The Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates 25 years of education and conservation

The Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with new events and exhibits, highlighted by the California two-spot octopus and moray eel in the new Southern California Gallery, sea otter habitat, and eccentric jellyfish.

“The Aquarium is excited to celebrate its 25th anniversary,” said Jennie Dean, vice president of education and conservation. “We were founded in 1998, and ever since then we’ve been engaging with the local area on animals and nature, and connecting those two things up.”

To honor this milestone, the Aquarium is screening a new film in their Great Hall and holding a photo contest dedicated to capturing the wonders of nature.

Additionally, the newly renovated Southern California Gallery, which aims to showcase local wildlife and efforts to restore coastal habitats, is now open.

Since its creation, the Aquarium has focused on encouraging visitors to coexist with the natural world.

“It is really a core objective of the Aquarium to build a sense of stewardship, and stewardship really means an individual engaging with an environment in a compatible way, not a destructive way.” Dean said. “Try to leave the environment a little bit better than you found it.”

Conservation efforts don’t stop at the Aquarium; their team leads hands-on programs that directly benefit the community. Volunteers contribute to helping local wildlife thrive. 

“We are helping to restore habitats. On the first Saturday of every month we take a volunteer corp to the Los Cerritos wetlands and remove invasive plants and plant native ones so the habitat can return to its natural state,” Dean explained. 

The Aquarium also hosts beach clean ups throughout the year, which are free to participate in.

Dean says the Aquarium wants to present conservation efforts in an easily accessible way.

“Our goal is to share it with you in an easy-to-read way, where everyone sort of identifies with it, and presents the opportunity for (people) to act. Showcasing some opportunities for (people) to benefit these species and learn more about them here at the Aquarium and (through) our partners”. 

The combination of having fun and learning about the world around us is what communications manager Andreas Miguel refers to as “edutainment” – blending education and entertainment. 

“The people come here expecting to learn about the ocean and leave with more than what they expected,” Miguel said, using the public’s preconceived notions about sharks as an example. 

Speaking about the aquarium’s impact on the community, Miguel noted that it has become an iconic part of Long Beach.

“Most people can’t think of Long Beach without the Aquarium,”  he said. “When you tell someone that you’re visiting Long Beach, they’ll ask when you’re going to the Aquarium.”

The Aquarium of the Pacific will continue to remain a staple of the Long Beach community for many more years to come.