10:42am | The Aquarium of the Pacific will open a new major gallery and exhibit focusing on environmental climate change and its effect on our world, in hopes of raising awareness of the issue.
“We hope that the new exhibits will give the public insight into the effects climate change has on our ocean and how they can make a difference,” said Barbara Long, Aquarium of the Pacific vice president of special projects.
The exhibition will be called Arctic & Antarctic: Our Polar Regions In Peril, and is expected to open this May. A recent study of visitors to the aquarium indicated that 78-percent are concerned or alarmed at the potential threat of climate change.
“The study by the Aquarium of the Pacific reveals vital information about their audience, including their climate change knowledge, attitudes, and their specific needs and desires for more information,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC). “These results should help the Aquarium to more effectively engage its own audience on this important issue.”
The aquarium has undergone several updates in recent years. Last May saw the debut of a new otter exhibit and medical facility, while ground was broken on an innovative Ocean Science Center in September. The OSC will also incorporate aspects of climate change study, including an interactive globe to illustrate the possibility of sea level rise. In total, the aquarium plans to grow more than 230,000 feet in a $50 million expansion effort by 2015.