be fast to catch its meals-it eats jellies and other slow-drifting prey.
The Sunfish gives new meaning to the phrase of having a face that only a mother could love.
Image Source: Josh Berglund. Sunfish. Creative Commons License. Some Rights Reserved.

Sunfish (Mola Mola)
The Jellies
These spineless, heartless creatures amaze and delight viewers with their unworldly appearance. I was fascinated by these unusual fish.Judith Conner describes them in Jellies: Living Art as:
- Translucent bells, glittering boxes, luminous chains, gossamer webs...these intricate, pulsing beings from a fairy-tale world dazzle and beguile. From microscopic tinkerbells to golden giants larger than beach umbrellas, you couldn't dream of more exotic jellies than already exist.
Image Source: Jeff Kramer. Jellyfish. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.

Jellyfish
Jellies: Living Art - The Exhibit
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Aquarium Exhibits - Jellies: Living Art
- Celebrate the aesthetic delights of living jellies and the magical ways in which jellies and the marine environment have inspired artists in our Jellies: Living Art exhibit.
This exhibit includes jellies never exhibited in North America before, like graceful flower hat and blue jellies, innovative artwork and even a walk-through jelly swarm.
The Art of Nature: Jellies on Amazon
The Art of Nature: Jellies
Amazon Price: $13.03 (as of 02/14/2012)![]()
This DVD was Filmed in stunning High Definition at the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The Art of Nature: Jellies is a vibrant exploration of the beauty of life and the sea.
Watch as a variety of jellyfish move with the rhythms of the sea in this spectacular film footage.
Jellies: Living Art in the Amazon Spotlight
Jellies: Living Art
List Price: $16.95
Published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Press, this amazing book is a tribute to the Jellyfish.
Nature and art come together in a lyrical medley of light and color as you explore the shape and size, rhythm and motion, color and pattern and the secret stories of jellies in a book that proves that nature truly inspires art.
Featured Lens on Jelly Fish or Jellies
Glass Jellyfish Art Available on Amazon
Jellyfish Prints Available on Amazon
The Kelp Forest
At 28 feet high, the Kelp Forest is one of the tallest aquarium exhibits in the world. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's living kelp forest is one of the aquarium's centerpiecesThe Kelp Forest gives you a "window to the bay" so you can see how sardines, leopard sharks, wolf-eels and a host of other fishes live among the fronds of kelp, just as they would in the wild.
The exhibit opens to the sky and the light streaming through the amber fronds helps the kelp grow more than 4 inches a day.
Many people like to just sit and watch, mesmerized by the hypnotic effects of watching the living kelp forest with the soothing background music.
Image Source: Ian Rickard. Kelp Forest. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
The Kelp Forest - The Exhibit
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Aquarium Exhibits - Kelp Forest Exhibit
- The animals and plants of the kelp forest in the Monterey Bay displayed in our three-story kelp forest exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Kelp Forest Exhibit - Live Kelp Cam
- Live camera streaming images from the three-story Kelp Forest exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Kelp Forest Exhibit - Live Underwater Kelp Cam
- Live camera streaming underwater images from the three-story Kelp Forest exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.

Kelp Forest & Rockfish
Books on the Kelp Forest Available on Amazon
Learning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a living learning institution.A variety of different hands on programs are available for children and adults to experience the aquarium creatures up close and personal.
The Aquarium offers a variety of different fun, entertaining and educational programs in their amphitheaters about the many different inhabitants of the aquarium and the deep ocean. If you get a change to visit, be sure to check out their Daily Activities schedule. You might learn something.
School children come through on class trips, teachers of all grade levels are invited to special programs to learn how to teach children about marine animals and plants. The Aquarium also offers online information and educational newsletters for teachers who may not be able to easily travel with their classes to Monterey.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute offers internships and Postdoctoral programs for college age students.
Image Source: Jim G. Monterey Bay Aquarium. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Monterey Bay Aquarium as a Teaching Resource
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Teachers - Teacher Programs
- Information about programs, workshops and open houses for teachers and educators offered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Teachers - Classroom and Learning Resources
- Online resource center of classroom and learning activities related to ocean life, marine animals and plants and ocean conservation offered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Teachers - Educator Newsletter for Teachers
- Online quarterly newsletter for educators published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Teachers - School Programs
- General information on school programs and admission for local college and informal youth groups to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Teachers - Splash Zone Institute
- Online teacher resources for participants of the Splash Zone Institute for pre-K through grade 2 teachers given by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Teachers - Coastal Systems Teacher Institute
- Information and registration for the Coastal Systems Teacher Institute for grade 3 through 5 teachers given by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Teachers - Dynamic Cycles Teacher Institute
- The aquarium's Dynamic Cycles Teacher Institute is specifically designed for teachers of middle and high school science, 6th Grade through 12th Grade Science Teachers.
Teaching about Aquariums on Amazon
Mission to the Deep - The Exhibit
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Mission to the Deep Exhibit
- Deep sea research and technology information, photos, videos and activities related to Mission to the Deep: Exploring the Ocean with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
Exploring the Depths of the Seas with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
- A unique oceanographic research center that promotes a peer relationship between engineers and scientists. MBARI uses state-of-the-art equipment and methods to study the ocean and its environment.
- MBARI - Education Program
- The education program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute started in 1997 as one of the objectives of the newly created Information and Technology Dissemination Division.
The Latest News from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMonterey Bay Aquarium
Inspiring Conservation of the Oceans.
The Conservation Message
The conservation message for the Monterey Bay Aquarium is based in it's origins and it's mission, to inspire conservation of the oceans.In addition to inspiring conservation of the oceans, the Aquarium is deeply committed to minimizing their environmental impact and to conducting business operations in ways that reflect and advance their conservation mission.
Staff members are encouraged to carpool, bike or ride the bus to work. The Aquarium only uses recycled paper for printing and photocopying.
Visitors are encouraged to minimize the use of water and paper products when using the restrooms, to dine on sustainable seafood resources and eat from recyclable containers.
Conserving Paper
Paper Towels = Trees

