The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center on Stearns Wharf is reopening after six months of renovations.
The refreshed center includes a new exhibit, which, Director of Exhibits Frank Hein told KCLU, highlights the underwater world of the Santa Barbara Channel.
"Anybody can walk out on the coast and look out to the ocean and there's a lot to see. But very few of us get the chance to go below the surface.
"This exhibit aims to fix that," said Hein.
He told KCLU, it gives visitors the chance to see what's "unique and amazing" below the surface.
The reinterpreted upstairs space, titled Dive In: Our Changing Channel, guides visitors through the underwater world of the Santa Barbara Channel while highlighting its unique marine residents and diverse habitats, said Hein.
Upstairs, guests will encounter animals like Moon Jellies, a Two-spot Octopus, a California Moray, and Giant Pacific Seahorses - in an exhibit now enriched with more information about the ecology of kelp forests, rocky reefs, and seagrass meadows.
The new interpretation emphasizes how the geography of the coast and channel affects relationships between animals, habitats, and humans.
Guests can even model the depths of the channel using an interactive augmented reality sandbox.
Luke Swetland, President & CEO of the Museum and Sea Center notes, “In the face of both human and climate change impacts such as sea level rise, ocean warming, and acidification, the mission of the Sea Center to promote better understanding and appreciation of the Santa Barbara Channel’s rich but fragile diversity has never been more critical.”
Guests planning a visit can check sbnature.org/seacenter and sbnature.org/visit/hours/ for more information.
