You can visit an octopus�s den, walk beneath crashing waves, stroll amid shorebirds and gliding bat rays and much more when the Monterey Bay Aquarium opens its newly revitalized exhibit wing, "The Ocean�s Edge: Coastal Habitats of Monterey Bay" on Friday, May 27. "Ocean�s Edge" is a dramatic transformation of the aquarium�s original exhibit galleries at the No. 1 aquarium in the United States. "Ocean's Edge" reintroduces visitors to the coastal habitats of California�s central coast, offering new exhibits and experiences that incorporate hands-on approaches and important conservation themes in engaging and exciting ways. "The �Ocean�s Edge� exhibits will connect visitors to ocean life and protection of the world�s oceans as never before," said aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard. "They build on our best exhibits from the original aquarium, adding new stories and engaging activities to keep them fresh for a new generation." Signature exhibits like the three-story living Kelp Forest are the gateway to the new "Ocean�s Edge" galleries. The Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit remains home to an impressive variety of sharks and schooling fishes. Touch pools, a walk-through aviary and intimate "jewel case" exhibits continue to invite a closer look at marine life found along California's central coast. But visitors to �Ocean�s Edge� will find significant and exciting changes, including a walk-through wave crash experience, a much-expanded aviary, a more immersive touch pool and bat ray pool, and more hands-on activities than ever before. The changes reflect 20 years of experience in developing innovative and effective marine life exhibits � exhibits that earned the aquarium recognition as the best in the nation in the 2004 Zagat Survey(R) U.S. Family Travel Guide. High-definition video introduces each living habitat area in the "Ocean�s Edge." Every gallery celebrates not just marine life but the human connection with nature and the solutions people are finding to preserve the marine environment. Throughout "Ocean�s Edge, visitors will discover ways to get personally involved in protecting the oceans for the future. Highlights of "Ocean�s Edge" include a new and larger gallery devoted to the giant octopus; expanded aviary and wetlands exhibits that are integrated into a Coastal Wetland to Sandy Shore gallery; new displays for Sandy Seafloor and Shale Reef animals; and a Wharf gallery that tells the story of the seafood we eat -� especially how individual seafood choices can preserve both ocean wildlife and healthy fishing communities. The giant octopus is an amazing animal that is nothing like its menacing legend. Shy and gentle, and highly intelligent, it has an amazing repertoire of abilities and behaviors. Visitors will be able to discover those characteristics in a new "Ocean�s Edge" gallery that almost takes them into an octopus's den. Two giant octopuses will be exhibited in homes 30 feet wide -� comparable to the expanse of the nearby Kelp Forest exhibit. Elaborate rockwork will extend up and over visitors� heads from the center of the double exhibit, creating an illusion of being at the mouth of an octopus�s den. Visitors can also take a nature walk and see the aquarium�s shorebirds and bat rays in the revitalized Coastal Wetland to Sandy Shore gallery. The gallery integrates the former slough, aviary and bat ray exhibits to emphasize the links between the habitats and the many ways people connect with these natural systems. Visitors will find an underwater view of bat rays through new video periscopes, and will be able to gently touch bat rays as they swim by. The revitalized Rocky Shore gallery debuts with a splash � literally. The focal point is a walk-through acrylic tunnel where people can see and feel the power of waves as they crash overhead and into a series of outdoor tide pools. Children can experience the tide pools from inside a bubble window, too. In many ways, the redesigned gallery will offer a closer look at marine life along the rugged rocky shore. Classic exhibits like the surge channel will remain, allowing visitors to watch how animals respond when they create currents that rush through rocky passageways. A larger macro-video display will feature a new zoom camera with above-water as well as underwater views. There will also be a larger, more naturalistic touch pool with a rockwork pinnacle and curved walls designed to encourage exploration by families and groups. The exhibit will have pools set at different heights to allow easier access for young children and people with disabilities. The updated Rocky Shore exhibits will include new displays, including natural history video stories, a multimedia tide pool game, and an up-close view of life in a tide pool and in a wave crash zone. Hands-on activities are integral to "Ocean�s Edge" and can be found throughout the revitalized galleries. Visitors can help a flatfish hide in the sand and discover how tube anemones escape their predators. They can also learn the impact of their seafood choices on ocean wildlife by "ordering" a meal in the "Real-Cost Cafe." The cafe is part of a new Wharf gallery that immerses visitors in the sights, sounds and smells of Fisherman�s Wharf in Monterey. In addition to hundreds of living species already on exhibit, new animals featured in "Ocean�s Edge" include the sheep crab, which has pincers on all eight legs and both claw-arms; the small and ubiquitous sand crab, which lives on beaches and is an important source of food for fishes and birds; and the skeleton shrimp, a tiny and fascinating amphipod that bows and sways in the water as it gathers food with its huge flat claws. The "Ocean�s Edge" galleries complete a two-year re-creation of the original aquarium, which opened in 1984. The new exhibits debut a year after major renovations to the aquarium�s main entry and ticketing lobby, and completion of exhibits interpreting the historic Hovden Cannery that once occupied the site. "Ocean�s Edge" is included with aquarium admission of $21.95 adult; $19.95 senior (65 and over); $17.95 student (13-17 or college ID); and $10.95 child (3-12) and disabled. The aquarium is located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and in summer and major holiday periods from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Christmas Day). Seasonal specials, details about special events and programs, family activities and live web cams can all be found online at www.montereybayaquarium.org. More information is available online or by calling (831) 648-4888. The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans.

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Editors: Visit our online pressroom at www.montereybayaquarium.org/aa/pressroom.asp to request "Ocean�s Edge" images.

Media Contact: Ken Peterson kpeterson@mbayaq.org Ph: +1 831-648-4922