![](https://media.nbcsandiego.com/2024/08/BirchAquarium-LivingSeas-OctopusGrotto.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=320%2C180)
What to Know
- Living Seas, a "reimagined exhibition," opens at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego in 2025
- The large-scale exhibition will replace the Hall of Fishes
- The new exhibition is "the largest capital improvement since the aquarium was built in 1992"
THE OCEAN'S ETERNAL FLOW: The timeless tumble of the tides? Call it a constant feature of the Big Blue, something as predictable, though still wondrous, as the moonrise or sunset. But the concepts of movement, flow, and change happen on land, too, including at those lauded locations that celebrate the science and splendor of the ocean. Look to Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, where the "Hall of Fishes," a large-scale exhibition, has long swept visitors away on a fascinating, fish-forward journey. Change is headed for this storied hall, though, and what will result is even bigger and wider-of-scope: It's the "Living Seas," a "reimagined exhibition" that will be "the largest capital improvement since the aquarium was built in 1992."
A GRAND "FIN"-ALE: There's still time to call upon the "Hall of Fishes," which has welcomed over 12 million guests since it debuted over three decades ago, before it fully shutters. Keepers will begin moving some of the animals, including the Giant Pacific Octopus, to behind-the-scenes habitats Sept. 3, while the renovations will launch Sept. 29. Visitors will be invited to contribute memories of the hall in the coming days, on select dates.
SEAS TOMORROW: "Generations of San Diegans have been inspired by our 'Hall of Fishes' and I can't wait to introduce future generations to 'Living Seas,' which has been in the works for years,β said Executive Director Harry Helling. "We have assembled an amazing group of scientists, experience designers, animal care experts and contractors to reimagine this iconic space." You won't have to wait long before taking a delightful dive into all that the "Living Seas" will deliver: The new exhibition opens in 2025, ready to whisk visitors on "an unforgettable journey along the West Coast to uncover the wonders of the Pacific."
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Pictured: A rendering of the new "Living Seas" exhibition at Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.