Top of the 350,000 gallon Tropical Pacific exhibit

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located in the city of Long Beach, California at the mouth of the Los Angeles River. The aquarium features a collection of over 12,500 animals representing almost 1,000 different species. The facility focuses on the Pacific Ocean in three major permanent galleries, Southern California and Baja, Northern Pacific and Tropical Pacific. County Los Angeles County, California Area  - Total  - Water 170. ... The Los Angeles River, highlighted in red (on the left). ...

The aquarium was designed as a joint venture of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassanbaum and Esherick, Homsey, Dodge and Davis. Construction began in 1995 and the 156,735 square foot (14,560 m³) aquarium opened in 1998. Since the aquarium is built on a site created through land reclamation in an area prone to earthquakes the facility is built on top of 1,800 cement pilings which each extend 85 feet into the ground and are surrounded by gravel. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Land reclamation is either of two distinct practices. ... Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998 An earthquake is a sudden and sometimes catastrophic movement of a part of the Earths surface. ... Look up Pile in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For other uses, please see Pile (disambiguation) A pile is one type of building foundation. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ...

The aquarium is a non-profit institution whose mission is, “To instill a sense of wonder, respect and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants and ecosystems.” The facility and the debt incurred to build it are actually owned by the City of Long Beach. The non-profit institution has an agreement with the City to operate the facility through 2060. The aquarium is an American Zoo and Aquarium Association accredited facility. A non-profit organization (often called non-profit org or simply non-profit or not-for-profit) can be seen as an organization that doesnt have a goal to make a profit. ... In ecology, the word ecosystem is an abbreviation of the term, ecological system. ... County Los Angeles County, California Area  - Total  - Water 170. ... The American Zoo and Aquarium Association, or AZA is a people-based association dedicated to raising awareness of zoos and aquariums. ...

About 1.3 million people visit the aquarium each year; over 190,000 of those are school age children. The aquarium has a volunteer staff of about 725 people who work in all departments, including education, administration, husbandry and SCUBA diving staff. This group of political volunteers is working to promote voter turn-out. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... SCUBA is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. ...

The aquarium also pays for and helps staff the science department for downtown Long Beach’s Cesar Chavez Elementary School. In the spring of 2006 the aquarium staff will provide 24 science lessons to the classes at the school. Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ...

The aquarium is the only facility in the world to successfully breed Weedy Sea Dragons in captivity. Binomial name Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Lacepède, 1804) The Weedy Sea Dragon or Common Sea Dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a marine fish related to the seahorse( We Already Know That XD! ). They occur in water 3 to 50 meters deep around the southern coastline of Australia, approximately between Port Stephens, NSW...

External links

• Official Website