On September 27, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History unveiled the Sant Ocean Hall, which offers visitors an exciting opportunity to learn about the planet's largest and most complex ecosystem. This brand new 23,000 square foot exhibit contains seven galleries, featuring 674 marine specimens and models, a salt water coral tank, giant squid, and a life-size model of a North Atlantic right whale named Phoenix. NOAA Fisheries played a significant role in developing an interactive demonstration on science-based management of sustainable fisheries, and providing content for the Ocean Today kiosk, a multi-media video library. The exhibit provides a dynamic platform to engage the public on issues such as overfishing, aquaculture, and the need for international stewardship of global ocean resources. Through unparalleled collections and state-of-the-art technology, the museum's goal is to teach visitors that the ocean is one huge ecosystem that is essential to all life -- including their own.
For more information, visit
http://ocean.si.edu/ocean_hall/ or contact Laurel.Bryant@noaa.gov.
