![\"Stanmeyer\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Stanmeyer.jpg\")
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Photos courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific. John Stanmeyer, VII India, 2009: India\u2019s holiest river, the Ganges, is scribbled with light from floating oil lamps during the Ganga Dussehra festival in Haridwar. Hindus near death often <\/em>bathe in the river; some are later cremated beside it and have their ashes scattered in its depths.<\/em><\/p>\n Opening on Wednesday, October 7 at the Aquarium of the Pacific, Water: Our Thirsty World<\/em> will feature images captured by photographers for National Geographic<\/em> magazine. The exhibition, organized by the Annenberg Foundation in Los Angeles in partnership with National Geographic<\/em>, will feature photographs that explore water scarcity and our relationship with water in different regions of the globe, and will be on view until February 15, 2016.<\/p>\n A live webcast hosted by the aquarium on Wednesday, October 7 at 10:00AM will accompany the exhibit, where experts will discuss current local and global water issues. The public can tune in live on the aquarium\u2019s website and ask questions via email and Twitter using the hashtag #aopwater.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the Aquarium, we want to familiarize our visitors with global environmental issues and inspire them to think about their own reliance on natural resources like freshwater,\u201d said Aquarium President and CEO Dr. Jerry Schubel in a statement. \u201cThe remarkable photographs in this exhibition give visitors a new entry point into the issue of water scarcity and may cause them to think differently about our relationship with nature.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the release, the images are sourced from a selection of National Geographic<\/em> photographers and examine the local and global challenges of our planet\u2019s dwindling freshwater resources, grouped into six major themes: \u201cSacred Waters\u201d examines humankind\u2019s inspirational relationship with water and celebrating how precious this resource is to all life on the planet; \u201cThe Big Melt,\u201d looks at the environmental challenges of Tibet\u2019s freshwater resource.<\/p>\n Paolo Pellegrin, Magnum Photos Israel, 2009: Girls from a West Bank village cool off in <\/em>the briny waters of the Dead Sea, the world\u2019s deepest saltwater lake. Naturally buoyant waters make it a favorite of bathers. Yet levels are dropping more than three feet a year.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cParting the Waters,\u201d shows how countries are working together to adapt to the drastic reduction in water levels in the Jordan River basin; \u201cThe Burden of Thirst,\u201d presents issues facing African women and children who are responsible for delivering the freshwater needs for their families; \u201cCalifornia\u2019s Pipe Dream,\u201d surveys California\u2019s vast water infrastructure, thirsty crops, rampant development, and threats to the fragile Sacramento Delta; and \u201cSilent Streams,\u201d looks at the challenges facing freshwater species and how scientists hope to save them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were thrilled to partner with National Geographic<\/em> and their renowned photographers to shine a light on the subject of freshwater\u2014the essence of life itself,\u201d said Patricia Lanza, director of Talent & Content for the Annenberg Space for Photography, in a statement. \u201cWater demonstrates the power of photography to educate and inspire people to preserve the world around us, and we\u2019re pleased to share it with the Aquarium\u2019s visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n Water: Our Thirsty World<\/em> is the second exhibition of photographs from the Annenberg Space for Photography to be displayed at the aquarium. Sink or Swim: Designing for a Sea Change<\/a><\/em>, an exhibition of photographs documenting human responses to sea level rise, was on display in the Aquarium\u2019s Great Hall from June 1 to September 15.<\/p>\n Water<\/em> was on view at the Annenberg Space for Photography in 2010 and was based on National Geographic<\/em>\u2019s April 2010 issue on freshwater.<\/p>\n In addition to the exhibition, the aquarium will feature a lecture series with experts that will examine water scarcity in California and around the world. The first will be held on Wednesday, October 7 with Kevin Wattier, former general manager of the Long Beach Water Department.<\/p>\n![\"Pellegrin\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Pellegrin.jpg\")
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