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Work on Birch Aquarium's new Living Seas exhibit hits one-third mark

By Noah Lyons

Work on Birch Aquarium's new Living Seas exhibit hits one-third mark

By Noah Lyons | noah.lyons@lajollalight.com | The San Diego Union-Tribune

Floors, ceilings, walls, lighting fixtures and habitats for the long-standing Hall of Fishes exhibit at La Jolla's Birch Aquarium have been stripped and removed. Now the aquarium is ready to build the exhibit's replacement, Living Seas, from the ground up.

In August, Birch initiated replacing the 30-year-old Hall of Fishes in its biggest capital improvement project since 1992. Living Seas, set to open next summer, will "invite guests on an unforgettable journey along the West Coast to uncover the wonders of the Pacific," according to the aquarium, which is at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Living Seas will feature expanded viewing windows, immersive projections and next-generation digital displays. Before that, though, Birch Aquarium began relocating animals to temporary homes Sept. 3 for demolition of the Hall of Fishes site, and it has passed the one-third mark of the space's transformation.

As part of the process, the entire aquarium was closed Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.

Birch Executive Director Harry Helling said the project is on track for a summer opening. The next step -- laying the foundation for the new exhibit -- is underway.

"Fortunately, we are nearly through the uncertainty of the underground and structural work and look forward to entering the 'putting it all back together' phase," Helling said. "We have already begun pouring new foundations and walls. Many of our new habitats, rockwork and interpretive materials are being constructed offsite and are expected to arrive just after the first of the year."

From there, Helling said, the aquarium's exhibits team will develop content, images, animations and recordings that eventually will make up Living Seas. The space will feature, among other displays, an exploration of the Pacific Northwest, a reimagined Scripps Pier experience, a section dedicated to corals and reefs and a larger mangrove habitat. Also featured will be a giant Pacific octopus habitat with jellies.

Sean Bruce, assistant curator of fishes and invertebrates, said the staff is excited about what the new space will offer.

"It's amazing to see all the work that has been completed, the animals that we moved and how much the aquarium has already changed," Bruce said. "With a lot of the old exhibits removed now, it's really exciting to see the locations and sizes of the new exhibits."

A large portion of the aquarium will get upgrades, including reconstruction or refurbishment of habitats for more than 4,000 animals.

Bruce said the relocated animals are doing "very well" in their temporary homes. Some went to other exhibits, such as the Coral Classroom.

"We moved hundreds of animals, many of which haven't been moved in decades, to totally new enclosures that we had to set up specifically for this job," Bruce said. "It was a juggling act trying to logistically plan for all the moves while keeping in mind the needs of both our animals and staff."

Living Seas will "share the same footprint as the former Hall of Fishes," which welcomed more than 12 million guests during its existence, according to the aquarium.

"I think the guests are going to feel that the upgrades provide a much different experience," Bruce said. "This project is a real win-win for the aquarium because not only are we improving the experience for our guests by building more interactive and immersive exhibits but we are also improving the animals' habitats and the equipment that supports those habitats."

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