ALT ? Our fin-tastic volunteers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium have been making waves since before our doors even opened in 1984, cumulatively giving over 4.5 million hours of their time! From sea otter rescues to keeping our exhibits sparkling— underwater, no less—they’ve truly buoyed our spirits and kept us afloat for 40 years. Thank you, volunteers, for your tireless dedication to inspiring conservation of the ocean ..read more

There are people around the globe doing important work to achieve the goal of protecting our planet. This Earth Week, check out the work that the Aquarium’s Conservation and Science team is doing to tackle large issues like plastic pollution on both the national and global scale.  Check out our earth week page to learn more. Remember, we’re all in this together ..read more

Little red octopus ?❤️ These little red octopus are sea-ternly the masters of disguise, thanks to their ability to change color and texture to blend seamlessly with their surroundings. Check out those inkredible hiding skills ..read more

ALT When these stars bump into each other, it’s not just a friendly handshake, it’s a ‘gently intense’ arm wrestling match! They become engaged in a slow-motion skirmish, striving to get the upper hand,  er, arm. Who knew stars could be so competitive ..read more

Holdfast, fronds — it’s the beginning of the week, and we hope this adds a little sway to your day. Did you know that our Kelp Forest exhibit is the very first of its kind to successfully maintain live kelp? Join our director of dive programs, George Peterson, to learn all the intricate details that keep our kelp healthy and our kelp community so magically mesmerizing ..read more

ALT A majestic mega raft of mustelids mesmerizingly maneuvering through the meandering kelp maze of murky waters, melding into a magnificent mosaic of motion and merriment.   ALT ..read more

Join forces with us and other aquariums to urge U.S. leaders to take bold action on plastic. https://mbayaq.co/sign    And don’t forget to sign up for our quarterly Ocean Action Newsletter for the latest updates and ways that you can help protect the ocean ?? https://mbayaq.co/oceanaction ..read more

The beauty of the monastery kelp forest We get by with the help of our fronds! Sea-riously! A new study by Monterey Bay Aquarium scientists found that denser kelp forests can better handle serious stressors like sweltering seawaters! The study looked at kelp forests before, during, and after an extreme marine heatwave that hit west coast waters from 2014-2016. It found that denser and more sheltered forests, and the animals living in these forests, fared better against the extreme heat. These persistent forests were also able to keep hungry sea urchins from roaming around the reef and gobblin ..read more

Are you ready for world leaders to finally get sea-rious about stopping plastic pollution?  On Earth Day world leaders convene to negotiate the first-ever Global Plastics Treaty. Join forces with us and other aquariums to urge U.S. leaders to take bold action on plastic.  ALT ALT Sign the petition ..read more

Water is the lifeblood of the Aquarium. For 30 years, Ralph has kept our Aquarium afloat, ensuring smooth sailing for our fishy friends and human visitors alike. From the seawater flowing through our exhibits to the freshwater that flushes our toilets—meet the man who holds the keys to the pipes ..read more