Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

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Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is located beneath the famous Santa Monica Pier.
The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is located beneath the famous Santa Monica Pier.
Date opened 1996
Location Santa Monica, California, USA
Number of Species 104
Website
The California Moray Eel is one of the featured local species on display.
The California Moray Eel is one of the featured local species on display.
This California Two-Spot Octopus is 3-4 months old.
This California Two-Spot Octopus is 3-4 months old.

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is an aquarium in Santa Monica, California located beneath the Santa Monica Pier, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Since 2003, it is operated by Heal the Bay, a nonprofit organization. It was formerly known as the Ocean Discovery Center and was operated by UCLA.

As Heal the Bay’s marine education facility, it is open to the general public and attracts more than 65,000 visitors from around the world per year (approximately 15,000 are students). This facility offers educational programs, activities and special events dedicated to marine conservation, pollution prevention, and environmental education.

The SMPA has numerous exhibits featuring marine life native to the Santa Monica Bay, including:

  • Shark / Ray Tank
  • Octopus Tank
  • 3 Touch Tanks
  • Crustacean Tank
  • Phylum Discovery Tank
  • Rocky Reef Tank
  • Pier Tank (Under the pier environment)
  • Kelp Forest Tank
  • Sandy Bottom Tank

Species on display include

Chordata


Arthropods


Molluscs


Echinoderms

  • Bat Star
  • Ochre Sea Star
  • Brittle Star
  • Purple Sea Urchin
  • Sand Dollar
  • California Sea Cucumber


Cnidaria

  • Club-Tipped Anemone
  • Tube Dwelling Anemone


[edit] External links