A rendering of the future Science On A Sphere exhibit with four high definition projectors. Image courtesy Aquarium of the Pacific.

4:00pm | Officials at the Aquarium of the Pacific broke ground today on a new Ocean Science Center wing expected to open in May 2011.

The new exhibit will include interactive exhibits and installations, as well as space for classrooms and private events. Some of the exhibits will examine climate change, the shipping industry and more. The ultimate goal is to show how all life on Earth depends on the health of the world’s oceans.

“We need to reduce pollution. That’s what this is all about, how to do it, how to get sustainability in the planet,” said Dr. Mike Walter, member of the Port of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, who also said that he believes future concerns like rising tides, melting polar ice caps and XX need to be researched now.

“We don’t know enough about our oceans, especially at really deep depths. There’s a lot of ocean mining going on in the world, that’s a big concern and we need to know more about that,” Dr. Walter said. “I think the Science Center will give us an opportunity to do that.”

The main draw at the Ocean Science Center will be the Science On A Sphere installation, which is a large globe that rotates in the center of a small theater, while four high definition projectors create a living, breathing world. Christos Michalopoulos of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) said that the moving, projected images can demonstrate the movements of wave patterns such as strong tsunamis, or even the migratory patterns of ocean animals.

“The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the leaders in the aquarium community,” said Michalopoulos. There are several Science On A Sphere exhibits across the country but only one other located in an aquarium. “It’s extremely compelling for us to be partnering with them.”

The project will be funded using grants that the Aquarium applied for and received from the ports of both Long Beach and Los Angeles, the EDI and NOAA Coastal Service Center. It is expected to cost around $2 million.

The new center has already begun construction and will be an enclosed room where there now stands an outdoor courtyard. The aquarium also has additional construction plans in the future for a $50 million expansion that will include a two-story wing and 350-seat theater.


Breaking ground on the Aquarium of the Pacific’s new Ocean Science Center this morning were Christos Michalopoulos of NOAA, Dr. Mike Walter of the Port of Long Beach, Geraldine Knatz of the Port of Los Angeles, and Dr. Jerry Schubel (far right) of the Aquarium of the Pacific. Photo by Ryan ZumMallen.