Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific

Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific
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Name	Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific
Established	1998
Location	Long Beach, California, United States
Type	Public aquarium
Director	--
Website	--

Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is a public aquarium located on the waterfront of Long Beach, California, near the Port of Long Beach and along the Los Angeles River estuary. The institution opened in the late 20th century and has become a regional destination for marine exhibits, tourism, and scientific collaboration involving entities such as the University of Southern California, the University of California, Los Angeles, the California Institute of Technology, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It participates in partnerships with municipal and federal agencies including the City of Long Beach (California), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

History

The aquarium was developed as part of waterfront revitalization linked to projects by the City of Long Beach (California), the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, and private developers engaged after the decline of industrial berths at the Port of Long Beach. Planning involved consultants and designers with experience at institutions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Aquarium of the Pacific (concept collaborators), and designers who had worked with the Smithsonian Institution and the American Association of Museums. Fundraising and governance drew support from corporate donors, philanthropic foundations connected to families and entities in Los Angeles County, California, and elected officials from the Long Beach City Council and the California State Legislature. Since opening in 1998, the aquarium has expanded exhibits and partnerships, hosted traveling exhibitions associated with organizations like the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and adapted programming after events involving the 2010s California droughts and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilities and Exhibits

The aquarium's campus includes galleries, touch tanks, a shark lagoon, a large ocean gallery, and outdoor plazas designed to accommodate species from ecosystems ranging from the Channel Islands (California) to the Tropical Pacific. Exhibits highlight collections of fishes and invertebrates and features comparable to installations at the Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, and Monterey Bay Aquarium while emphasizing local bioregions such as the California Current and habitats adjacent to the Los Angeles River. Notable exhibits showcase species groups linked to research at institutions like the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The aquarium also displays large elasmobranchs similar to exhibits at the New England Aquarium and offers life-support infrastructure informed by standards from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and veterinary practices associated with the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Conservation and Research

Conservation priorities include rehabilitation, captive breeding, and habitat restoration coordinated with agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and non-governmental organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and the Nature Conservancy. Research collaborations have involved faculty and graduate students from the University of Southern California, the University of California, Irvine, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the California State University, Long Beach on topics including marine ecology, ocean acidification, and species recovery following events like marine heatwaves observed during the 2013–2014 North Pacific marine heat wave. The aquarium has participated in tagging and monitoring programs with partners such as the Pacific Fishery Management Council and has contributed specimens and data to collections at institutions like the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Smithsonian Institution.

Education and Outreach

Educational programming spans school field trips, teacher professional development, internships, and public science communication in collaboration with the Long Beach Unified School District, local community colleges, and universities including the California State University, Long Beach and the University of Southern California. Outreach initiatives extend to community partners such as the Long Beach Public Library, neighborhood organizations, and regional cultural institutions like the Queen Mary (ship) and the Museum of Latin American Art. The aquarium also works with national programs and associations including the National Science Teachers Association, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and science media organizations to produce curricula, digital resources, and traveling exhibits.

Visitor Information

Located on the downtown waterfront near the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and accessible from regional transit hubs including services to Los Angeles Union Station and the Metro A Line (Los Angeles Metro), the aquarium serves tourists visiting Southern California attractions such as Catalina Island and the Santa Monica Pier. Visitor amenities include exhibit spaces, seasonal events, educational programs, membership services, and special experiences comparable to offerings at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Georgia Aquarium. Operational details, ticketing, accessibility accommodations, and current schedules are managed by the aquarium's administration in coordination with the City of Long Beach (California) and tourism partners such as the Greater Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Category:Aquaria in California Category:Buildings and structures in Long Beach, California