The iconic and mysterious seahorse is the centerpiece of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's new exhibit, The Secret Lives of Seahorses, which opened to the public on April 6. The exhibit features over 15 species of seahorses and related marine life in a variety of different habitats, revealing both their fascinating and unique life cycles and how much of a mystery these underinvestigated creatures of the deep still remain. The Secret Lives of Seahorses is included with regular aquarium admission.
The exhibit has four sections: "Seahorses and Kin," "Growing Up," "Getting Together" and "Giving Birth." These exhibits divulge some of the seahorse's secrets, and expose the many more unknowns marine biologists have yet to discover.
Visitors enter through "Seahorses and Kin," which holds seahorses and their relatives the sea dragon, the pipehorse and the pipefish. These color-changing masters of disguise often blend into the environment in which they live, a predator avoidance technique which only adds to their mystique. This entire family of marine life has fused jaws, and carry bony plates where fish have scales, making them unique.
"Growing Up" shows both how tiny seahorse fry (the official name of baby seahorses) quickly learn to survive on their own. Live exhibits will also show how seahorses camoflage themselves, hiding in plain sight and giving visitors a chance to play "Where's the Seahorse"?
Learn about the romantic side of seahorse life with "Getting Together," which shows off seahorse courtship rituals. Find out how seahorses signal interest in each other, learn how they compete for the attention of the opposite sex and discover how they mate.
Mating, of course, leads to pregnancy. "Giving Birth" exposes one of the most unique aspects of seahorse life — in this species, it is the male that gets pregnant and gives birth. Learn about the brood patch that male sea dragons and pipefish use, as well as the fully enclosed brood pouch male seahorses use to nurture their young.
A five-foot sculpture of a seahorse stands at the exit, providing a perfect photo opportunity to commemorate the visit.
Seahorses "live in the most endangered habitats in the world — coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangrove forests," says Ava Ferguson, senior exhibit developer for The Secret Lives of Seahorses. In addition, they're often accidentally killed by fishermen, or deliberately killed by people who turn them into traditional medicine or desktop decorations.
Along with the entertaining exhibits, hands-on interactive displays will teach visitors how they can make choices in life that will support seahorse survival. When people save the seahorse, they also save the parts of our oceans that are most in peril.
Become the Facebook friend Herbie Hippocampus, a seahorse living in The Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit. Herbie's profile says he's"looking for friends, romance, a mate?" He also says his favorite food is brine shrimp and his favorite place is "a lovely seagrass bed." His daily status updates are both amusing and educational. Get insight into both the life of the single seahorse and into the exhibit through this unique online window.
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 1770, Monterey, CA 93942 1-877-MONTEREY info@mccvb.org
In partnership with Monterey County and the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas,
Sand City, Seaside, Soledad, Pebble Beach, Moss Landing, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, and Salinas Valley.
© Copyright 2009 Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
