Into the Deep facts & figures

Opening date

• April 9, 2022

Exhibit size

• Approximately 10,000 square feet
• This is the largest exhibition of deep sea life in North America

Exhibit cost

• $15 million
• This amount includes all research and development, prototyping, planning, holding areas, chillers and life support, infrastructure, new construction, collecting trips, original film and video productions, and dry exhibits

Exhibit funding

• The exhibition was funded by a gift from The Grainger Family Fund

Exhibit development

• Five years

Animals

• 21 new live exhibit habitats representing dozens of new species for the Aquarium

Exclusive to this exhibition

• The midwater gallery will feature several species that have never been exhibited before, like bloody-belly comb jelly, a ctenophore discovered by MBARI scientists
• Nicknamed Red-x, the midwater gallery will also include a comb jelly that is yet to be scientifically described or officially named
• The deep-sea coral community tank will feature the most diverse display of deep water corals found anywhere in the world
• The benthic gallery will feature some species exhibited in earlier deep-sea exhibits but found in no other aquarium, including predatory tunicates, droopy sea pens, and mushroom corals
• This will be the first time that Brisingid sea stars, or fire stars, will be on exhibit in an aquarium