Seafood Watch
Conservation Efforts at the Aquarium
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Animal Conservation Research
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium is actively research many different areas of animal conservation including: Sea Otter Research, White Shark Research, Revealing Tuna Secrets and Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP).
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Our Conservation Efforts
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium collaborates with conservation organizations, conducts conservation research programs, and commits to environment-friendly practices.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Center for the Future of the Oceans
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Center for the Future of the Oceans initiative is aimed at inspiring action for conservation of the oceans.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Conservation at the Aquarium
- The Aquarium is deeply committed to minimizing our environmental impact and to conducting our business operations in ways that reflect and advance our conservation mission.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Seafood Watch Program - A Consumer's Guide to Sustainable Seafood
- Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program offers information to help you choose seafood that's good for you, good for the oceans and information on overfishing, bycatch, fish farming and habitat damage.
Ocean Conservation at Monterey Bay
On YouTube
The Monterey Aquarium Foundation's main mission is to inspire the conservation of our oceans. After a day of observing these magnificent creatures first hand, visitors leave with an understanding of how vital it is that their natural habitats be protected.
True Green in the Amazon Spotlight
True Green: 100 Everyday Ways you Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet (True Green (National Geographic))
Amazon Price: $0.01 (as of 02/14/2012)![]()
The latest book on Going Green that I picked up at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Gift Shop. They have a wide selection of books on conservation and ways to be more ecofriendly.
10 of the tips from this book are shared below.
10 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet
- Power Shower - Try and limit your time in the shower to 5 minutes.
- Run the dishwasher only when it is full or reduce water even more by washing them by hand (without the water running).
- Use a solar clothes dryer, or a clothesline instead of the clothes dryer.
- Stick to the old-fashioned way of clearing the driveway or leaves, using brooms and rakes.
- Grow your own vegetables in a kitchen garden.
- Get a mug instead of using disposable cups at work.
- Print documents on both sides of the paper to cut down on paper use.
- Turn off the lights when they are not in use.
- Log out of the computer and shut it down when not in use.
- Before you make any purchase, ask yourself if you really need it. Remember that less is really more.
It's Easy Being Green in the Amazon Spotlight
It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living
Amazon Price: $0.01 (as of 02/14/2012)![]()
It's Easy Being Green is a useful book to help people make better choices for the environment.
In this book you will find informative, comprehensive and practical information for adopting greener buying habits and identifying earth-friendly products; shopping for green products online; participating in online activism; and learning from over 250 eco-tips for cultivating a sustainable environment.
The Igo GREEN Tip of the Day
Books on Going Green Available on Amazon
Image Credits
Jellyfish - Neil Barman. Jellyfish. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Kelp Forest & Rockfish - Chris Howard. Kelp Forest. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
The Latest Podcast from the Aquarium
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byThe Latest Blog Posts about the Aquarium
- Rescued sea otter pup joins Monterey Bay Aquarium exhibit
- Male southern sea otter pup 572 is on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium after being rescued from San Luis Obispo County. MONTEREY - An 8-week-old sea otter pup, rescued from San Luis Obispo County six weeks ago, is now on part of the sea otter ...
- Monterey County's Liquid Assets: Grapes, Hops and Shots
- 866.907.3663; www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com May 18-20, 2012 ? Monterey Bay Aquarium's Cooking for Solutions: Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program and annual sustainable seafood conference is a perfect springboard into the bounty of Monterey ...
- Exploring the mysterious world of sharks and their kin at Monterey Bay ...
- By LILY DAYTON Leopard sharks cruise a wetland pool in the Coastal Wetland to Sandy Shore exhibit in Ocean's Edge at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Whether revered as Gods or feared as demons, one thing is certain: sharks have captured the imaginations of ...
- Seafood startup hopes to forge a truce between Aquarium and local fishermen.
- By Kera Abraham In a nation where shrimp, salmon and tuna account for more than half the seafood eaten, Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch cards encourage people to expand their palates to more sustainable choices. And in Monterey Bay, where imports ...
Lenses on the Monterey Bay Aquarium by Rockfish
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The Latest News about the Monterey Aquarium
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byFeatured Lens on the Best Places to Visit in California
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Reader Feedback on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Lens
Your thoughts and comments on the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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MissMerFaery
Jan 1, 2011 @ 10:51 am | delete
- Wow! I hope to visit California one day as I have a friend living there, so this will definitely be on my visiting list!
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gourownway
Jun 8, 2009 @ 5:24 pm | delete
- Cool lens. It's one of my favorite places to visit when I go up to Monterey. I love the Great White Shark exhibit, when they have them. This aquarium does so much for the study of marine biology.
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geogad
Jan 21, 2009 @ 3:56 pm | delete
- Great Lens!!! Plan on visiting in a few weeks!!
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naturegirl7
Oct 25, 2008 @ 5:59 pm | delete
- Boy, it was almost like being there. Maybe someday we'll get to visit in person. Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens links to the appropriate plexos and vote for them.
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kiwisoutback
Jul 30, 2008 @ 5:27 pm | delete
- Wow, amazing work! I've been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, it was great. My favorite exhibit was the Jellies--you can't help but like what they did.
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Benefitting EarthJustice and the Monterey Bay Aquarium
This lens benefits EarthJustice, because the earth needs a good lawyer.In addition the lensmaster will be making a donation to the Monterey Bay Aquarium based on the proceeds from this lens.
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