In the deep sea, vampire squids scavenge, black seadevils scout prey, and bloody-belly comb jellies seemingly sparkle red.
Aquarium updates
Descend into darkness for these delightful discoveries
In the deep sea, vampire squids scavenge, black seadevils scout prey, and bloody-belly comb jellies seemingly sparkle red. Dive into our ocean’s twilight zone, where species like the barreleye fish, known for its strange, rotating eyes and translucent forehead, maneuver in frigid temperatures. Monterey Bay Aquarium lies just a few miles away from one of the deepest sea trenches in the world, a prime location for our research institute and partner MBARI to study and photograph unique animals we still know little about! Learn more about these mysterious creatures in our Into the Deep YouTube playlist.
Meet the mesmerizing new addition to our Into the Deep/En lo Profundo exhibit, the rough snailfish! These ethereal charmers live in the benthic zone, a scientific term for the seafloor. They use those frilly fins on their chins to feel out seafloor-dwelling prey like small crustaceans. Fall’s the perfect time to cozy up to snailfish and other wondrous deep-sea animals here at our Into the Deep/En lo Profundo exhibit!
Image courtesy of Ocean Conservancy/The Global Ghost Gear Initiative
No more haunted seas
Goblins, ghouls… ghost gear? As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing scarier than fishing gear left behind in our ocean. Ghost gear is lost or discarded fishing gear that entangles animals and damages reefs long after it’s deployed. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Little changes in the seafood industry can make big waves in minimizing harm. Our Seafood Watch assessments consider ghost gear when developing seafood recommendations. As a consumer, you can make choices where ghost gear solutions are taken into account. Our choices have the power to shape the future of our ocean.
The only thing scary about orange roughy is their Seafood Watch red rating. In New Zealand, orange roughy are caught with bottom trawls that can damage deep-sea habitats, including protected corals. Orange roughy can live for more than a century and don’t reproduce until their 20s or 30s, so populations recover very slowly when they decline. Be kind to our ocean and choose other sustainable seafood instead.
Since the Aquarium opened in 1984, the backing of our local community has been an integral part of advancing our mission to inspire conservation of the ocean. To celebrate over 40 years of continued support, we invited Monterey County residents to visit us for free during the first half of September. We provided complimentary admission to tens of thousands of our neighbors—a small token of our appreciation. Thank you, locals!
Don't miss
Ghouls just wannna have fun: Halloween Member Night!
One of our most popular Member Nights is back! Picture this: the Aquarium after dark, Halloween tunes filling the air, creative costumes everywhere, all while our ocean animals glide and glow through our Aquarium exhibits!
California's groundbreaking plastic law under threat—and why it matters nationwide.
The Aquarium continues to be a leading voice on the implementation of California’s precedent-setting plastic reduction law, Senate Bill 54—a model that could shape environmental policy across the country. In March, Governor Newsom directed CalRecycle to revise regulations to reduce industry costs. This summer, we pushed back against industry efforts to weaken the regulations through a press event, letters, public comments at agency hearings, and meetings with the Governor’s office, legislative champions, and CalRecycle leaders. In early October, the Aquarium collaborated with partners to oppose major industry exclusions and the expansion of chemical recycling—an
environmental justice concern—in the latest version of regulations. We're committed to defending this landmark law because what happens in California often sets the standard for other states tackling plastic pollution. By standing firm here, we're protecting not just California, but helping pave the way for stronger environmental protections nationwide.
Save the date: National Seafood Month LinkedIn live with Jenn Dianto Kemmerly
Oct. 30 (Thurs.)
9 a.m. PT
Join us for National Seafood Month on Thursday, October 30 at 9 a.m. PT with a LinkedIn live conversation with Jenn Dianto Kemmerly, our vice president of global ocean conservation. Jenn will share how our seafood program started as a U.S.-focused consumer shopping guide to now, a change agent worldwide, breaking down barriers to sustainable seafood—from Vietnam and India to Chile and the Philippines. We’re developing tools to make it easier for small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers to deliver positive change for our oceans. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation on how we’ve scaled our impact globally.
Swifties raise over $2.3 million in vintage sea otter t-shirt sales!
Your response was beyond our "Wildest Dreams." We hear you loud and clear, and we’re so grateful for the "All Too Well" kind of love this fundraising campaign has received. We never thought we’d hit our goal in 7 hours and more than doubled it in less than 2 days reaching over $2.3 million in donations! Because of you, we reached "New Heights"—your support means more than words can say, and the impact will ripple far beyond this moment. Truly, this community is "The 1"! Swifties, thank you for your support!
Wallpaper
With eight arms, glowing false eyes, and vanishing acts worthy of Halloween, the two-spot octopus is a true master of the ocean. As it sneaks off to savor a shelled treat, it reminds us: clean water is no trick, it’s essential for survival. These sensitive cephalopods depend on us to keep our coasts healthy. Keep the magic alive and celebrate this ocean illusionist with a free wallpaper download.
